A Control Panel is a web-based user interface through which you can manage various aspects of your presence online. For example, you can easily create or edit site files, set up and check emails, control databases, check visitor statistics etc. Those things are done through buttons and menus within a web browser and the CP may also be called ‘back office’, i.e. the administrative area associated with your web hosting account. Most of the Control Panels available will enable you to handle all hosting-related matters, but you'll often require a different system to handle payments or to get a new domain name if the company offers domain registrations. Based on 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 an issue as well, or you might have to use a third system.