Auto-renew keeps your domain from lapsing by making sure a renewal invoice is raised automatically before your domain's expiry date, so you don't have to remember the exact date every year. Here's how it works on your ZIPROF account and how to turn it on.
What Auto-Renew Does (and Doesn't Do)
Turning on auto-renew tells ZIPROF's system to generate a renewal invoice for your domain automatically ahead of its expiry date, instead of waiting for you to request one manually.
Because ZIPROF's primary payment method is MPesa Paybill rather than a stored card, auto-renew does not charge you automatically. You still need to pay the generated invoice yourself. What auto-renew removes is the risk of forgetting to request the renewal invoice in the first place.
How to Turn On Auto-Renew
- Log in to your ZIPROF client area.
- Go to Domains, then My Domains.
- Click on the domain you want to manage.
- Find the Auto Renew setting on the domain's management page.
- Set it to Auto Renew (some accounts show this as a toggle labeled Enable Auto Renew).
- Click Save Changes.
Repeat this for each domain you want covered. Auto-renew is set per domain, not account-wide, so check every domain you manage if you have more than one.
What Happens Before Your Domain Renews
With auto-renew on, ZIPROF's billing system automatically creates a renewal invoice a set number of days before your domain expires, and you'll get an email notification when it's raised. From there:
- Log in to your client area and open the invoice to confirm the amount and your invoice number.
- Pay via MPesa Paybill using your full invoice number (including its prefix) as the account number.
- Once payment reflects, the domain renews and its expiry date moves forward by the term you paid for.
If you're unsure how the MPesa payment step works, see how to pay your ZIPROF invoice via MPesa.
How to Turn Off Auto-Renew
Follow the same steps above and set the option back to Do Not Renew or toggle it off, then save. You may want to do this if you no longer plan to keep the domain, but be aware that turning it off doesn't cancel anything by itself, it just stops the automatic invoice from being generated.
Auto-renew only generates the invoice early. It does not guarantee the domain renews if that invoice goes unpaid. A domain with unpaid renewal fees will still expire and eventually be released, whether auto-renew was on or not.
For what happens if a renewal invoice is missed entirely, see what happens if your domain expires.