Domain Grace and Redemption Grace Periods

This feature is available in WHMCS 7.5 and higher.

Domain Grace and Redemption Grace Periods

An example of the typical lifecycle of a gTLD domain name. Image courtesy of ICANN.

What is the domain grace period?

The grace period is the time period that most TLDs enter following expiry. It typically lasts up to 45 days, and it often does not incur any additional costs, allowing a domain name to still renew at the regular rate.

What is the domain redemption grace period?

Redemption is the status that most TLDs enter following the grace period if they did not renew. This coincides with a domain being put up for auction. Typically, the redemption period lasts for 30 days.

Domains can still renew during the redemption grace period (if they do not sell at auction) by paying a redemption fee plus the regular renewal cost for the domain.

If the domain is not recovered from redemption, it enters a pending delete stage at the registry for one to five days. On the sixth day, the registry typically releases the domain to the public for re-registration.

Domain grace periods and redemption grace periods can vary by registrar and registry. Ask your registrar about the grace periods and redemption periods for each of the TLDs you offer.

Domain Grace and Redemption Period Defaults

WHMCS has collated a list of the most common grace period and redemption period timeframes for over 800 of the most common TLDs and extensions at each of the major registrars and registries. This allows us to provide default values and recommendations for the grace and redemption grace periods when you add TLDs to WHMCS.

By default, we will automatically apply the default grace period for a TLD or extension when it is available. This allows customers to renew a domain past the expiry date for the given period of time. By default, no additional fees apply to the renewal of domains in the grace period. This matches the behavior of most registrars and registries, but you can also set additional fees to apply (see below).

Unlike the grace period, renewal during the redemption grace period typically incurs additional fees. Because those fees vary, we do not apply any defaults automatically. We will still display the default recommended value for the redemption grace period timeframe to you when configuring your extension, but if you wish to enable your customers to renew domains in the redemption grace period, you must manually activate it by setting the Redemption Grace Period value for a given extension/TLD. Typically, you will also want to define a Redemption Grace Period Fee value for this: most registrars will charge you more for renewing a domain in the redemption grace period.

Setting Grace Periods/Redemption Grace Periods and Fees in WHMCS

For supported registrars, WHMCS can handle grace and redemption fees automatically:

• ResellerClub
• Stargate
• NetEarthOne
• Enom

WHMCS allows you to define the length of time for the grace period and redemption grace period for each TLD or extension you sell.

Generally, the grace period for a domain does not incur additional fees. However, WHMCS allows you to set a fee for both the grace period and redemption grace period independently for each TLD or extension you offer.

To set the grace period values, follow the steps below:

1. Go to Configuration () > System Settings > Domain Pricing or, prior to WHMCS 8.0, Setup > Products/Services > Domain Pricing.
2. Click the Setting icon next to the TLD you wish to manage.
   • This will reveal the grace period and redemption period settings.
   • If no values have previously been defined, you will see the default recommended value we have obtained for that extension (when available).
3. Optionally, override the default recommended value with your own setting.
4. Optionally, set a fee to charge in addition to the regular renewal price.
   • You can set this for the grace period, the redemption period, or both.
   • Define the fee in your base system currency and WHMCS will auto convert it to any other currencies as and when required.
     Grace and redemption fees are compounded, so if a domain expires and does not renew during the grace period, the total amount due will be the regular renewal price plus any grace period fee plus any redemption grace period fee.
5. Click Save Changes.

Domain Grace Periods and Redemption Grace Invoicing Workflow

You can select the desired invoicing workflow for the domain grace and redemption fees in Domain Grace and Redemption Fee Billing in the Domains tab at Configuration () > System Settings > General Settings or, prior to WHMCS 8.0, Setup > General Settings.

This provides two options:

• Add Grace and Redemption Fees to existing invoice — If you select this option, WHMCS will add additional grace or redemption fees to the existing unpaid renewal invoice for the domain name.
• Generate a new invoice for the domain renewal including any Grace and Redemption Fees — If you select this option, WHMCS will cancel the existing unpaid domain renewal invoice or invoice item and raise a new invoice with both the renewal fee and the additional grace or redemption fee. You may prefer this option when tax authority rules do not permit you to edit invoices after issuing them.

Disabling Grace Periods and Redemption Grace Period Functionality

You can individually set and control grace periods and redemption grace periods on a per TLD or extension basis. 0 is a valid period for both the grace period and redemption grace period if you do not wish to offer any grace or redemption period for any given extension.

You can also globally disable all grace period and redemption grace period functionality, which will stop all grace period and fee handling. To do this, go to the Domains tab at Configuration () > System Settings > General Settings or, prior to WHMCS 8.0, Setup > General Settings.

Retaining invoices for expired domains

After a domain finishes any configured grace period and redemption grace period, it will transition to an Expired status.

The domain renewal invoice is also updated to prevent clients from paying a renewal invoice after the domain has expired and is no longer available for renewal:

• Invoice with a single domain renewal line item — The invoice status changes to cancelled.
• Invoice with multiple line items — The system removes the domain renewal line item from the invoice and Invoice Modified email template sent to the client.

To disable these actions and keep domain renewal invoices in an unpaid status after expiry:

1. Go to Configuration () > System Settings > Domain Pricing or, prior to WHMCS 8.0, Setup > Products/Services > Domain Pricing.
2. Click the setting icon next to the TLD.
3. Set Grace Period Duration to a very high number (for example,9999).