When can I renew my DreamHost domain?
When you renew a domain, it adds the renewal period onto the existing time the domain has left. So, the expiration date never changes. If you registered the domain on May 1st but renewed on April 12th, the domain will renew from the original date of May 1st. You never lose any time, it just adds an extra year or 2 onto the existing time.
- Most domains can be renewed at any time throughout the year, however some foreign or specialty domains (such as .de, .es, and .eu) have different renewal requirements from their respective registries. Any special renewal requirements for these domains are noted in your domain renewal reminder emails which are sent to you starting 4 weeks before the domain's upcoming expiration date.
- Domains must be renewed in full-year increments.
- You are unable to renew a domain if a one-year renewal would put you over the maximum renewal duration.
You can also enable auto-renew in the web panel for most domain extensions.
What happens if I don't renew my domain in time?
When your domain expires, any services associated with the domain (your website, email service, and so on) stop working. For most extensions/TLDs, DreamHost holds onto the domain registration for 30 days to allow you to renew it in case the renewal date was missed. After this 30-day period passes, DreamHost releases the domain back to the national registry service who starts the true expiration process at its level. It will then place the domain in a 'redemption' period for another 30 days and will only release the domain back to DreamHost for a fee that the registrar charges (in addition to a one-year renewal charge for the domain). To view the redemption fee chart, please visit the Domain Registration Terms page for further details.
Once the redemption period ends, the national registry service schedules the domain for release back to the public.
Some foreign registries, such as .de, .es, and .eu, have different time frames for the expiration process. If you own a domain that has a different renewal and expiration process, these are noted in your renewal reminder emails, which are sent to you starting 4 weeks before the domain's upcoming expiration date.
What can I do with my domain while it is expired?
You cannot do the following once it has expired:
- use any email or website services at that domain
- change the WHOIS contact info for your domain
- change the nameservers for your domain
Unfortunately, this isn’t anything DreamHost has control over as these restrictions are made at the registry level.
If you need to do any of the actions that are mentioned above, you must renew your domain first.
Can I transfer my domain while it is expired?
Yes. You can transfer a domain registration away from DreamHost if it’s expired, but some actions are blocked on expired domains.
For example, if your domain was locked when it expired, it cannot be unlocked from your panel. Please contact support for assistance with unlocking an expired domain.
If your domain falls into redemption before the outgoing transfer completes, the transfer will fail. Domains in the redemption phase cannot be transferred. If your domain has been expired for three (3) weeks or more, it's best to renew it with DreamHost before initiating the transfer.
How can I use PayPal to register or renew a domain name?
You can use PayPal to make payments towards the amount of a pending renewal, either by AutoPay or by making a single payment, which results in a positive DreamHost account balance. This balance can then be used to renew (and Auto-Renew) domain name registrations.
To register using PayPal:
- Navigate to the Manage Payments page in your panel.
- See the 'Add PayPal to your account' article and do one of the following:
- Enable AutoPay from your PayPal account, which automatically sets up recurring payments for DreamHost services.
- Make a single PayPal payment for specific DreamHost services.
Once your PayPal payment processes, an email confirmation is sent to you.
- Renew your registration.
Are domain registration renewals refundable?
View the following article for further details.
