FAQ - Support

Domain Name FAQ
If it is your brand-name then yes. However, it is your responsibility to make sure that you do not infringe the rights of any other company or individual. If you register a brand-name or company name which belongs to another company as a domain name, we reserve the right to cancel the registration. Furthermore, you will be liable for any costs incurred as a result of the registration.
All you have to do is go to our home page and lodge a search in the domain search box, or by clicking here. You will then be told whether the domain is available or not. If it is available, then you may continue with the order, if not, you can search for other domain name options.
Wherever possible we will perform registrations as soon as your order is submitted online. However, some domain names do require manual processing and these will normally be processed within 1 working day.
Your domain name can have up to 63 characters, not incl. the extension (.com.au or .org.au are examples of extensions).
As many as you like, there is no limit.
A great domain name is easy to remember. Make sure yours is as short as possible and easy to spell. Most of all a domain name should reflect you. Make sure you:
Register your main company or business name in popular domain spaces e.g. abc.com, abc.com.au
Register your product and service names e.g. abcchairs.com.au
Register generic terms relevant to your business e.g. chairs.com.au, bench.com.au, seats.com.au, furniture.com.au
Secure names in global markets e.g. abcchairs.co.nz, bench.eu, seats.cn, furniture.co.uk
If your preferred name is taken then search for an abbreviation, change the order of words around, add hyphens, or add your city, state, or country to come up with something unique.
Individuals
Choosing a great domain name can tell the world who you really are, and what you're really interested in. It can also make it easy for your friends and family to find you by email or your website.

Businesses
If you run a business then a domain name can be added to your brochures, business cards, billboards, and clothing. This makes promoting your business easier as people will know how they can find you and will remember your name. Having a good domain name makes you look like an established business and will help you build trust with your customers. It helps protect your brand, keeping it safe from poachers or competitors.
Cheaper Domains offers you a unique domain forwarding option that diverts your name to any address on the Internet. Once you have your name established, you can build your website at your own pace. If you are looking for a company to host your web site, Cheaper Domains can offer you affordable web hosting / email facilities. Visit our web hosting section for more information.
No, once you have registered your domain name with Cheaper Domains it is yours, providing you pay the renewal every period it is due.
Your domain name may still appear available on some Who Is search databases after you have registered it.

Please allow 48 hours for your application to filter through all the registrars' systems.
.COM.AU
Domain Names that end with .com.au are reserved for use by commercial entities such as companies with an Australian Company Number (ACN), Australian Business Number (ABN) or a registered busines name.

.NET.AU
A .net.au domain name space is much the same as a .com.au domain name, however it is recommended for organisations and companies that are using the Internet as an integral part of their operations.

.ORG.AU & .ASN.AU
Domain Names ending with .org.au are reserved for verifiable non-profit and charitable organisations. You can register the name or abbreviation of the name, profession, services, programs, venues, events or activities of your charity or non-profit oganisation with a .org.au domain name space.

.ASN.AU
Domain Names ending in .asn.au are for incorporated associations, trade unions, political parties, sporting or special interest clubs and partnerships between disparate organisations.

.ID.AU
Domain Names ending with .id.au are reserved for the people of Australia to create their own online identity. With a .id.au domain name space you can use your name, initials, nickname or any offshoot of your name.
Domain names can have up to 63 characters. This means that the domain name you choose can-have-up-to-63-characters.com.au - You will sometimes find references to 67 character domain names, this includes the dot and the letters c-o-m as an additional 4 characters. One of the advantages of longer domain names is that you can register phrases such as what-is-the-matrix.com

The valid characters for use in a all domain name are:

any of the letters from a to z example: abcdxyz.com.au
any numbers 0 to 9 example 1234.com.au
you may also use the hyphen (-) example: hyphens-separate-words.com.au
the domain can be a combination of numbers, letters and hyphens
the domain can begin and end in a number example: 24to7.com.au
the domain name cannot begin or end with a hyphen
the domain name must be a minimum of 2 characters long.
Don't be put off. There are lots to choose from. If you want an International name, try using .net, .org or .biz instead of .com. In Australia there are many alternatives to choose from - .net.au, .org.au and .id.au. If you still can't find the name you want, contact us info@cheaperdomains.com.au and we'll be happy to suggest some for you.
Our prices include all administrative and registry fees for the number of years you are registered with us.
Anyone is eligble to register names in the major New Zealand extensions such as .co.nz, .org.nz, .net.nz

you DO NOT need to be a New Zealand company to do so.

A Person applying for a licence must:

a) have an Australian presence; and
b) satisfy any eligibility and allocation criteria for the namespace being applied for.
Where a Person is applying for a licence on behalf of a related body corporate, the related body corporate must satisfy the Australian presence requirement.

A Person applying for a licence in the com.au and net.au namespaces must be

i) a commercial entity; and
ii) the domain name applied for must be:

(a) a match of the Person’s company, business, statutory or Personal name; or
(b) an acronym of the Person’s company, business, statutory or Personal name; or
(c) a match of the Person’s Australian Trade Mark; or
(d) a match to or an acronym of a name of a related body corporate or
(e) a match or an acronym of a name of:

(i) a partnership of which the Person is a partner;
(ii) a trust of which the Person is a trustee; or

(f) a match or synonym of the name of:

(i) a service that the Person provides;
(ii) goods that the Person sells (whether retail or wholesale);
(iii) an event that the Person registers or sponsors;
(iv) an activity that the Person facilitates, teaches or trains;
(v) premises which the Person operates

and which that Person is providing at the time of the application.

These criteria do not apply where a Person has established an Australian presence by relying on an Australian Trade Mark.
In such cases, the domain name must be an exact match to the words which are the subject matter of the Australian Trade Mark.

Domain names are a licence. As you hold the domain name licence you can do what you want with it. For example, you can use it to point to a web site or use it as an email address. At Cheaper Domains all domain names we register are registered in your name. This means that for the duration of the registration period you are the licence holder of the domain name. When the licence is due for renewal, you will have to pay a renewal fee. If you do not renew the licence, then it will become available for any eligible applicant to register on a first come first served basis.

Note: If you can't find an answer to your problem click Here to open a support ticket (requires log in).