Your domain name needs to be registered with a registrar (e.g. Melbourne IT for .com.au ccTLD and other gTLDs like .com, .net, .org, .biz and .info) in order to be visible to the world.  The registration has an expiry date and if you want to remain in registration, you need to pay a renewal fee to the registrar before your domain name expires.

Here are 10 facts about .com.au renewal service with the registrar:

1. Only one registrar for .com.au (before 1 July, 2002)
   INWW was the only registrar responsible for .com.au names before 1 July, 2002, and is still the largest .com.au registrar today.  Any parties who wants to renew your .com.au name on your behalf are most likely doing it with Melbourne IT on your behalf.  If they claim that they are the .com.au registrar, you need to be very careful to verify their claim.
2. Only you can renew your domain but you can use an agent
   Only the domain name registrant (i.e. the owner) can renew the domain name, but the registrant can do so through an authorised ISP (e.g. Accsoft).
3. Only for 2 years you can renew your domain
   Melbourne IT accepts only 2-year renewal for any .com.au domains.
4. Only 2 months in advance you can renew your domain
   Melbourne IT will NOT accept renewal payment if the expiry date is more than 2 months in the future.
5. No more than just payment collection
   Renewal service for .com.au is a payment collection service and nothing more.
6. No more than $137.50
   Accsoft only charges $137.50 for retail renewal service.  If you are charged a fee higher than $137.50 by a third party, you may need to clarify what services are included in the fee.
7. Your domain manager is NOT necessarily your ISP
   Your agent is responsible for dealing with the registrar and your ISP is providing your domain with a "parking space".  Your ISP is usually your domain manager as well until you renew your domain through another party.
8. Once your domain manager, always your domain manager
   If the domain name is renewed through a Melbourne IT authorised ISP, that ISP will assume the management right of the domain until the next renewal of your domain name.
9. Only your domain manager will receive expiration reminder
   An Melbourne IT authorised ISP must have the management right of your domain in order to manage your domain and receive correspondence about it from Melbourne IT, including the reminder for your next renewal.
10. If you do not renew your domain name, you will lose it after the expiry date (along with email and website services)
    If Melbourne IT does not receive a renewal request either from you or an authorised ISP by the expiry date, your domain name will be taken off the Internet.  Email sent to you will be bounced back and your website can not be seen.  If you want to register the name again, it is subject to competition from others who may want to register that name as well.

The .com.au domain name renewal service is independent of domain parking, registration, and delegation services.  If any one sends you a reminder or an invoice of domain name renewal more than 2 months in advance for a fee much higher than $137.50 for 2 years (or an annual rate of higher than $68.50), you have every reason to ask more about what exactly do they provide to justify the high charge.

If in doubt, whether you are our customer or not, you can always send an email to our Domain Name Administrator on dna@accsoft.com.au.

Here is the Domain Application Form.

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