A little bird sent this to me. Some additional info concerning grace
periods.
-Lars Hindsley
SpyProductions
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Functional Specifications
Section I-Grace and Pending Period Policy
A Grace Period refers to a specified number of calendar days following
a Registry operation in which the domain may be deleted and a credit may be
issued to a registrar. Relevant registry operations in this context are:
a.. Registration of a new domain
b.. Extension of an existing domain
c.. Auto-Renew of an existing domain
d.. Transfer of an existing domain
e.. Deletion of an existing domain
Extension of a registration period is accomplished using the EPP Renew
command or by auto-renewal; registration is accomplished using the EPP
Create command; deletion is accomplished using the EPP Delete command; and
transfer is accomplished using the EPP Transfer command or where ICANN
approves a bulk transfer under Part B of Exhibit D to the Registry-Registrar
Agreement, using the method described in Section B - Bulk Transfer portion
of this Appendix.
There are four grace periods in the Afilias Shared Registration
System:
1. Add Grace Period
2. Renew/Extend Grace Period
3. Auto-Renew Grace Period
4. Transfer Grace Period
A Pending Period refers to a specified number of calendar days
following a Registry operation in which final Registry action is deferred
before the operation may be completed. Relevant Registry operations in this
context are:
a.. Transfer of an existing domain
b.. Deletion of an existing domain
Grace Periods
Add Grace Period
The Add Grace Period is a specified number of calendar days following
the initial registration of a domain. The current value of the Add Grace
Period for all registrars is five calendar days. If a Delete, Extend
(Renew), or Transfer operation occurs within the five calendar days, the
following rules apply:
a.. Delete: If a domain is deleted within the Add Grace Period, the
sponsoring registrar at the time of the deletion is credited for the amount
of the registration. The domain is deleted from the Registry database and is
immediately available for registration by any registrar. See Overlapping
Grace Periods for a description of overlapping grace period exceptions. If a
domain name is deleted after the five calendar day grace period expires, it
will be placed on HOLD for five calendar days and then deleted through the
system.
b.. Extend (Renew): If a domain is extended within the Add Grace
Period, there is no credit for the Add. The account of the sponsoring
Registrar at the time of the extension will be charged for the initial add
plus the number of years the registration is extended. The expiration date
of the domain is extended by the number of years, up to a total of ten
years, as specified by the registrar's requested Extend operation.
c.. Transfer (other than ICANN-approved bulk transfer): Transfers
under Part A of Exhibit D to the Registry-Registrar Agreement may not occur
during the Add Grace Period or at any other time within the first 60 days
after the initial registration. Enforcement is the responsibility of the
registrar sponsoring the domain name registration and will be enforced by
the SRS.
d.. Bulk Transfer (with ICANN approval): Bulk transfers with ICANN
approval may be made during the Add Grace Period according to the procedures
in Part B of Exhibit D to the Registry-Registrar Agreement. The expiration
dates of transferred registrations are not affected. The losing Registrar's
account is charged for the initial add.
Renew/Extend Grace Period
The Renew/Extend Grace Period is a specified number of calendar days
following the renewal/extension of a domain name registration period. The
current value of the Renew/Extend Grace Period is five calendar days. If a
Delete, Extend, or Transfer occurs within that five calendar days, the
following rules apply:
a.. Delete: If a domain is deleted within the Renew/Extend Grace
Period, the sponsoring registrar at the time of the deletion receives a
credit of the renew/extend fee. The domain is deleted from the Registry
database and is immediately available for registration by any registrar. See
Overlapping Grace Periods for a description of overlapping grace period
exceptions.
b.. Extend (Renew): A domain can be extended within the Renew/Extend
Grace Period for up to a total of ten years. The registrar's available
credit will be charged for each of the additional number of years the
registration is extended.
c.. Transfer (other than ICANN-approved bulk transfer): If a domain
is transferred within the Renew/Extend Grace Period, there is no credit. The
expiration date of the domain is extended by one year and the years added as
a result of the Extend remain on the domain name up to a total of 10 years.
d.. Bulk Transfer (with ICANN approval): Bulk transfers with ICANN
approval may be made during the Renew/Extend Grace Period according to the
procedures in Part B of Exhibit D to the Registry-Registrar Agreement. The
expiration dates of transferred registrations are not affected. The losing
Registrar's account is charged for the Renew/Extend operation.
Auto-Renew Grace Period
The Auto-Renew Grace Period is a specified number of calendar days
following an auto-renewal. An auto-renewal occurs if a domain name
registration is not renewed by the expiration date; in this circumstance the
registration will be automatically renewed by the system the first day after
the expiration date. The current value of the Auto-Renew Grace Period is 45
calendar days. If a Delete, Extend, or Transfer occurs within the Auto-Renew
Grace Period, the following rules apply:
a.. Delete: If a domain is deleted within the Auto-Renew Grace
Period, the sponsoring registrar at the time of the deletion receives a
credit of the Auto-Renew fee. The domain is deleted from the Registry
database and is immediately available for registration by any Registrar. See
Overlapping Grace Periods for a description of overlapping grace period
exceptions.
b.. Extend (Renew): A domain can be extended within the Auto-Renew
Grace Period for up to a total of ten years. The account of the sponsoring
Registrar at the time of the additional extension will be charged for the
additional number of years the registration is extended.
c.. Transfer (other than ICANN-approved bulk transfer): If a domain
is transferred under Part A of Exhibit D of the Registry-Registrar Agreement
within the Auto-Renew Grace Period, the losing Registrar is credited with
the Auto-Renew charge and the year added by the Auto-Renew operation is
cancelled. The expiration date of the domain is extended by one year up to a
total maximum of ten by virtual of the transfer and the gaining Registrar is
charged for that additional year, even in cases where a full year is not
added because of the ten year maximum limitation.
d.. Bulk Transfer (with ICANN approval): Bulk transfers with ICANN
approval may be made during the Auto-Renew Grace Period according to the
procedures in Part B of Exhibit D to the Registry-Registrar Agreement. The
expiration dates of transferred registrations are not affected. The losing
Registrar's account is charged for the Auto-Renew.
Transfer Grace Period
The Transfer Grace Period is a specified number of calendar days
following the transfer of a domain according to Part A of Exhibit B to the
Registry-Registrar Agreement. The current value of the Transfer Grace Period
is five calendar days. If a Delete, Extend, or Transfer occurs within that
five calendar days, the following rules apply:
a.. Delete: If a domain is deleted within the Transfer Grace Period,
the sponsoring Registrar at the time of the deletion receives a credit of
the transfer fee. The domain is deleted from the Registry database and is
immediately available for registration by any Registrar. See Overlapping
Grace Period for a description of overlapping grace period exceptions.
b.. Extend (Renew): If a domain is extended within the Transfer
Grace Period, there is no credit for the transfer. The Registrar's account
will be charged for the number of years the registration is extended. The
expiration date of the domain is extended by the number of years, up to a
maximum of ten years, as specified by the registrar's requested Extend
operation.
c.. Transfer (other than ICANN-approved bulk transfer): If a domain
is transferred within the Transfer Grace Period, there is no credit. The
expiration date of the domain is extended by one year up to a maximum term
of ten years.
d.. Bulk Transfer (with ICANN approval): Bulk transfers with ICANN
approval may be made during the Transfer Grace Period according to the
procedures in Part B of Exhibit B to the Registry-Registrar Agreement. The
expiration dates of transferred registrations are not affected. The losing
Registrar's account is charged for the Transfer operation that occurred
prior to the Bulk Transfer.
Bulk Transfer Grace Period
There is no grace period associated with Bulk Transfer operations
according to Part B of Exhibit D to the Registry-Registrar Agreement. Upon
completion of the Bulk Transfer, any associated fee is not refundable.
Overlapping Grace Periods
If an operation is performed that falls into more than one grace
period, the actions appropriate for each grace period apply except as
follows:
a.. If a domain is deleted within the Add Grace Period and the
Extend Grace Period, then the registrar is credited the registration and
extend amounts, taking into account the number of years for which the
registration and extend were done.
b.. If a domain is auto-renewed, then extended, and then deleted
within the Extend Grace Period, the registrar will be credited for the
Auto-Renew and the number of years for the extension.
Overlap Exception
a.. If a domain is deleted within one or several Transfer Grace
Periods, then only the current sponsoring Registrar is credited for the
transfer amount. For example if a domain is transferred from Registrar A to
Registrar B and then to Registrar C and finally deleted by Registrar C
within the Transfer Grace Period of the first, second and third transfers,
then only the last transfer is credited to Registrar C.
b.. If a domain is extended/renewed within the Transfer Grace
Period, then the current Registrar's account is charged for the number of
years the registration is extended.
Note: If several billable operations, including transfers, are
performed on a domain and the domain is deleted within the grace periods of
each of those operations, only those operations that were performed after
the latest transfer, including the latest transfer, are credited to the
current Registrar.
Pending Periods
Transfer Pending Period
The Transfer Pending Period is a specified number of calendar days
following a request from a registrar (registrar A) to transfer a domain in
which the current registrar of the domain (registrar B) may explicitly
approve or reject the transfer request. The current value of the Transfer
Pending Period is five calendar days for all registrars. The transfer will
be finalized upon receipt of explicit approval or rejection from the current
registrar (registrar B). If the current registrar (registrar B) does not
explicitly approve or reject the request initiated by registrar A, the
registry will approve the request automatically after the end of the
Transfer Pending Period. During the Transfer Pending Period:
a.. RRP TRANSFER request or RRP RENEW request is denied.
b.. AUTO-RENEW is allowed.
c.. RRP DELETE request is denied.
d.. Bulk Transfer operations are allowed.
Delete Pending Period
The Delete Pending Period is a specified number of calendar days
following a request to delete a domain in which the domain is placed in HOLD
status without removing the domain from the Registry database. The current
value of the Delete Pending Period for all registrars is five calendar days.
Registrars may request retraction of a delete request by calling
Afilias Customer Service staff within the Delete Pending Period. The
Registrar will need to provide the security phrase to the Afilias staff
member prior to the staff member performing this retraction. This operation
cannot be performed by the Registrar. Retraction requests processed during
the delete pending period are currently at no cost to the registrar. If, by
the end of the Delete Pending Period, no action is taken the domain will be
deleted from the Registry database and returned to the pool of domain names
available for registration by any registrar.
a.. EPP Renew or Auto-Renew requests are ignored.
b.. EPP Transfer request is denied.
c.. Bulk Transfer operations are allowed.
Earlier draft:
26 April 2001
