Handling non-payment and account closures consistently protects both you and your clients — here’s a practical approach using WHM’s built-in tools.
Suspension as the first step, always
For non-payment, suspension (not termination) should always be the first action. It disables the site and email immediately but keeps all data intact, giving the client a clear, reversible consequence and a real deadline to resolve payment before anything is lost.
Setting a suspension reason clients actually see
When suspending an account under Account Functions > Suspend/Unsuspend an Account, WHM lets you set a reason — use this to show a clear, professional message on the suspended site (e.g. “This account has been suspended pending payment — contact billing@yourbrand.com”) rather than a generic error, so the client immediately understands why and what to do.
Automating suspensions via your billing system
If you run WHMCS or similar billing software integrated with WHM, overdue invoices can trigger automatic suspension after a set grace period, and automatic unsuspension the moment payment is received — removing the need to manually track and action every overdue account yourself.
When to terminate
Termination should be a deliberate, separate decision after suspension has been in place for an agreed period (commonly 15-30 days) with no resolution — and ideally something your terms of service state clearly upfront, so it’s never a surprise. Always confirm you’re terminating the correct account (double-check the domain/username in the confirmation screen) since WHM’s termination is immediate and irreversible.
Keeping a paper trail
Whatever your policy, keep a record of when an account was suspended, why, and when/if it was terminated — both for your own operational clarity and in case a client disputes the timeline later.