What Does “Domain Redemption Period” Mean?
The Redemption Period occurs approximately 30 days after a web domain has reached its expiration date. If you do not renew domain registration in time, your website’s domain will eventually become available to the public for purchase.
For 30 days after the expiration date, the domain will be available for renewal during a grace period. Next, the domain will enter a hold period, known as the Redemption Period, for another 30 days. To recover the domain during the Redemption Period the domain registry requires a fee of approximately $150 USD. If the fee is not paid, there is a 5 day period where the domain is Pending Delete from the registry.
The Redemption Period Timeline
Redemption begins 30 days after registration on a domain expires. A domain is not available to the public until 35 days after that. Approximately 65 days elapse between expiration and public availability.
- Day 0: Domain registration expires
- Day 1 to Day 30: Grace period. The domain is expired but available for renewal at its usual cost.
- Day 31 to Day 60: Redemption period. Renewal now requires a fee.
- Day 61 to Day 65*: The domain is Pending Deletion. Renewal is not possible.
- Day 65*: Any member of the public can now purchase the domain. Here is a summary:
* Amount of days may vary, it is purposely kept vague by the registry.
For more information, take a look at Redemption Grace Periods for Deleted Names at the ICANN Website
Variations Among Different TLDs
The Redemption Period applies to .COM, .NET and .ORG domains. Other TLDs may have different policies concerning expiration and renewal.