How do I resolve Eligibility Issues on my .AU Domain Name

Why am I receiving these emails?

You may have received an email from us saying that your domain name is not eligible. This can be because the ABN/ACN/RBN associated with the domain name is invalid or cancelled.

With guidance from auDA we have implemented a change to improve the eligibility validation process, aiming to reduce eligibility complaints and the subsequent potential loss of invalid .au domains.

If a domain name does not meet the necessary eligibility criteria (such as an active ABN or ACN) after an inbound transfer or renewal, we will send out an email to the registrant notifying them to do a Manual Change of Registrant to move to a valid and eligible registrant within 30 days to prevent suspension.

How can I resolve this?

To resolve this, you will need to perform a Manual Change of Registrant to move to a valid/eligible registrant.

You can read more about the Change of Registrant process and how it works here

Each situation is a little different; however, to make it easier, please refer to the sections below on what fits your situation.

Please note: If you have multiple domains with the same Eligibility, you can include all the affected domains in your email or support request to us, and we can assist with performing the Change of Registrant for all affected domains.

If my domain has an expired ABN:

This is for situations where eligibility details listed on your domain contain an expired or cancelled ABN. These usually arise when you move to a new ABN however, do not update the domain name as well.

When contacting our team, we require one of the following types of documentation that the domain name has changed hands, which the documentation must be dated prior to the existing ABN becoming inactive:

The documentation that we accept is below.

Sales Agreement

A copy of a sales agreement that shows the business was sold or changed hands.
The agreement must clearly show that the current company/entity was acquired by the proposed company/entity.

Signed Letter on Company Letterhead

A letter signed on company letterhead stating that the domain name has changed hands.
If you choose to provide a letter, it must explicitly state the full domain name being transferred from one business to another.

Other Valid Documentation

Any valid document that shows the domain name or business has changed hands.
This can be a Statutory Declaration outlining who the domain should be transferred to and the desired outcome, signed by a Justice of the Peace or an authorised witness.

Alternative Option: Transfer of Domain Chain Form

If you can’t provide the above documentation, you can use the Transfer of Domain Chain Form. This is for situations where the current registrant no longer exists or doesn’t have any supporting documentation.

Download the Transfer of Domain Chain Form.
Fill out the form and provide any supporting documents.

If my domain has an expired ACN:

This is for situations where eligibility details listed on your domain contain an expired or cancelled ACN. Similar to expired ABN’s These usually arise when you move to a new ACN/ABN however do not update the domain name as well.

The documentation that we accept is below.

Sales Agreement

A copy of a sales agreement that shows the business was sold or changed hands.
The agreement must clearly show that the current company/entity was acquired by the proposed company/entity.

Signed Letter on Company Letterhead

A letter signed on company letterhead stating that the domain name has changed hands.
If you choose to provide a letter, it must explicitly state the full domain name being transferred from one business to another.

ASIC Extracts

If transferring to another Company under an ACN and are the same director, you can provide us ASIC Extracts for both companies which show who the directors are for each company, these can be purchased from ASIC directly.

Other Valid Documentation

Any valid document that shows the domain name or business has changed hands.
This can be a Statutory Declaration outlining who the domain should be transferred to and the desired outcome, signed by a Justice of the Peace or an authorised witness.

Alternative Option: Transfer of Domain Chain Form

Download the Transfer of Domain Chain Form.
Fill out the form and provide any supporting documents.

If my domain has an Expired Sole Trader or Partnership ABN:

This is for situations where the eligibility details listed on your domain have an expired or cancelled Sole Trader or Partnership ABN, These usually arise when you move to a new ABN/ACN and do not update the information on the domain name as well.

There are two options:

Option one: Re-Activate your ABN

If you haven’t moved entities or to another company, you are able to re-activate your ABN, You can refer to this page here.
Once reactivated, no further action is required.

Option two: Perform a Change of Registrant

If you have moved to another entity and are no longer trading under the partnership or Sole Trader ABN, you can perform a Change of Registrant
There’s no specific documentation that we need, You are free to initiate the change of registrant through your Synergy Wholesale Management System.

If you would like us to initiate the change of registrant for you, feel free to contact us via a support request or by sending an email to policy@synergywholesale.com and as long as we see the Sole Trader or at least one member of the Partnership is the one requesting the COR be completed or provide the government-issued ID (e.g. drivers license, passport) of the Sole Trader or member of the partnership, we accept this as proof that the Sole Trader or member of a Partnership is actually requesting the CoR take place.

If the domain is using a Trust ABN:

If you have received a notification that your domain is ineligible, however, the ABN is still active and that of a Trust, this usually means that they are incorrectly registered under a trust-type entity.

From 2021, auDA, which is the policy body for .au domains, made a change in which you cannot directly register a domain name under a Trust type ABN.

For the registrant details, they need to be that of the Trustee of the Trust, with their own Company or Sole Trader ABN/ACN or that of a natural person.

Under the .au domain administration rules, domains registered under a Trust will need to be registered under the following layout:

A natural person as Trustee for a Trust

Registrant: First Name and Last Name as Trustee for <Name of Trust>

Registrant ID: <Leave Blank>

Eligibility Type: Trust

Eligibility ID: ABN of the trust

Eligibility Name: <Name of the Trust>

A company as Trustee for a Trust:

Registrant: Company Name Pty Ltd as Trustee for <Name of Trust>

Registrant ID: ACN or ABN of the Company Name

Eligibility Type: Trust

Eligibility ID: ABN of the Trust

Eligibility Name: <Name of the Trust>

Please provide us with either the complete Trust Deed or simply the schedule page, which clearly displays who the Trustee is. Once we can see who the Trustee is, we can then correct the domain with the accurate details at no cost, rather than performing a Change of Registrant.

What do I do once I have the documentation?

Once you have the documentation for us to review, please login to the Synergy Wholesale Management System and navigate to the AU Domain Eligibility Status page. From there, you can click on the affected domain and click on the “Initiate COR” button and fill out the form and upload the documentation. If you have multiple domains with the same Eligibility, you can include all the affected domains within the “Additional Details” Section to make things easier.

You are also welcome to submit a support request to our support team or email policy@synergywholesale.com; however, please ensure that you provide the supporting documentation mentioned above.