Your website renewal price jumped, or you were charged and didn't expect it. Here is what you can still do.

Usually one of three reasons. A first-year price ended: Wix says sale prices apply to the first year only, and Squarespace says discounts apply to the first payment. The platform changed its prices: Squarespace says you pay the updated price at your next renewal. Or a domain fee changed: the .com registry fee is $10.97 per year of renewal from 1 November 2026, and registrars set their own price on top.

It depends on the company. Wix, Squarespace and Hostinger domains don't refund renewals. GoDaddy's new terms, for customers who got its 15 September 2026 email, don't refund domain renewals or most plan renewals, but still allow some, such as Microsoft 365, Business Email and SSL. GoDaddy's older terms, Hostinger hosting and email, and Namecheap allow some refunds within set windows. Check the company's own refund page today.

Gather proof: a screenshot of the setting, your cancellation email, the dates, the invoice and the card statement line. Contact the company first, through a channel it accepts, and keep a record of the reply. If that fails, you can ask your card issuer or bank about a dispute, under their rules and time limits. Some companies say a chargeback can get the account suspended, so move or download your site first.

Often earlier. Wix's help page says up to 3 weeks before the plan expires, and its customer agreement says up to 30 days. Hostinger charges domains 27 days before expiry, yearly plans 14 days before and monthly plans 1 day before or on the expiry day (its help page says both).

Cancelling the website doesn't always cancel the domain. Squarespace says the domain stays active and billed after you cancel the site. Decide separately whether to keep the domain, and turn off its renewal if you don't want it.

For .com, .net, .org and other generic endings, ICANN requires at least two reminders: about a month and about a week before expiry. For .uk, Nominet says the registrar's notice may come no more than 30 days before expiry. For .au, auDA requires notice at least 30 days before. For .ca, CIRA renews the name automatically, with a 45-day grace period. None of these is a rule about price notice.

Check before you rely on it. In the UK, a “consumer” is an individual acting outside their business. In Australia, a business purchase under A$100,000 gets consumer guarantees. In the US, state laws differ, and most cover consumers only, though Virginia and Colorado may cover some business buyers. A company's own money-back period, such as Wix's 14 days, usually covers new purchases, not renewals.

It depends on the terms and the country. Shopify's terms say it gives 30 days' notice of fee changes. In the UK, new subscription rules for consumers are due from 1 January 2027 under draft regulations. In Canada, misleading prices are covered by the Competition Act. In Australia, unfair-terms law protects small businesses, but terms that set the upfront price are excluded. Read your own terms.

A chargeback is a dispute you raise with your bank or card issuer. Your card's own rules and time limits apply. Some companies say a chargeback can get your account suspended or blocked: Wix and Hostinger both say so. Move or download your site before you raise one.

It depends on the platform. Squarespace says the service stops at the end of the paid period. Wix says the site stays viewable, but only on a free Wix address with Wix ads. If you plan to leave, move or download the site first.

For most generic endings such as .com, there is a 30-day Redemption Grace Period after deletion, when you can usually still restore the name for a fee. Country endings differ. See website hosting expired for what to do.

Keep a one-page renewal list: what renews, with which company, the renewal date and the charge date, and whose account it is. Set calendar reminders 45 days and 30 days before the charge date, and use one payment card and one inbox that you control.