A Control Panel is a web-based user interface using which you can handle different aspects of your online presence. For instance, you could create or change website files, create and check email messages, control databases, check visitor statistics and so on. These things are executed via buttons and menus within a web browser and the Control Panel may also be called ‘back office’, i.e. the administrative area associated with your website hosting account. Most Control Panels these days will allow you to handle all hosting-related matters, but you'll often need a different system to deal with payments or to get a new domain when the company offers domain registrations. With respect to the platform they use, you could be able to use the billing account to open a support ticket to ask a question or to resolve a problem as well, or you may have to use a 3rd system.