A Control Panel is a web-based user interface through which you can control various aspects of your online presence. For example, you can easily create or modify site files, set up and check email messages, handle databases, check visitor statistics and so forth. Those things are executed using buttons and menus inside a web browser and the Control Panel could also be called ‘back office’, i.e. the administration area associated with your Internet hosting account. Most Control Panels out there will allow you to control all hosting-related matters, but you'll usually require a different system to control payments or to get a new domain name if the company offers domain registrations. Depending on the platform they employ, you may be able to use the billing account to open a support ticket to ask a question or to troubleshoot and fix a problem as well, or you might have to use a 3rd system.