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General

Auto-bill and next bill

Detagging

Renewing after expiry

Registrar Transfer (Tag change)


Direct contact with registrants

Registration status


General

How do I submit a renewal request?
You should use our registrar systems to submit a renewal request. 

How do I know which domain names are due to be renewed?
We will send you a three month advance warning of domain names that are due to be renewed.  For example, a list of domain names due to expire in June 2009 will be sent to you on 1 March 2009.

You can opt out of receiving these emails by selecting 'unsubscribe' at the bottom of the email.  You can also use our Online Service to opt in or opt out, or amend your email address.  Alternatively, if you prefer, you can submit a list request by expiry month through our registrar systems to return a list of domain names due to expire in your chosen month.

Which date should I work to under the renewals system, the expiry/renewal date or the invoicing date?
The renewals system is built around the renewal date of the domain name.  If any changes are to be made to the domain name, you must ensure these changes are made before the expiry date.  For example, you may want to update the registrant fields before we issue any renewal reminder emails to the registrant.

If the auto-bill or next-bill field is set, any changes to these must be made before midnight one clear day before the date indicated by the value in the field.  (See Section 2, 'Auto-bill and next-bill' for further details.)

How far in advance of expiry can I renew a domain name?
You can renew a domain name up to six months (182 days) prior to the expiry date.

Can another registrar renew a domain name associated with my tag?
No, only the current registrar can submit a renewal request.

Can I renew a domain name after it has expired?
If you are unsure whether your customer wants to renew a domain name before it expires, you should not submit a renewal request. When the domain name reaches its expiry date, we will notify the registrant by email and advise they contact you to arrange renewal.  If the registrant asks you to renew their domain name, you should submit a renewal request through our registrar systems. The fee for the domain name will be included in the renewal invoice we generate you at midnight at the end of the 7th day in the month following renewal.

I have accidentally sent in a renewal request for a domain name. What should I do?
You can cancel a renewal request up until the generation of our invoice at midnight at the end of the 7th day in the month following renewal. This will give you a minimum of 7 days in which you can cancel a renewal request. You should do this by using the ‘unrenew’ function that is available in all our registrar systems. We will send an email to the registrant notifying them of the cancellation. If your registrant asks you to renew their domain name again, you can submit a second renewal request.  Please note that you will not be permitted to cancel your second renewal request. 

You cannot cancel a renewal request after we have generated our invoice at midnight at the end of the 7th day of the month following renewal.  You will have to pay the invoice in full and we will not issue a credit note even if you later detag a domain name.

How many times can I renew a domain name in one renewal period?
You should only submit one renewal request per domain name per renewal period, unless you have used the ‘unrenew’ function (see above) to cancel a renewal request and later decide to renew it again. 

A registrar might submit a renewal request well in advance of a domain name’s expiry but not pay the renewal fee within the credit terms of our invoice. In these cases, when the expiry date is reached we will notify the registrant that the renewal process has not been completed and that they need to contact their registrar.  The registrar will not be permitted to submit a second renewal request to extend the payment terms instead of paying the original invoice.

What happens if a domain name is not renewed before expiry?
If a domain name reaches its expiry date and we have not received a renewal request, we will begin our email reminder programme for registrants. Emails will be sent to the registrant: on the expiry date, 23 days after the expiry date to warn of suspension in 7 days, on suspension date,  and 83 days after the expiry date to warn of cancellation in 7 days.

All our emails to registrants advise the registrant to contact you to arrange renewal.  If the registrant asks you to renew their domain name at any time before cancellation, you should submit a renewal request through our registrar systems. The fee for the domain name will be included in the renewal invoice we generate you at midnight at the end of the 7th day in the month following renewal. If you renew a domain name that has already been suspended, the suspension will be lifted.

What do I do if a registrant has told me that they no longer require a domain name?
If your registrant has told you that they no longer require a domain name, you can set the ‘renew-not-required’ flag that is available through all our registrar systems. Rather than immediately being cancelled, ‘renew-not-required’ domain names will be suspended and cancelled in the normal way. A single notification email will be sent to the registrant to let them know that we have received the ‘renew-not-required’ instruction, however we will not send any renewal reminders.  At any time up to cancellation of the domain name, you can still submit a renewal request or the registrant can carry out a registrar change. Both of these actions will override the ‘renew-not-required’ instruction.

What will happen if a registrar has submitted a renewal request but does not pay the invoice to terms?
If a registrar has submitted a renewal request but the invoice is not paid to terms, we will notify the registrant by email that the renewal process has not been completed and that they need to contact their registrar.

Auto-bill and next-bill

What is the auto-bill field?
The auto-bill field is used to indicate how many days before expiry you wish to renew a domain name.
 
You can set the auto-bill field on a domain name with a value between 1 and 182 where the value indicates the number of days before expiry that the domain name will be renewed.  The field will default to 'off' and will be set to 'off' if the tag is changed.

If a value has been set in the auto-bill field, the domain name will be renewed when the relevant point in time arrives as if you have submitted a renewal request.  We will include the renewal fees for the domain name in your next renewals invoice.

The auto-bill field cannot be set retrospectively so the value added to the field must be in the future.  The value in the field must be added at least one clear day in advance of the day given as the field value.  For example, if you want to set the value to 10 (that is auto-bill 10 days prior to expiry) you can add the field value up to midnight on day 12 (that is 12 days prior to expiry).  In this example, if a domain name is due to expire on the 20th of the month and you want to add a field value of 10, you could add this field value up until midnight on the 8th of the month.

Of course, if you do not have sufficient time to add an auto-bill field before the domain name expires you can always submit a renewal request.

I host a number of domain names that should always be renewed. How do I ensure that these domain names 'automatically' renew every two years?
You can indicate all the domain names that you wish to renew by setting the auto-bill field on the register entry for each domain name.  For example, if you want to ensure that all the domain names registered to you as the registrar are renewed every two years, without having to worry about submitting a renewal request each time, you could set the field value to be 1.  This would ensure that a renewal request is generated automatically one day prior to expiry and the renewal fee will be added to the next renewals invoice generated.

Alternatively, if you have a client who is keen to see that their domain name has been renewed well in advance of expiry, you could choose to set the field value to any value up to 182.  If the auto-bill field value is set to 90 this would mean that an invoice is generated in the next available invoice run after day 90 (that is expiry date minus 90 days) is reached.

I have set an auto-bill field for a domain name but now the registrant has said they don't want to renew the domain name. What should I do?
If you want to cancel an auto-bill request before the domain name has been automatically renewed, you should set the field value to zero at least one clear day in advance of the day on which you intended to make the renewal. So if the value is set to 1 (that is auto-bill 1 day prior to expiry) you can change the value of this field up to midnight on day 3 (that is 3 days prior to expiry).  For example, if a domain name is due to expire on the 12th of the month and the field value is set to 1, it would be possible to delete this value up until midnight on the 9th of the month.

If you want to cancel an auto-bill renewal request after the domain name has been automatically renewed and before we generate our invoice, you should first set the auto-bill field value to zero. You can then cancel the renewal request by using the ‘unrenew’ function that is available in all our registrar systems. We will send an email to the registrant notifying them of the cancellation.

Can I set an auto-bill field for all the domain names on our tag and decide whether we want to renew the domain names when we receive Nominet's invoice?
You can set the auto-bill for all the domain names on your tag if you are concerned about forgetting to renew any of them.  However you  cannot cancel an auto-bill renewal request after we have generated our invoice at midnight at the end of the 7th day of the month following renewal.  You will have to pay the invoice in full and we will not issue a credit note even if you later detag a domain name.

How do I get a domain name to renew automatically just the next time but not after that?
You can do this by setting the ‘next-bill’ field.  You can set the next-bill field on a domain name with a value between 1 and 182, indicating how many days before expiry you wish to renew the domain name.  The field is set for a single registration period only.  When the relevant point in time arrives, the domain name will be renewed as if a renewal request has been received, and the field will be reset to a null value.

You can change or cancel the next-bill field one clear day before the day indicated by the field value.  Requests must be received by midnight.  Therefore, if the next-bill field has been set to 10 for a domain name due to expire on the 20th of the month, you can change the next-bill field up until midnight on the 8th of the month.  To cancel a next-bill request, you should set the field value to 0.

Note: You cannot set both the next-bill and auto-bill fields.

I have set a next-bill field for a domain name but now the registrant has said they don't want to renew the domain name. What should I do?
If you want to cancel a next-bill request before the domain name has been automatically renewed, you should set the field value to zero at least one clear day in advance of the day on which you intended to make the renewal. So if the value is set to 1 (that is next-bill 1 day prior to expiry) you can change the value of this field up to midnight on day 3 (that is 3 days prior to expiry).  For example, if a domain name is due to expire on the 12th of the month and the field value is set to 1, it would be possible to delete this value up until midnight on the 9th of the month.

If you want to cancel a next-bill renewal request after the domain name has been automatically renewed and before we generate our invoice, you should first set the next-bill field value to zero. You can then cancel the renewal request by using the ‘unrenew’ function that is available in all our registrar systems. We will send an email to the registrant notifying them of the cancellation.
 

Detagging

I don't want to receive a renewal invoice for some of the domain names that are due to expire this month. Should I detag the domain names?
Detagging a domain name indicates a permanent end to your relationship with your registrant. You do not need to detag domain names to avoid the renewal fees appearing on our invoice.  If you simply leave the domain name (and there is no value in the auto-bill or next-bill fields), when the expiry date is reached we email a renewal reminder directly to the registrant.  This tells the registrant that their domain name has expired and they must act quickly if they want to keep it. We tell them to contact you (their registrar) to help them to renew their domain name.
 
You should be particularly careful not to detag a domain name that you only feel your customer may not wish to renew.  Instead you should not renew the domain name until your customer instructs you.

 
When would I detag domain names?
Detagging should only be used to indicate a permanent end to your relationship with the registrant.  If it is simply the case that you haven't been able to make contact with your customer but would like to retain them if possible, you should take no action and hopefully when we contact them they will make contact with you.
 

Renewing a domain name after expiry

If my customer gets in touch after they have received a renewal reminder from Nominet what should I do?
If your customer makes contact you can submit a renewal request through our registrar systems at any time after expiry until the domain name is cancelled.  The domain name will be added to the next renewals invoice that we send to you.

I don't know if my customer wants to renew their domain name and I don't want to risk renewing it in case they don't pay me for the renewal fee. What should I do?
If you are unsure whether your customer wants to renew their domain name before it expires, you should not submit a renewal request. When the domain name reaches its expiry date, we will start our email reminder programme for registrants. All our emails recommend that the registrant contacts you if they want to renew their domain name.

If the registrant asks you to renew their domain name at any time before cancellation, you should submit a renewal request through our registrar systems. The fee for the domain name will be included in the renewal invoice we generate you at midnight at the end of the 7th day in the month following renewal. If the domain name has been suspended, the suspension will be lifted after we receive a renewal request.  The domain name and name servers will be added to the next zone file update.

Registrar Transfers (Tag change)

What happens if the registrar associated with a domain name is changed during the renewal period?
There are a number of possible scenarios.  In each example we assume that the registrar associated with the domain name is changed from registrar A to registrar B via our registrar systems:

1. No renewal request submitted, registrar transfer completed before expiry
When the registrar is changed from A to B, registrar B will receive notification of the transfer and confirmation of the registration status of the domain name.  In this instance the status will be: Registered until expiry date. (See Registration status section for further details.)

Registrar B can then decide whether they wish to submit a renewal request or set the auto-bill or next-bill fields.  Alternatively, registrar B may do nothing in which case we will send a renewal reminder email on expiry to the registrant advising them to renew their domain name through registrar B.

2. No renewal request submitted, registrar transfer completed after expiry
When the registrar is changed from A to B, registrar B will receive notification of the transfer and confirmation of the registration status of the domain name.  In this instance the status will be: Renewal required. (See Registration status section for further details.)

As the domain name was not renewed by registrar A and has passed its expiry date, we will already have sent the registrant a renewal reminder email.  Registrar B should check with their new customer that they want to renew their domain name and, if so, should submit a renewal request.  The fee will then be added to the next renewals invoice issued to registrar B. If the domain name is within 7 days of being suspended or is already suspended, registrar B should first check that their customer has not paid us directly for the renewal  If the registrant has paid directly, the registration status displayed on the WHOIS will have changed to: Registered until expiry date.

3. Renewal fee paid, registrar transfer completed before expiry
When the registrar is changed from A to B, registrar B will receive notification of the registrar transfer and confirmation of the registration status of the domain name.  In this instance the status will be: Registered until expiry date.  (See Registration status section for further details.)  No further action is required.

4. Renewal fee paid, registrar transfer completed after expiry
When the registrar is changed from A to B, registrar B will receive notification of the registrar transfer and confirmation of the registration status of the domain name.  In this instance the status will be: Registered until expiry date.  (See Registration status section for further details.)  No further action is required.

5. Renewal request submitted, registrar transfer completed during 30 day payment terms
When the registrar is changed from A to B, registrar B will receive notification of the registrar transfer and confirmation of the registration status of the domain name.  In this instance the status will be: Renewal request being processed.  (See Registration status section for further details.)  Registrar B can submit a renewal request if they wish to ensure that the domain name is renewed, however this will not cancel the invoice to registrar A.  In this scenario both registrars will be liable for a renewal fee.

If registrar B does not send a renewal request and registrar A pays the renewal fee within the 30 day payment terms, no further action is required.  However, if registrar A does not make payment, the registration status will change to "Renewal required" (note the expiry date can be a negative date).  As soon as the payment terms have passed, the domain name will immediately be suspended.  Registrar B will then need to decide whether they want to submit a renewal request on behalf of their customer.

6. Renewal outstanding, registrar transfer completed before expiry
When the registrar is changed from A to B, registrar B will receive notification of the registrar transfer and confirmation of the registration status of the domain name.  In this instance the status will be: Registered until expiry date.  (See Registration status section for further details.)

If registrar B does not submit a renewal request, the next steps will depend upon how long before expiry registrar A submitted their renewal request.  If registrar A does not pay the renewal fee within the 30 day payment terms at expiry, or when the 30 day payment period ends, a renewal reminder email will be sent to the registrant unless registrar B has submitted a renewal request.  We will continue to pursue registrar A for the outstanding fee, but this will not delay the processing of the renewal of the domain name.

7. Renewal submitted, registrar transfer completed after expiry
See answer to scenario 5 above.
 

The recur-bill field

How does the recur-bill field work?
The recur-bill field allows registrars to indicate that the registrant should be billed for the renewal.  In order for it to work domain names must be identified as 'bc' (bill customer) before the expiry date.  Once you have identified a domain name as 'bc', we will treat the domain name like a direct renewal. On expiry we will start our registrant renewal reminder programme. Our first email will advise the registrant to log into their online service account and select the renewal option. Here they will be given the opportunity to make a direct payment to us. If the registrant does not renew their domain name at this stage, we will send them reminder emails 7 days before their domain name is due to be suspended, upon suspension and 7 days before the domain name is due to be cancelled.


If the recur-bill field is set to 'bc', you will not be able to submit a renewal request until you have changed the recur-bill field to 'th'. 

If you have already submitted a renewal request for a domain name with the recur-bill feld set to ‘th’, you can use the ‘unrenew’ function that is available in all our registrar systems to cancel your renewal request and you can then set the recur-bill field to 'bc'.
 

Direct contact with registrants

Will Nominet make direct contact with my customers during the renewal process?
We will only contact your customers directly in the following circumstances:

i.    If you do not submit a renewal request before expiry, we will start our registrant renewal reminder email programme:
i.    On expiry: We will notify the registrant 1 day after the date of expiry if we have not yet received a renewal request. The reminder will include the name and public URL of the registrar associated with the domain name and a recommendation that they contact their registrar to arrange renewal.
ii.    Suspension warning: Sent 23 days after the expiry date to warn the registrant that the domain name will be suspended in 7 days. The email explains the consequences of suspension and advises them to contact their registrar to arrange renewal.
iii.    Suspension notice: Sent 30 days after the expiry date to advise the registrant that the domain name has been suspended and that it is still not too late to renew through their registrar. We also warn of the consequences of the domain name being cancelled.
iv.    Cancellation warning: Sent 83 days after the expiry date. This email warns the registrant that the domain name will be cancelled in 7 days. The email explains that cancelled domain names are then available for anyone else to register and that it is still possible to renew the domain name, even at this late stage.

All of the above emails contain details of the specific domain name, its expiry date and the registrar and public URL for the registrar to help the registrant make their renewal. At no point in our emails to registrants with domain names on your tag do we mention the ability to renew directly with Nominet. Furthermore the ability to renew directly with us is only available in their online account 23 days after the expiry date (7 days before suspension).

ii.    If the recur-bill field for the domain name is set to 'bc', on expiry we will send a renewal reminder email to the registrant advising them to log into their online service account and select the renewal option. Here they will be given the opportunity to make a direct payment to us. If the registrant does not renew their domain name at this stage, we will send them reminder emails 7 days before their domain name is due to be suspended, upon suspension and 7 days before the domain name is due to be cancelled. 

iii.    If we receive a renewal request but payment is not made within the 30 day credit terms of our invoice, we will send the registrant an email telling them that the renewal process has not been completed and advising them to contact their registrar.

iv.    We will also send renewal reminder emails to registrants of domain names on the NOMINET or DETAGGED on expiry by post. 

Can I customise the renewal reminder emails that you sent to my registrants?
We are planning to introduce the facility for registrars to add personalised text to our reminder emails. This text could be used to advise customers of renewal prices, hosting offers and promotions to encourage renewal. You will also be able supply us with a dedicated renewals URL to direct your customers to a renewals landing page on your own site.

Can I customise your registrant renewal direct payment page?
Registrants can only renew directly with us from 7 days before their domain name is due to be suspended up until cancellation. You can submit your message and a URL that will be displayed within our online service for registrants. Your message will be seen by all registrants with a domain name on your tag who are attempting to renew directly with us. It will not prevent them from making the direct renewal, but will provide you with the final opportunity to persuade them that they should renew through you, their registrar.

You should submit the message to us for your registrants through your online service account.

Registration Status

The registration status of a domain name is displayed on the WHOIS.  There are five different registration statuses: 

Registration request being processed
This would only be used after first registration but before payment has been received.

Registered until expiry date
This status will be displayed if:

i.    The domain name has not reached its expiry date and a renewal request has not been received.
 
ii.    If the renewal fee has been paid and the expiry date will move forward two years.

Renewal request being processed
This status will be displayed once we have received a renewal request and until the renewal invoice is paid or goes beyond credit terms.

Renewal required
This status will be used if:

i.    The domain name has passed its expiry date but we have not received a renewal request and therefore a renewal reminder email has been sent to the registrant, or

ii.    A renewal request has been received but the domain name has passed its expiry date and the invoice is beyond its credit terms.
In both instances the expiry date will be in the past.

No longer required
This status is displayed if the registrar has set the ‘renew-not-required’ flag on the domain name.
 

Related contacts

For questions from our members and registrars Telephone: 01865 332233 Email:

To make a payment Telephone: 01865 332348 Email:   

If you need any more advice, request a call back and discuss your query with one of our advisors. Request call back
 
Related contacts
For questions from our members and registrars Telephone: 01865 332233 Email: support@nominet.org.uk To make a payment Telephone: 01865 332348 Email: payments@nominet.org.uk Emergency out of hours support for registrars Telephone: 01606 866663 
If you need any more advice, request a call back and discuss your query with one of our advisors. Request call back ›
 
 
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