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Most Popular General Application Process Set-Up Starter Site .CPA in Canada

General

A standard .cpa domain costs $225 per year. Premium domains i.e., two or three characters in length, city name, industry vertical, etc., are available and priced accordingly. All prices are in US dollars (USD).

It's not an equivalent comparison to compare .cpa and .com domains.

.com is an unmanaged, uncontrolled generic internet domain. Users are not verified and there is no implementation of security best practices. Essentially, .com is a very low-level domain with corresponding commodity pricing.

.cpa is a high-value restricted internet domain with verifications and controls. It is only available to licensed CPA firms and licensed individual CPAs, and a fair amount of infrastructure (and consequently, expense) is required to validate professionals and provide ongoing monitoring services to ensure .cpa is limited to this restricted community. There is great benefit in doing so however, as it also means it is more secure and less prone to many of the online threats targeting .com domains.

A more equivalent comparison for .cpa are institutional domains like .bank and .pharmacy which are priced starting at more than $900 per domain per year.

CPA.com use a service from Neustar that proactively monitors for known threats, such as malware, botnets, etc. Neustar is required to notify CPA.com of any detections. CPA.com would in-turn notify your firm. We do NOT have access to any of your specific internet traffic or data, Neustar is performing this monitoring service via their proprietary system that includes nodes in data centers around the world. This means that you are still responsible for ensuring the security of your infrastructure, as normal. Neustar’s monitoring is a free added benefit that helps provide additional security protection. This monitoring is not required in legacy TLD’s like .com, .net., etc.

Because restricted domains restrict access to non-verified parties. .cpa is restricted to licensed CPA Firms. This allows us to prevent fraudsters from buying .cpa domains and imitating a CPA firm online to trick you or your clients (known as ‘imitator domains’). Domains, like .com, are unrestricted and available to anyone for purchase.

It depends on when you registered your .cpa domain. If you have a trademark and registered your domain during the Early Adoption Period (EAP) or Sunrise phase (Sep 1 – Oct 30, 2020), you are not subject to activation requirements. If you registered during the Late Registration Period (LRP) (Nov 1 – Jan 14, 2021), you are subject to the activation requirements. Please note that activation requirements only apply to one .cpa domain; if you registered more than one .cpa domain, it only applies to any one domain.

While other top-level domains, such as .com, are currently seeing significant price increases, there are no plans at this time to increase price of .cpa domains. You domain cost will be the same price at renewal.

As with all new TLDs domains, it takes time for some providers to recognize a new TLD. We have found that most vendors instantly recognize new TLD’s, however we have been made aware of a few vendors that did not instantly recognize .cpa. In these cases, you may need to reach out to the vendor and put in a support ticket to notify/tell them to recognize your new TLD. We have seen that vendors are usually quick to respond to these requests. However, this can take some time depending on the vendor as the providers will need to get their back-end systems updated to recognize the TLD. Our recommendation is to factor extra time into your timeframe for adopting your .cpa domain to ensure that all your service providers support .cpa.

There are no activation requirements for any one who purchased a .cpa domain on or after our General Availability phase ( Jan 15, 2021). Firms who purchased a .cpa domain prior to the General Availability phase are being asked to comply with basic activation requirements. This policy was put in place to discourage the 'parking' of domains by firms (i.e., purchasing domains just to prevent other firms from acquiring them). To comply with basic activation requirements firms simply need to do the following:

  • Activate your .cpa domain:
    • Within one month of being issued your .cpa domain, redirect it to your current .com website. This requirement doesn't apply if you have no website.
    • Within one year of being issued your .cpa domain, use it as an active firm branded website. You do not need to make it your primary website (you can, but it is not required). You can set it up as a microsite or landing page (with your firm logo and name prominently displayed). If you purchased multiple domains, you only need to activate one (the others may simply redirect).
    • If your .cpa domain is replacing an existing .com website, we recommend you redirect the .com domain to your new .cpa website and maintain this for an ongoing period of time.
  • Link your .cpa domain to your email platform:
    • Within one year of being issued your .cpa domain, add it to your firm's email platform.
    • After linking your .cpa domain to you firm's email platform, we recommend you continue to keep your prior email address active, indefinitely.

If your firm needs additional time to meet any of these activation requirements or has questions regarding the process, we encourage you to contact a CPA.com representative to discuss. Our intent is to work with firms to help make this transition as seamless and successful as possible.

Note: Activation requirements do not apply: (1) for domains generally associated with trademarks your firm has registered and (2) for any domains purchased during the General Availability phase.

Every time you visit your favorite website or send an email you are using a top-level domain (TLD). TLD’s are the portion of the website address that come after the dot. For example, .com is the most widely known TLD. There are however many other TLD’s. Some are restricted to specific groups or communities, such as .edu for educational institutions or .mil for the military. Others, like .com are unrestricted wherein anyone can register and use a name. For example, the most common top-level domains include .com, .net, .edu and .gov. ICANN, the governing body that manages domain usage, supported the issuance of new domains several years ago — a move which will ultimately reshape the internet landscape.

Industries, governments and well-known businesses are beginning to change their domains. In fact, even Major League Baseball (.mlb), the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (.mit) and New York CIty (.nyc) have gotten on board. And now, only for individual CPAs and licensed CPA firms, the .cpa domain is available and administered by the AICPA and CPA.com.

Moving your firm to a new .cpa domain does not need to be confusing for your clients. Clients are most familiar with your domain by visiting your website and sending you email. We will be providing tools and services to make this process simple and inexpensive.

There are clear marketing and branding benefits to this update, starting with the fact that only licensed, recognized CPA firms can secure the .cpa domain for their businesses. Short, verified domain names are not only catchier and more memorable, but they signal to visitors that your business is legitimate and progressive. These days, all the most desirable .com domain names are taken, leading many firms to settle for longer, less elegant domain names.

Some have turned to .net names or added CPA or LLC to the domain name. For clients and prospects, these are small but important signifiers that shape their perceptions of your brand. Since a .cpa domain is restricted to the CPA community, brand-friendly domain names that are shorter and more desirable will be available to firms that move quickly to secure them.

You may not have noticed yet, but other professions and industries are already shifting to their own unique domains. Banks, for example, are already beginning to adopt the .bank domain. The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) has introduced the .pharmacy top-level domain to provide the public with a path to ensure the pharmaceuticals they buy online are from trusted pharmacies that adhere to licensing and professional requirements. Many companies have already purchased new domains but have not yet publicized this update.

CPA firm licensure is managed by state boards of accountancy. Please check with your respective state board of accountancy if you are unsure whether your firm is a licensed CPA firm.

Yes, eligibility will be validated at time of purchase and each renewal. We will also have additional measures in place to monitor and validate ongoing adherence to the eligibility requirements.

Yes, We discourage the practice of cyber-squatting or purchasing domains with the sole intent of resale. However, if two registrants decide to transfer ownership of a domain, we will support the transaction as long as both entities meet eligibility criteria and can be verified.

Trust will be created over time as .cpa becomes more widely used. At the same time, it’s a natural inclination for clients to make the connection that only CPA firms will have access to .cpa domains. This is similar to how we instinctively trust .gov domains (only permitted to be used by the government entities). The registry operator for .gov restricts access and verifies eligibility before issuing these domains, similar to .cpa.

Simply using a .cpa domain does not remove the threat of phishing or other attacks. However, with a .cpa domain we are able to take away the more popular attack vectors used by cyber criminals (i.e., imitator domains and IDNs or Internationalized Domain Names). We do this by restricting access and preventing them from using .cpa domains altogether. This will reduce the threat of an online attack. This is why we refer to this as a shared security responsibility, very similar to how Amazon secures their AWS cloud infrastructure. CPA.com, and its vendors, are securing the TLD, its registrars, and preventing fraudsters from using it. Customers are still responsible for the security of their infrastructure and wherever the domain is used.

Application Process

To apply for a .cpa domain, you must either be: (i) a licensed CPA firm with a CPA firm license issued by a state board of accountancy and/or (ii) an individual with a CPA license issued by a state board of accountancy.

In most jurisdictions, a firm must have a CPA firm license to hold out to the public as a CPA firm, and an individual must be a licensed CPA to hold out to the public as a CPA. Our eligibility criteria was established to address these “holding out” rules.

If you are unsure as to whether you are a licensed CPA firm or have questions related to becoming a licensed CPA firm, please refer to your respective state board of accountancy.

Now that the early registration period has ended and we’ve entered general availability, any licensed CPA or firm can apply for any available .cpa domain, including potentially your firm’s name or a variation of it. While it’s a violation of the .cpa user agreement to register a domain to prevent a competitor from using it, if the registrant has a legitimate claim to use a domain, they can register it (even if it also matches your firm’s name).

For trademarks, ICANN policies are complex and simply having a trademark does not automatically grant the right to take away a domain from another registrant. If you have trademarked a specific term and want to protect it, we advise you to register that term as a domain in .cpa as soon as possible, especially as the URL will be offered globally in the near future. Waiting until someone else has already registered the term to act can cause significant expense for the trademark holder. The AICPA and CPA.com do not have access to the trademark database, nor to a data source of existing firm brands or URL’s and are unable to notify individuals or firms if other registrants apply for a domain that is similar to your firm or practice name. If you believe you have a legitimate claim to use the domain, reference ICANN’s Uniform Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) to resolve any disputes.

Refunds may take up to 10 business days to be processed and show up in your account. When you are refunded, you should receive an email confirmation.

There are a number of potential reasons your application was not issued:

Please note, the .cpa domain application process has been established to ensure domains are issued in accordance with a systematic, logic-based criterion which has been reviewed by an unaffiliated third-party. If one or more of your .cpa domains was not issued, we encourage you to reapply for a .cpa domain during this current application phase.

Yes, however certain geographic and industry terms have been reserved and will not be issued to firms. Some geographic and industry terms may be considered premium and cost more than others. We do encourage you to apply for geographic and industry terms in your domain applications.

No. Unlicensed firms are not eligible to apply for a .cpa domain because of state law restrictions relating to “holding out” as a CPA firm.

Currently, .cpa domains are available only to United States, Canada, and Ireland based licensed CPA firms.

Once you submit your application you will receive several emails including:

  1. Order Confirmation (from CPA.com);
  2. Credit Card Receipt (from payment processor Stripe);
  3. Email address verification (from our registrar, Encirca).

It is very important that you click the link in the Email Verification email to show that you control the email address you provided us. Also, immediately upon submission our support team will start verifying your eligibility and identity. This process can take some time depending on the availability of verifiable data.

A .cpa domain may be refunded only if cancelled within the refund period specified below.

Transaction Type Refund Period*
New Domain Registration 5 Days
Auto-Renewal (one-year) 45 Days
Auto-Renewal (multiple-year) 5 Days
Manual Renewal 5 Days

*You may cancel a domain at any time, but a refund will only be issued if you cancel the domain within the refund period. The refund period begins on the date a domain is issued to a registrant, which includes the date a renewal is processed. Note: the date a domain is issued can be later than the date a domain is purchased due to verification protocols.

 

You can purchase as many domains as you like, there is no limit.

Domains must not be misleading, deceptive, or which may otherwise violate applicable laws or the Code of Conduct. Please check your state board to ensure compliance with any local advertising rules.

Yes, that is correct. .cpa domains are set up as private registrations.

Set-Up

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is an important consideration for firms who have invested heavily in SEO (primarily the largest firms). However, search providers are keenly aware that many companies may have a business need (rebrand, merger, new TLDs, etc.) to switch their domain over time. Google has published the following guidance on how to optimally migrate web properties: support.google.com/webmasters/answer/9370220?hl=en.

We believe the inherent benefits of .cpa (restricted, more secure, trend to new TLDs) makes the migration to a .cpa domain an effective long-term strategy for the profession. The Internet is evolving, and SEO will evolve with it. We are working with SEO experts to help provide additional education and clarification as the profession moves to .cpa.

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Watch our LinkedIn Live video that discusses how .cpa domains impact your firm’s SEO

There are 2 ways to manage this:

  1. Add your team members using Multifactor Authentication (MFA). Everyone uses the same login information, but they have their own MFA as protection.
    • Go to your management portal at https://manage20.encirca.com.
    • Go to Security Settings/Multifactor Authentication. Add Multifactor for each person to access the domain (needs email, cell phone number.)
    • Have each user login with the main login, but set up individual MFA on their cell phones2.
  2. To change the main email on the account to your marketing/it team, you need to contact EnCirca Support at support@encirca.com
  • If you log in to https://manage20.encirca.com, you should see a list of your products on the right-hand side of the screen. Click on the DNS product to go to your DNS area.
  • Once there, click on "Manage DNS". On the next screen, you should see your domain name and then on the right, a link to "Edit".
  • To enable web forwarding for your domain:
    • Log in at https://manage20.encirca.com.
    • Click on the green “Manage Domains” button to go to a new screen.
    • Next to your domain, click on the “Manage Web Forwarding” link.
    • A popup screen will instruct you to add the site you want to forward to.
    • You also must agree that the .CPA domain nameservers will be updated to standard1.encirca.net and standard2.encirca.net.
    • Once you've successfully added your information, your webforwarding will be activated.
    • Please wait about an hour to see your domain forwarded.
  • Are you logged in to https://manage20.encirca.com?
  • Are you using the right email? You should have received a confirmation email as a customer from CPA and EnCirca. You must use this email to log into your EnCirca account to see and manage your domains.
  • Did you get an email from CPA Registry that you were awarded the domain? If not, the domain may still be in the process of being verified.

No. You only need to use the .cpa registrar partner, Encirca, for basic domain management (i.e. buying/renewing a domain and setting domain properties). Encirca does offer website hosting, DNS, email service, and most other add-on services for your convenience, however, you are free to work with the provider of your choice for these services.

Yes, all applicants need to click the link in the email from Encirca to verify that the email address(es) provided on the application form are under their control. There were two places for an email address to be provided on the form, the Account Owner section and CPA Eligibility section. If you used the same email address in both sections you will only receive one email, and you must click the link. If you used a different email address for each section, you will then receive the same email at both addresses. You need to click the link in both emails. This is part of our verification process to ensure that only licensed CPA firms or individual CPA’s obtain access to a .cpa domain.

This is not a resource-intensive upgrade. It won’t require building a new website, for example. Think of it as an administrative change. If you have an internal technology team or external vendor, it’s a straightforward change. If you run a small firm and handle the site yourself, you should be able to make this update on your own following our clear instructions.

While it tends to take a couple of weeks for some firms, depending on the size and technical specifications of their current sites, some have made the update in a matter of hours. If you need support, we’ll be available to help.

After you are issued your .cpa domain, we recommend firms immediately redirect the .cpa domain to their existing .com site. Doing so is straightforward and we have outlined the process in our position paper.

If you have acquired your .cpa domain during one of the initial two phases of rollout (in 2020), you will need to activate your .cpa domain within twelve (12) months of it being issued (firms needing more time should simply contact a CPA.com representative).

When you do switch over to your new .cpa domain, we recommend firms follow best practices and redirect the existing .com web domain to your primary .cpa website. Search providers understand that companies change domains. Google has published the following guidance on how to optimally migrate web properties: support.google.com/webmasters/answer/9370220?hl=en.

Once your domains are issued, you will receive an email regarding your login set up for your account within Encirca, our current domain registrar. You will have full controls to manage your domain within that account.

No. Our current registrar (Encirca) is integrated with our eligibility platform. Because .cpa is a restricted domain, there are eligibility requirements connected to each domain for verification and monitoring. However, you can still use domain-related services from other registrars or service providers (for DNS, Email etc.). Alternatively, some registrars work through Encirca as resellers to enable management of your .cpa domain outside of the Encirca registrar site. However, you should first check with your registrar.

Starter Site

You can have only one Starter Site per domain. If you own multiple domains, each domain can have its own unique Starter Site.

On September 27, 2024 the .cpa Starter Site underwent a significant upgrade. This upgrade represents a new look and feel for the .cpa Starter Sites that is more modern and rich. Below is a summary of the changes and new features.

  • Fresh layout: Enjoy a more modern design with a new photo selector in the “Why Choose Us” section.
  • Color Theme Picker: Customize your site’s color theme to match your firm’s logo or color scheme. This change will update text, buttons, and icons across your site.
  • Team Photos: Add images of your team members to showcase who’s behind the scenes.
  • Revamped Navigation: Colored buttons for “Book Appointment” and “Contact Us” make it easier for visitors to get in touch.
  • Checkmark Icons: New icons in the “How We Can Help” section highlighting your services with a touch of style.
  • Share the importance of .cpa: We’ve added the .cpa logo on the footer of your page that links back to a new page on the domains.cpa website. This new webpage helps explain to clients the value of a .cpa domain.

No, when the Starter Site template changes or new features are available, they will not automatically appear on your website. To get the new look and feel or latest features you need to login to Starter Site (https://sites.domains.cpa), click to edit your Starter Site, make any edits needed, and finally click Go Live. Once you click Go Live your website will now be using the latest template that includes new features and/or a new look and feel.

When you buy a .cpa domain you are taking the first step towards establishing a top-tier online presence and brand. While your .cpa domain is the foundation of your brand, you have choices as to how that domain is used in your vast array of IT applications (email, website, social, etc…).

Let’s take a closer look at email and explain what options you have. You have three options to choose from:

  1. Free public email account like gmail.com
  2. Email Forwarding
  3. Full Email Mailbox

Free Public Email

Some CPAs buy a .cpa domain only to use for their website, and not their email. This scenario typically applies to CPAs who are comfortable with using Gmail, Yahoo, iCloud, etc… as their email platform and are more interested in the branding uplift of a .cpa domain just for their website.

Email forwarding

Every .cpa domain includes free email forwarding through our domain registrar Encirca. This is a great option for starting to use your .cpa domain immediately in your branding and/or on your free Starter Site. When you set up an email forward, you are simply creating an alias address that forwards the email to your existing mailbox. Because of how forwarding works, there are some limitations. Namely, you cannot create or reply to email messages with your .cpa domain email address, you can only receive email.

Here is an example, I want to use info@domains.cpa as the email address for my clients to contact me. However, I am currently using a free gmail account, yourname@gmail.com, which my existing clients are familiar with and I want to continue to use that as my main mailbox for client communications. A forward will work well in this scenario. I am aware that I am just receiving email at my .cpa email address and that new emails that I create will be “from” yourname@gmail.com. I am also aware that emails that I receive from info@domains.cpa will show yourname@gmail.com as the sender if I reply to them.

Full Email Mailbox

The ideal solution for email is to configure it for use with an email platform, such as Office 365 or Google Workplace. While many other email platforms are available, these are the two most popular options, but not your only options. Your .cpa domain will work with any email platform.

To use a full mailbox you need to first have service established with your platform provider (Microsoft, Google, etc…). If you do not already have a license to use an email platform then you will need to buy one.

If you have an existing platform provider, then you can most likely add your .cpa domain to that platform and not incur additional expense. Modern email platforms are capable of managing email for multiple domains, so if you already have a non-.cpa domain and email service with a provider then you should be able to simply add your .cpa domain as another domain and begin using it.

When you have full email access configured for your .cpa domain you can send and receive email with a .cpa email address, plus do all the typical functions you are used to.

Unlike a regular email mailbox, email forwarding simply forwards email from one email address to another (it does not store a copy before forwarding). When I reply to email sent to info@yourdomain.cpa the “from” address will be the actual email address (yourname@gmail.com) where the email was forwarded to.

If you want to maintain consistency in your branding, so that the reply-to email address in your email messages remains as your professional .cpa domain, then we recommend that you read the FAQ “Email Options for my .cpa Domain”.

Email forwarding is a free, easy, and convenient way to use your .cpa domain as an email address on your Starter Site while still receiving email at your existing email address. People can email you@yourdomain.cpa and it’ll go wherever you usually receive email.

How does email forwarding work?

Here’s how it works…. When you are in the “Edit” section of your Starter Site, you’ll see an option to turn on email forwarding at the bottom of the page (see screenshot below).

Enable Email Forwarding

  1. Enter the forwarding address that you want to use on your Starter Site. In the example above I have used info@yourdomain.cpa, but you will choose your own address.
  2. Enter where you want to receive the email that is sent to that address. Above I am using yourname@gmail.com, but you will use your current email address.

And that’s it. Once you complete and go live with your Starter Site, all email sent to info@yourdomain.cpa will automatically be forwarded to yourname@gmail.com.

Using an email address that matches your website URL keeps the brand consistent and will be easier for clients to remember.

Please be sure to read the FAQ, “What are the downsides to using email forwarding,” to understand how it differs from a traditional email mailbox.

.CPA in Canada

In those cases, a CPA.com representative will reach out to you at the email address you provided during registration. Additional verification information may be provided at that time.

You will need to provide the license information that is recorded at your provincial accounting body for you or your firm. Those firms with an existing domain registered in another top-level domain, such as .com or .ca, should provide that domain on the registration form to reduce processing time.

Eligibility verification time varies, but averages from 24-72 hours.

Registrants can only register domains at https://register.domains.cpa/canada. There are no other accredited registrars at this time.

Only licensed individual CPA’s and licensed CPA firms are eligible to register .cpa domains. Designations other than CPA are not allowed.

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