Domain renewal without Premium

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  hurlthepurl · Member · Jul 31, 2017 at 2:03 pm

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  Can I renew my domain name without upgrading to Premium?

  I use Ghost to blog, so I don’t need all of WP’s bells-and-whistles. But I bought my domain through WP back in the day, so I need to renew it so I can direct it to my Ghost blog. Is there any way to do this without upgrading to WP Premium and paying a hundred dollars?

  The blog I need help with is: (visible only to logged in users)

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  annacmc · Staff · Jul 31, 2017 at 2:10 pm

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  Hey @hurlthepurl,

  Once you buy a domain it is yours, and you can do as you wish with it. You don’t have to stay with a WordPress.com premium plan for this.

  You can choose to move your domain to a different registrar, or keep it with WordPress. However, if the domain hasn’t been renewed in a while, then it’s possible that you no longer have it.

  I can help you more if you provide me with the URL of the domain we are talking about here.

  If you have been regularly renewing your domain and premium plan for all of this time, then it will still be active and you have a few options moving forward.

  https://en.support.wordpress.com/domains/move-domain/ provides lots of useful information on your options when it comes to moving your domain, and explains the different options.

  But, as they say on the support page :

  If your new host supports incoming domain transfers, it may be easier to have both your domain and your hosting managed in the same place.

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  hurlthepurl · Member · Jul 31, 2017 at 2:27 pm

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  Thanks @annacmc. The domain is http://www.pushlings.com.

  Looks like my auto-renewal ran out when my credit card # changed. The domain has been inactive for a week or so.

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  annacmc · Staff · Jul 31, 2017 at 2:59 pm

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  Ok, great.

  I just looked up your domain and it is in redemption right now. This is one of a few phases a domain goes through after it is has failed to renew.

  When a domain is in redemption, you still have the chance to renew it, but it definitely involves a $80.00 redemption fee as well as an additional renewal fee with WordPress.com. Unfortunately, there is no way around this, and you will need to renew the domain before you can transfer it to a new registrar or point it toward a new host.

  For more information take a look at the following article: https://icann.org/epp#redemptionPeriod

  Eventually, if you don’t take any action, the domain may be released back into the pool of domains, and you might be able to purchase it again. However, you run the risk of somebody else purchasing the domain before you get a chance to.

  Let me know if you wish to go through WordPress.com to renew your domain, and I will help you to take the next step for recovering your domain.

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  annacmc · Staff · Jul 31, 2017 at 3:00 pm

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  https://en.support.wordpress.com/domains/domain-expiration/ is also a great WordPress.com support resource for understanding the domain expiration and renewal process.