Squarespace Domain Billing Guide
TL;DR:
- Domain billing depends on where you bought it – Squarespace, third-party, or reseller
- All Squarespace domains auto-renew by default but you can turn this off
- You get 5 days for a full refund after registering a domain
- Failed renewals give you 15 days to fix payment before entering a 30-day grace period
- Free domains become paid after the first year unless cancelled
Finding Your Domain Billing Settings
Where you manage billing depends on who sold you the domain:
Squarespace Domains: Head to your Domains dashboard and click 'Billing' under your domain's settings. This covers domains you registered or transferred to Squarespace.
Third-party Domains: If you bought through GoDaddy, HostGator, or similar providers, you'll need to log into their portal to manage billing.
Resold Domains: Some domains are sold through resellers like Google Workspace. Check your domain details in the dashboard to see who the reseller is – they handle all billing.
Domain Renewals and Registration
Squarespace sets all domains to auto-renew by default. To turn this off:
- Go to your domain details page
- Toggle off auto-renew
If auto-renew fails, here's what happens:
- Your domain stays active for 15 days while Squarespace retries your payment method
- If payment still fails, the domain enters a 30-day grace period
- After 45 days total, the domain gets released back to the registrar
Keep your payment details current to avoid losing your domain by accident.
Managing Multiple Domains
Squarespace lets you group domains for billing or keep them separate:
Grouped Domains: Update payment info once and it applies to all domains in the group.
Ungrouped Domains: Each domain has its own billing settings.
Adding Years to Your Domain
You can extend your domain registration from the dashboard:
- Go to 'Overview' for your domain
- Click 'Add years' to register for additional years (up to the maximum your domain type allows)
Cancellations and Refunds
You have 5 days from registration to cancel and get a full refund. After that, cancelling won't get you money back, but you can turn off auto-renew to stop future charges.
Before removing a domain, set another one as primary to keep your main Squarespace site running.
FAQs
What happens to my domain if I downgrade from annual to monthly billing?
Your domain expires at the end of your original annual term. You'll get 30 days notice before it expires.
Can I get a free domain if I switch from monthly to annual billing?
You can't convert an already purchased domain to free, but you can register a new domain for free with an annual plan.
Will my free domain auto-renew for a fee?
Yes, after the first free year, it renews at £20/year unless you cancel it.
What if I can't log into my Squarespace account?
Check the Squarespace support center for login help.
Jargon Buster
TLD (Top-Level Domain): The ending part of a domain name like .com, .org, or .net.
Auto-renew: Automatic renewal of your domain without you having to do anything each year.
Grace Period: Extra time after a domain expires when you can still renew it before losing it completely.
Wrap-up
Domain billing with Squarespace is straightforward once you know where to look. The key is understanding who handles your billing – whether that's Squarespace, a third-party provider, or a reseller. Keep your payment details up to date and pay attention to renewal dates to avoid any surprises.
If you need more help with managing your Squarespace domains, check out our membership resources for detailed guides and support.