The GeoTrust QuickSSL Premium WildCard is a domain validated (DV) wildcard certificate that secures a domain and all of its subdomains under a single certificate. Because it is domain validated, there is no paperwork to file: the certificate authority confirms that you control the domain and then issues the certificate, typically within 1 to 10 minutes. It is a practical choice when you run one hostname plus many subdomains and want them all covered without buying a separate certificate for each.
Specifications at a glance
- Validation type: Domain (no paperwork)
- Subdomains covered: Unlimited, via the wildcard
- Green address bar: N/A (this is a DV product, so it does not carry the extended validation branding)
- Reissues: Unlimited during the certificate term
- Issuance time: 1 to 10 minutes
- Warranty: $500,000
- Site seal: Dynamic GeoTrust Site Seal
- Encryption: high 256-bit encryption capabilities, signed with a 2048-bit root
- Browser compatibility: 99.9%
- Mobile compatibility: strong
- Money-back guarantee: 15 days
What "wildcard" actually means
A wildcard certificate is issued for a name such as *.example.com. The asterisk stands in for any single subdomain label, so the same certificate secures www.example.com, shop.example.com, blog.example.com and any other first-level subdomain you add later. That is why the subdomain count is listed as unlimited: you are not naming each host in advance. One caveat worth knowing is that a single wildcard covers one level of subdomain. It secures shop.example.com but not deeper names like eu.shop.example.com, and it does not cover the bare apex on its own unless the apex is included as a subject name. For most sites that run a root domain plus a flat set of subdomains, one wildcard is enough.
*.example.com www.example.com shop.example.com blog.example.comEncryption and trust
The certificate supports high 256-bit encryption and is signed with a 2048-bit root, which is the modern baseline browsers and mobile devices expect. GeoTrust reports browser compatibility at 99.9% and strong mobile compatibility, so visitors are very unlikely to see a trust warning. The $500,000 warranty is the standard relying-party guarantee from the CA, and the Dynamic GeoTrust Site Seal can be placed on your pages to show visitors the certificate is active. Because this is a DV certificate it validates that you control the domain, not the legal identity of the organisation behind it, so it does not display the extended-validation styling that some OV or EV products carry. If you want to confirm your server is negotiating strong, current protocols after installation, Mozilla publishes a widely used reference for TLS configuration at ssl-config.mozilla.org.
Issuance, reissues and the guarantee
Domain validation is quick because there is nothing to post or sign: once you complete the control check, issuance usually takes between 1 and 10 minutes. Reissues are unlimited during the term, which is useful if you rekey the certificate, move it to a new server, or need to regenerate it after a private-key change. The product also comes with a 15-day money-back guarantee, so you have a short window to confirm it installs and behaves as expected before committing.
Is a wildcard the right choice for you?
A wildcard makes sense when you know you will keep adding subdomains and do not want to reissue every time. If you only ever serve a single hostname, a standard single-name certificate is simpler and cheaper. For operators running several separate domains, note that a wildcard covers subdomains of one domain, not multiple different domains, so a network of distinct sites needs its own certificate per domain. You can compare all of the certificates we resell, single-name, wildcard and multi-domain, on our SSL certificates page, and the wider SSL certificates FAQ hub answers common questions about validation levels, installation and renewals.
If you are unsure which certificate fits your setup, or you need help matching one to hosting that already gives each site its own dedicated IP, contact us and we will point you to the right option.
