Have you received a scary email like this recently?
"Our records indicate that the ABN/ACN currently associated with XYZ.com.au is not currently eligible to hold this domain name. Action is required, or the domain may unfortunately not be eligible to be renewed."
If you’re confused as to why you’re receiving emails like this then chances are you’re not alone.
At MyWork we securely manage and renew thousands of domains for our customers every year, but recently we’ve been fielding questions from a number of concerned customers who have received warning emails about the ABN associated with their .au domains.
In recent times, the .au Domain Administration (auDA) that develops and administers the rules for all domain names with a .au country code, have been cracking down on the eligibility of Trust ABNs used to register and renew .au domain names.
This article will help you navigate these changes, understand what’s changed, and outline the steps you need to take to ensure your domain remains auDA compliant.
So what has changed?
Domains registered previously with a Discretionary Trust ABN are no longer considered compliant by the auDA. This means without action your domain may be suspended or deregistered by the auDA.
If your domains are registered using an active Company or Sole Trader ABN/ACN then there is no need for action; this change only effects domains registered using a Discretionary Trust ABN.
If you’re unsure you can check the ABN associated with your domain you can easily check by going to https://whois.domaintools.com/ and doing a search for your domain(s).
As an example, this is what you’d see if you looked up mywork.com.au
The listed Registrant ID is the ABN associated with your domain name. You can also check if your ABN is compliant by looking at the Eligibility Type, if it says Discretionary Trust or Trust you may need to take action.
Why is this an issue now and not before?
It has always been a requirement that only a Trustee for a Trust ABN is eligible to be used to secure .au domains, however, Registrars were given leniency to assume that the ABN belonged to a Trustee.
With its new policy roll out, the auDA is now requiring that all the Registrars start displaying the Trustee’s ABN/ACN on initial registrations.
Registrars have been implementing these change at their own discretion, which is why you may find some have already transitioned while others are still in the process of doing so.
What action do I need to take?
If your .au domains are registered using a Trust ABN, the only way to update this to a compliant ABN is via a Change of Registrant (CoR).
A CoR is a relatively common process usually undertaking when one party sells their business and subsequent domains to a new owner who want to change the ABN for domain ownership purposes.
The downside is that a CoR process does come with a cost from the Domain Registrars themselves and involve quite a few steps.
MyWork will facilitate and manage the CoR process for you with the Registrar and walk you through each step in the process.
Steps to action a Change of Registrant (CoR)
If you’re doing a CoR simply in order to update the ABN on your domain, in most cases you will happen to be both the Current Registrant and New Registrant. As such you can complete many of the approval steps quickly and easily.
1. Contact MyWork
2. Current Registrant Confirms New Registrant
Once MyWork has initiated the CoR process for you, the Current Registrant contact will receive an email requesting the New Registrants email.
3. New Registrant Confirms Details
The New Registrant email is sent a link where you will be prompted to enter the new compliant ABN details, as well as update the Registrant Contact details. You will also be prompted to agree to the auDA policies.
4. Current Registrant Confirms Change
The Current Registrant is emailed one final time to agree to the CoR. Once done, the final stages of the validation process are completed by the Registrar and the auDA.
5. Registrar Validation and Completion
The New Registrant details are checked and verified usually within 25 hours. Once completed, an email will be sent to both the New and Current Registrant to advise the process is completed.
auDA Compliant and Care Free
Primarily, this article is concerned with the recent changes around Trust ABN eligibility use for domain registration, but if you have any kind of domain related query please contact us directly on [email protected].
Still not quite sure what to do? No worries! Just give us a call today on 1300 809 424 and let us know how we can help!