A released or lapsed domain cannot simply come back. The moment a domain is released, the name can become publicly available again, and anyone in the world can register it. If a third party takes it, it is gone: neither we nor our registrar partners can recover it. If the name is still available, a paid recovery attempt may be possible, with no guarantee of success.
Why it cannot just be handed back
A reservation or new registration that passes its 5 calendar day window without settled payment is released or deleted by our system within the registrar's grace window. From that point the domain is no longer held for you, even if you come back shortly after the 5 days. Release returns the name to the open market, and we are not liable if someone else registers it. The background is in Reserving a Domain Before You Pay.
The recovery attempt
If the released name is still available, we may be able to recover it through our registrar partners. Know how this works before asking for it:
- it carries a recovery (broker) fee plus the registration cost;
- both are paid in advance;
- there is no guarantee of success.
The fee amounts are set out in section 7 of the Terms of Use.
Lapsed after non payment
A domain that lapses because a renewal invoice went unpaid follows registrar rules. Recovery is possible only where the registry allows it at all, and registrar charges apply. How Domain Renewals Work explains the invoicing and the notices we send first.
The cheap version of this article: never let it get here. Pay inside the 5 calendar day window for a new or reserved name, and pay renewal invoices when they arrive. Your domains and invoices are in the client portal, and if a name matters to your business, contact us the moment you think a deadline is at risk.
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