Domains need to be renewed before they expire. Auto-renew handles this for you by default; you can also renew manually for any number of years up to ICANN's 10-year cap.
How auto-renew works
When you register or transfer in a domain, auto-renew is on by default. About 30 days before expiry, we:
- Generate a renewal invoice.
- Email you the invoice.
- Charge your saved payment method on the due date if auto-pay is on.
- Renew the domain at the registry.
- Email you a confirmation.
You don't need to do anything if auto-renew is on, your card is up to date, and you're happy with the renewal cycle.
Renewing manually
To renew on demand (or for more years than the default cycle):
- Go to Domains and click the domain.
- Click the Renew tile.
- Pick how many years to renew. We show the total cost upfront.
- Confirm. We charge your payment method and renew at the registry.
How many years can I renew?
ICANN caps registration + renewal at 10 years total for any domain. So:
- If your domain is currently registered through 2027 (3 years out), you can add up to 7 more years in one renewal.
- The cycle picker shows the maximum you can pick — we calculate the cap automatically based on the current expiry.
Some country-code TLDs have shorter caps (5 years, for example) or different rules — the picker reflects each TLD's specifics.
Multi-year discounts
Many TLDs offer multi-year discounts at the registry level — the per-year price drops when you register or renew for longer. Where these apply, we pass the discount through to you.
The cycle picker shows per-year pricing as you change the number of years, so you can see if a 3-year renewal is cheaper per year than a 1-year renewal.
Auto-renew on or off
You can toggle auto-renew at any time:
- Open the domain in Domains.
- Find the Auto-renew tile.
- Toggle it.
Turning it off doesn't cancel the domain — the domain stays registered through its current expiry. It just means we won't auto-charge you for the next renewal. You'll still get the reminder emails, you'll just need to pay the invoice manually.
Reminders we send
If a renewal invoice is unpaid, we send reminders at:
- 30 days before expiry — first invoice.
- 14 days before expiry — payment reminder.
- 7 days before expiry — urgent reminder.
- 1 day before expiry — last chance.
Plus daily reminders during the post-expiry grace period (see What happens if I forget to renew?).
What if my card declines?
If auto-pay tries to charge a card that fails:
- We email you immediately.
- A banner appears in the portal showing the failure.
- We retry the charge automatically over the next several days.
- You can update the card from Account → Payment methods and the next retry will use the new one.
If the renewal date passes with the invoice unpaid, the domain enters its grace period (still recoverable for ~30 days at most TLDs).
Renewal pricing
Renewal is at standard pricing — what you see on the cycle picker. This may differ from your original registration price if:
- You used a "free with hosting" bundle for the first year.
- You took advantage of a promotional discount on registration.
- The registry has changed the wholesale price for the TLD since you registered.
The cycle picker always shows you the actual amount you'll pay before you confirm.