Red Alert: When your domain has the status "PendingRedemption"
Is your website suddenly offline and the WHOIS data shows the status PendingRedemption? This means that the domain has expired and the regular renewal period has passed. But don't panic: the domain is not yet available for others to register.
What exactly does this status mean?
After a domain expires, it goes through several phases:
- Grace Period: The domain is offline but can still be renewed at the normal price (usually 30 days).
- Redemption Period: The domain is deleted but "reserved" for the previous owner. To get it back now, registries (such as Switch for .ch or ICANN for .com) charge a significantly higher Restore Fee.
How to save your domain now:
Contact our support team immediately. We can "redeem" the domain for you from the registrar. However, please note that the costs for this are much higher than the normal annual fee (often between 100.- and 250.- CHF, depending on the extension).
Don't wait too long: the Redemption Period is followed by the PendingDelete phase. After that, the domain becomes available to everyone – and could be bought up by so-called "domain snappers".
