You may have noticed that your SSL certificate is expiring before the term you originally paid for. This article provides an explanation of what is going on.
Your paid subscription term has not changed, but the security certificate itself must now be replaced, or reissued, more frequently. If you purchase a one-year SSL certificate, you will receive a full year of coverage. However, your certificate expires early due to new and changing industry regulations limiting the maximum lifespan of any single certificate and will need to be reissued during the term of your coverage. The important thing to note is that a reissue does not cost anything extra and does not shorten or restart your subscription.
Renewal vs. Reissue: What's the Difference
A Renewal is a billing event.
- Timing: Happens at the end of your subscription.
- Purpose: Extends your overall coverage.
- Cost: Requires a new payment.
- Frequency: Typically occur once a year.
A reissue is a technical event.
- Timing: Happens mid-subscription when the certificate expires.
- Purpose: Replaces the active certificate file.
- Cost: Free of charge.
- Action: The certificate authority issues a new certificate.
Here is a side-by-side comparison.
| Renewal | Reissue |
What is it? | Extending your paid subscription | Getting a new certificate under your existing subscription |
When does it happen? | At the end of your paid term (e.g. yearly) | Whenever your certificate's shorter validity window lapses, you need a new private key, you switch domain name |
Is there a cost? | Yes | No |
Does it change your subscription end date? | Yes, it extends it | No, subscription end date stays the same |
Why is my certificate expiring before my subscription does?
This isn’t unique to DiscountASP.NET. The CA/Browser Forum, the global governing body that sets internet security rules, voted to steadily shorten the maximum lifespan of all public SSL certificates. This standard reduces validity periods in phases, dropping from the old 398-day limit down to just 47 days by 2029.
As a result, your SSL certificate file must be reissued and replaced multiple times a year. However, your DiscountASP.NET billing cycle and subscription price remain exactly the same. You still get the full duration of the coverage you purchased without any extra fees.
You can refer to our blog for more details: SSL Certificate Lifespans Are Getting Shorter Every Year: What You Need to Know
Will I be charged when my certificate is reissued?
No. Your SSL pricing is tied directly to your subscription term, not the number of certificates issued. Whether your certificate requires replacement once or eight times during your term, your cost remains unchanged.
What do I need to do?
SSL Reissue: Fully Automated (In most cases)
- Zero Action Required: The majority of reissues happen automatically in the background.
- Mandatory Domain Verification: Industry rules require domain verification for every reissue. In other words, you need to prove that you control the domain name. In most cases, you won't need to take any action as we’ve automated the validation process.
- Domain Validation: If your domain uses Everleap DNS and/or your domain resolves to your site hosted at Everleap, verification is fully automated.
- Exception: There are situations when our automated verification fails and we cannot validate your domain. In the case you are managing your own DNS, we will email you a DNS TXT record that you can add to your DNS provider’s DNS settings.You will need to add the record to your DNS before the expiration to reissue the SSL certificate.
SSL Renewal: Standard Billing Process
- Unchanged Cycle: Renewals strictly follow your existing billing terms and calendar dates.
- Zero Reissue Impact: Mid-term reissues never alter or reset your actual renewal date.
- Proactive Alerts: We will email renewal instructions before your subscription expires.