Domain Renewals

Domains you buy through Helm renew once a year, so your address never lapses while you are busy with something else.

Automatic renewal

Auto-renewal is on by default. You get two reminders — 30 days before the renewal date and again at 7 days — and the card on file is charged inside the last seven days.

When it goes through you get a confirmation email naming the domain, the new expiry date, the amount and the last four digits of the card, so you can tell a renewal from any other charge on your statement.

Managing auto-renewal

Turn it on or off any time from the Domain page. Turning it off does nothing immediately; the domain simply expires at the end of its current term instead of renewing.

Only an owner can change this.

If the payment fails

A declined card is retried. The renewal job runs once a day, so updating your card under Settings → Billing is enough — the next run picks it up and charges the new card. You do not need to do anything else, and you have until the expiry date for that to happen.

That is why the reminders come 30 days out rather than on the day: it leaves room for a card to be replaced without anybody rushing.

If something else goes wrong

Very occasionally a payment succeeds but the renewal itself fails at the registrar. When that happens Helm refunds the charge automatically — you are never left having paid for a renewal that did not happen.

This case is not retried, because retrying would risk charging you twice. You will get an email, and the domain needs a hand from your developer rather than another attempt from you.

What none of this covers

Auto-renewal applies to domains bought through Helm. If you brought your own domain and pointed it at Helm, it renews with whoever you bought it from, on their schedule and their card — Helm cannot renew it for you and will not warn you when it is due.

That is worth a calendar reminder if your domain lives somewhere else.