We have recently made a number of changes to our renewals system. These changes include:

• Reminder email customisation (March 2009)
• No more pro forma invoices (February 2009)
• New email reminder process (February 2009)
• Direct renewal warning (February 2009)
• Renewal not required command (November 2008)
• Cancel renewal command (December 2008)

New functionality

A number of new renewals commands have already been introduced as part of our development programme. Documentation on using these commands is available in the appropriate registrar systems documentation section:

Renewal not required command

• This command should be used to mark domain names that are no longer required by your customers.
  
• Rather than immediately cancelling, 'renew-not-required' domain names will be suspended and cancelled in the normal way.
  
• The 'renew-not-required' flag prevents any renewal reminders being sent to the registrant about the domain name.
• A single notification email will be sent to the registrant to advise that the 'renew-not-required' instruction has been received.
• A new status will be added to the WHOIS called "No longer required".
• A registrar can submit a renewal request which overrides the 'renew-not-required' flag. This renewal request can be submitted up to six months before the expiry date.
  
• The registrant can still carry out a registrar change however this action will clear the 'renew-not-required' flag.

The 'renew-not-required' function is available in all of our registrar systems: automaton, EPP, and web domain manager.

Cancel renewal request - 'unrenew'

• A registrar may cancel a renewal request up until the generation of the invoice (midnight at the end of the 7th day in the month following renewal)
• This gives a minimum of 7 days in which a registrar can cancel a renewal request
• There will be no limit on the total number of renewal requests that can be cancelled
• However a domain name can only have its renewal request cancelled once
  
• If a renewal is cancelled, the registrant will be sent an email notifying them of the cancellation

The 'unrenew' function is available in all of our registrar systems: automaton  EPP and web domain manager.