Account Layout

1. Main Account
Your main account is what your WebID refers to. This is where the account owner information resides and is where all of your services are placed. Consider it like a bag where you can put other things (Accounts) in it.

2. Account
This is your Sub-Account. In here is where your website and services go. This also stores your billing information on it. The reason this is done is to accommodate multiple Sub-Accounts that wish to pay for their own own account.
Please note that for a website to have its own domain/website under it, it needs to have its own hosting plan as 2 Sub-Accounts can not share a hosting plan.
Sub Accounts can be merged to other Sub Accounts as long as there has not been any promo codes or discounts used. If there have been, you will need to renew at full price or pay the amount that the promo / discount provided.

3. Hosting Plan
This is your Hosting plan and it resides in your Sub-Account. Hosting plans are not directly connected to your domains, registration, user account or databases. They only provide your Sub-Account with certain resources so upgrading or downgrading will not effect your services. Only the amount of resources that you are provided are changed.
Hosting Plans renew every year. Renewing your hosting plan will not automatically renew your Registration.
Hosting Plans are not able to be transferred to other Dreamhost accounts.

4. Domains
Domains reside inside of user accounts. This is important to note as this is the reason that only one user has access to 1 domain. So, if you wanted Ted, Bill & Rufus to have access to 1 domain you could only give 1 of them access to it or create a User account and provide all 3 of them with the login information.
Domains provide a lot. They are where your website files are uploaded and provide your emails. The Domain is where your DNS, SSL and IP settings are stored. Your Registration has to point to this Domain for your website to show up on the internet.
Domains are not able to be transferred to other Dreamhost accounts. You will need to back up its content and delete the domain and create it on the new account if you wish to transfer it.

5. User Accounts
This is your User Account and it resides in your Sub Account. A User Account has FTP and Shell access to the Sub-Account. Within the User Account you will find Domains log files and your backups or your domains.
Please Note that User Accounts can not access other User Accounts. So only the User1 account can access the User1 account.
User Accounts are not able to be transferred to other Dreamhost accounts. You will need to back up its content and delete the User Account then create it on the new account if you wish to transfer it.

6. Registrations
These are your website name, it is not the website itself. Consider these like the finger pointing to the location ... the location being the Domain. Registrations are very important as it is these that indicate that you own the name of the site. If you setup a Domain but don't have the registration for it, that does not mean you own or have registered it. Registrations renew every year unless you renew then for longer. Renewing your registration will not renew your Hosting Plan.
Registrations are yours until they expire. Therefore, even if you close your account here, if your registration is still active you will own it and can still use it.
Registration can be transferred between Sub-Accounts that have Hosting Plans in them. Both owners most agree to the transfer before it can be transferred and must be transferred by a Dreamhost Employee.

7. Database
Your Databases reside in your Sub-Account and can only be added if you have a Hosting Plan.
Databases can be transferred between Sub-Accounts that have Hosting Plans in them. Both owners most agree to the transfer before it can be transferred and must be transferred by a Dreamhost Employee.