From 4 February 2009 we will stop sending pro forma invoices to registrants. Domain names that expire from that date onwards, that are not renewed, will receive email reminders, encouraging them to renew through their registrar.

Prior to this, if a domain name had not been renewed, we sent a pro forma invoice to the registrant for direct renewal at £80 plus VAT. Even though this invoice recommended that the registrant contacted their registrar to renew the domain name, it undoubtedly caused confusion and in some instances unnecessary expense for registrants and registrars.

We have replaced the paper and email pro forma invoices with a renewal reminder email programme.

All our emails now 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).

If any of your registrants have outstanding pro forma invoices for domain names that expired before 3 February 2009, they will still be able to make direct payments to us.

You can submit a message and URL though your online service account that will be displayed at the point at which registrants make the direct renewal with us. We are also developing a system to allow you to customise all of our email reminders to your customers, scheduled to launch in March 2009.