Domain Renewals And Management Guide

our domain is your website's home on the internet. At Net2Secure, domains are set up to renew automatically by default. This makes sure your website stays online and active without any interruptions. This guide provides simple instructions for managing your renewals, turning off automatic renewals, adding more years to your domain, and what to do if a domain expires. This guide is written especially for our Net2Secure users in India.

1. Before You Begin

• Know Your Provider: If your domain was registered with another company (like GoDaddy, BigRock, or HostGator), or if you just pointed it to your Net2Secure website, that other company is in charge of your billing and renewals, not us.

• Separate Services: Remember that paying for your domain is separate from paying for your web hosting or email services. They are billed independently.

• Closing Your Hosting: If you decide to close your web hosting plan but want to keep your domain name, you must either move it to another company or keep it active through your Net2Secure account.

• Add Years: You have the option to pay for more years on your domain's registration at any time, directly through your Net2Secure control panel.

2. Auto-Renewal Is On by Default

Your domain at Net2Secure is set to automatically renew to prevent any service interruptions.

You'll get reminders:

• 30 days before your domain is due to renew.

• 15 days before, we will automatically charge the payment method you have on file.

• If the payment works, your domain will renew for another year, or for a longer period if you’ve chosen that option.

To Turn Off Auto-Renewal:

• Log in to your Net2Secure control panel.

• Go to the Domains section and click on your domain.

• Click the switch to turn Auto-Renew off.

• To cancel the next renewal, make sure you turn this off at least one day before the renewal date.

If auto-renewal is turned off, Net2Secure will send you a few reminders so you don't forget:

• A reminder 30 days before it expires.

• A reminder 5 days before it expires.

• A notice on the day it expires.

You can always turn auto-renewal back on at any time.

3. Renewal Timeline Explained

Net2Secure charges for domain renewal 15 days before its official expiration date. This is your domain’s charge date.

Notifications:

• 15 days before the charge date: You get an email alert.

• If the payment doesn’t go through, your domain is considered "past due" but it will stay active for a short time during what we call a grace period.

• Net2Secure will try to charge your payment method a few more times over the next 15 days.

• If all attempts fail, about 15 days after the charge date, your domain will expire and stop pointing to your website and email.

• The domain then enters a grace period where you can still renew it.

4. Finding Renewal Dates and Prices

To check when your domain will renew and how much it will cost:

• Log in to your Net2Secure control panel.

• Go to the Domains section.

• In your list of domains, you will see the Expiration and Renewal On dates.

• The charge date is 15 days before the "Renews On" date.

• To see the exact renewal price, click on your domain's name.

5. What Happens If a Renewal Fails or Auto-Renew Is Off

If your payment fails or auto-renew is off, your domain becomes "past due," but it still works during the first part of its grace period.

• You will see a status that says "Payment is past due."

• You can update your payment method and try to pay again.

• Net2Secure will try to charge you a few more times. If the third try fails and 15 days have passed, the domain will expire.

When a domain expires:

• It may stop directing visitors to your website.

• Any email services linked to the domain will stop working.

• After a certain amount of time, it will become available for anyone else to register.

6. Domain Lifecycle Examples

With Auto-Renew On

• April 15, 2024: You buy your domain.

• March 16, 2025: You get an email that your domain is renewing in 15 days.

• March 31, 2025: We charge your payment method. If it works, the domain renews seamlessly.

• April 15, 2025: Your new expiration date is set for a year later.

If payment fails:

• Your domain will enter a grace period until about May 14, 2025.

• Around May 15, 2025, the domain might be released.

With Auto-Renew Off

• April 15, 2024: You buy your domain.

• March 16, 2025: You get a notice that your domain will expire in 30 days.

• April 10, 2025: You get a 5-day expiration notice.

• April 15, 2025: Your domain expires if you haven’t renewed it.

A grace period applies until about May 14, 2025. After that, you could lose the domain.

7. How to Reactivate an Expired Domain

If your domain has expired, you may still be able to get it back during its grace period.

Steps to reactivate:

• Log in to your Net2Secure control panel and go to your Domains section.

• Click on the expired domain.

• In the yellow banner, click Update payment information.

• You can click Retry Payment to use the same card or Update Billing Info to add a new one.

• Review your order details and click Confirm Payment to renew the domain.

Keep in mind that it might take up to 48 hours for your domain to start working again.

8. Adding Multiple Years to Your Registration

You can extend your domain registration for a longer period at the current rates. This makes future renewals easier and more convenient.

To add years:

• Go to Domains in your Net2Secure panel.

• Click on your domain.

• Select the Add Years option (next to the renewal switch).

• Follow the on-screen steps to complete the payment for multiple years.

Please note:

• You cannot add years that would go over the maximum term allowed for your domain type (for example, a .com domain can be registered for a maximum of 10 years at a time).

• You cannot extend a domain that has already expired past its grace period.

9. Tips for Managing Your Domain

• Keep Your Payment Info Current: Always make sure your payment details are up to date to avoid any service problems.

• Use Auto-Renew: We highly recommend using the auto-renewal setting to automatically handle renewals, especially for important business websites.

• Set Your Own Reminders: Even with auto-renew on, it’s a good idea to set a personal reminder just in case there’s a payment issue.

• Plan Ahead: Renewing early or adding multiple years is a smart move if your domain is key to your business brand.

Conclusion