I had ownership of a domain name which was about to expire. Prior to its expiration, I submitted an order for renewal through the control panel, but failed to pay the associated bill.

Despite the outstanding bill and active payment links, the domain was taken away shortly after my missed payment - likely by an automated system.
As of now, it remains uncertain who the rightful owner is, and it seems unlikely that it will be returned. However, I am curious about the outcome if I were to attempt payment on the overdue bill.

I am curious to know what information whois currently displays for this particular domain name. If the unpaid bill is settled, the funds will be deposited into your personal account balance; however, as the service no longer exists, the funds will remain unused in that account.

In certain domain zones, a grace period of 30 days is allowed after the registration period expires for renewal. However, this is not always the case. If the domain belongs to a zone without such a grace period, any payment made towards the renewal would be returned to the registrar's internal account.

When a domain name enters its expiration phase, the original owner typically has a grace period during which they can renew the domain without any additional fees. Once the grace period expires, the domain enters a redemption period, during which it can still be renewed, but at a higher cost. After the redemption period ends, the domain is released for anyone to register.

In your case, it seems that the domain may have gone through the grace and redemption periods, as it was taken away shortly after your missed payment. This indicates that the domain may have been released and potentially registered by someone else.

If you are considering attempting to pay the overdue bill, I would advise you to start by checking the current status of the domain through a WHOIS lookup. This will reveal whether the domain is still available for registration or if it has been re-registered by another party. If the domain is available, you could attempt to register it again, although there's a possibility that someone else might have already secured it.

It's important to consider the potential impact on your online presence before making any decisions regarding the expired domain. If the domain is critical to your online identity and branding, you may want to explore options for acquiring expired domains offered by some registrars. These services often come with significant costs and no guarantee of success, but they can assist in reclaiming expired domains that are important to your business or online presence.
The outcome of attempting to pay the overdue bill will depend on the current status of the domain and whether it has been re-registered by another party. It's crucial to assess your options and make an informed decision based on the potential impact on your online presence and branding. If the domain is no longer available, you may want to consider choosing a new domain name for your website or online activities.