Domain Terms

Scope

These Domain Terms apply whenever you register, renew, or transfer a domain name through PIVIHOST. They form part of our Terms of Service — where the two documents overlap, these Domain Terms take priority for domain-specific questions.

We act as your registrar or reseller

When you register a domain through us, we act as your registrar or as a reseller for an accredited registrar, depending on the domain's registry. Every domain is ultimately governed by rules set by its registry — for example, Nominet for .uk domains, or the applicable registry operator for other TLDs — and, for many generic top-level domains (gTLDs, such as .com, .net, and .org), by ICANN's own registrar accreditation and consumer-protection policies. These Domain Terms don't override those rules; where they conflict, the registry's own current policy applies.

Registration requests and availability

Ordering a domain is a request for us to register it on your behalf — it isn't a guarantee that the domain is or will be available. Domain availability is checked in real time, but a registration can still fail after you order (for example, if someone else registers it first, or the registry rejects it) — if that happens, we'll refund any payment already taken for that domain. A domain is only successfully registered once the relevant registry confirms it, not simply once you've placed the order.

Your registrant data

Registering a domain requires giving accurate contact details (the "registrant" information), which we pass to the relevant registry as part of registration — this is a mandatory part of how domain registration works, not something we can register anonymously on your behalf. Keeping this information accurate and current is your responsibility, and some registries can suspend or cancel a domain registration for materially inaccurate contact data. See our Privacy Notice for how we handle this data.

Renewals

Domains renew on the schedule shown in your client area for that domain, at the price shown there at the time of renewal (domain renewal pricing can change — including because a registry changes its own wholesale price — and the current renewal price is always shown in the client area before it's charged). Where auto-renewal applies to your domain, it only does so because you've consented to it (for example, by not cancelling a service set to auto-renew) — we don't auto-renew a domain you've never agreed to keep.

If a domain isn't renewed before it expires, it doesn't disappear immediately — it goes through a lifecycle set by its registry, not by us, and the exact timing varies by TLD. As a general pattern (confirmed for .uk via Nominet and for common gTLDs like .com/.net/.org via ICANN policy, current as of September 2026): expiry notices are sent in the weeks before and shortly after expiry; an initial short grace period follows expiry (around 5 days on many registries); then, if still unrenewed, the domain typically enters a longer redemption period (around 30 days on the registries we checked) during which it can still usually be restored, normally for an additional fee, before finally being released for anyone to register. Always check your domain's real expiry date in the client area — don't assume a specific number of days applies to every TLD without checking.

Domain transfers

Transferring a domain to us from another registrar generally requires an authorisation code (an "AuthInfo" or EPP code for most gTLDs; .uk domains currently transfer via an IPS tag change instead, arranged with your existing and new provider — Nominet has announced a newer authorisation-code-based transfer system, but it isn't in effect yet as of this notice's last-updated date, so we describe the current IPS-tag mechanism here), and for the domain not to be locked against transfer. Under ICANN policy, a losing registrar must supply a valid transfer authorisation code within 5 calendar days of a proper request. You can start a transfer via our transfer page.

Transferring a domain away from us works the same way in reverse — we won't unreasonably refuse or delay a legitimate transfer request, subject to the relevant registry's own rules (including any minimum period a domain must be registered before it can be transferred, which is set by the registry, not us).

Domain cancellation and refunds

If you're a Consumer and want to cancel shortly after ordering, contact us immediately — if the registration hasn't yet been submitted to the registry, we can usually cancel it and refund you in full. Once a domain has actually been registered, whether a refund is available depends on the specific registry's own policy, which we'll tell you about if you ask before ordering a specific TLD. See Terms §Consumer cancellation rights for how this fits with your general statutory cancellation rights.

Using someone else's rights

You're responsible for making sure the domain name you register doesn't infringe someone else's trade mark or other rights. If a registry, ICANN's dispute resolution process, or Nominet's Dispute Resolution Service upholds a valid complaint against your domain, we'll comply with the outcome, which may include suspending or transferring the domain, as required by that process.

Changes to these Domain Terms

We may update these Domain Terms, including to reflect a change by a registry or ICANN/Nominet policy that affects how domain services work. We'll update the "Last updated" date below whenever we do.