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SSL Certificate Billing Overview

Billing Rules and Validity Period Description​

This article explains the billing model and validity period of SSL certificates. SSL certificate validity periods are being shortened year by year. Currently, according to CA/B Forum regulations, the maximum validity period of an SSL certificate is no more than 398 days. CA vendors support purchasing multi-year certificates, but multi-year certificates need to be issued in multiple installments, with each issuance having a maximum validity period of no more than 398 days.

Information

Currently, the maximum validity period of SSL certificates will not exceed 398 days, but according to relevant regulations, the validity period will be shortened year by year. The specific dates are as follows:

  • From March 15, 2026: The maximum validity period should be 200 days.
  • From March 15, 2027: The maximum validity period should be 100 days.
  • From March 15, 2029: The maximum validity period will ultimately be reduced to 47 days.

I. Billing Model​

  1. Mainstream Billing Cycles

    • Short-cycle certificates: Some vendors support certificates with a minimum validity period of 90 days (sslTrus DV/Sectigo DV/Digicert EE)
    • Annual billing: The default validity period of SSL certificates is usually 1 year, effective immediately after issuance, with a maximum of no more than 398 days (approximately 13 months)

  2. Validity Period and Product Comparison Table

    Certificate Validity PeriodSupported Products/Brands
    90 dayssslTrus DV, Sectigo DV, Digicert EE
    1 yearStandard certificates from all mainstream brands
    13 monthsDigicert (paid customization), Globalsign, sslTrus (renewal), Sectigo (renewal), CFCA (special customization)

II. Billing Scenarios​

  • Test Certificate Description Currently, there are no public test SSL certificates. The test certificates used by customers are essentially formal certificates issued with specified validity periods for testing purposes. Therefore, so-called "test certificates" need to be canceled within the unconditional refund validity period to avoid incurring charges.

  • Multi-Year Purchase Rules SSL certificates can be ordered for multiple years in one purchase, but they need to be issued in multiple installments.

    The following table summarizes the validity periods, orderable years, and renewal rules of mainstream certificate brands for your reference and planning. It is recommended to choose a suitable certificate brand based on business needs and to plan renewal schedules in advance to ensure website security and compliant operation.

    Certificate BrandYears Available
    for One-Time Order    		Default Validity Period
    per Issuance    		Renewal Rules
    sslTrus1-5 years1 yearRenew within one month in advance,
    can issue 13 months
    Sectigo1-5 years1 yearRenew within one month in advance,
    can issue 13 months
    Digicert1-3 years1 yearRenew within one month in advance,
    expiration date is extended by 1 year from this year's expiration date
    Globalsign1-3 years13 monthsRenew within one month in advance,
    can issue 13 months
    CFCA1-3 years1 yearRenew within one month in advance,
    expiration date is extended by 1 year from this year's expiration date
    Certum1 year1 yearIssues 12-month certificates by default
Reissuance for Domain Change and Renewal

  • Rules for Certificate Reissuance with Domain Change
    SSL certificate reissuance refers to the process of re-issuing an existing certificate. Generally, when a customer's private key is lost or compromised, or certificate information needs to be changed, reissuance is required. Reissuing a certificate incurs no fees, and customers can reissue an SSL certificate unlimited times within the certificate's validity period. However, domain name changes are generally not supported (to understand the rules for changing domains through reissuance, please refer to 《Can the Domain Be Changed When Reissuing an SSL Certificate Within Its Validity Period?》).

  • Certificate Renewal The validity period of all certificates starts from the day of issuance. Therefore, certificate renewal cannot directly extend the validity period of the previous certificate; instead, a new certificate is issued. To learn more about certificate renewal, please refer to 《SSL Certificate Renewal Time Rules》

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