A Control Panel is a web-based interface through which you can manage different aspects of your world-wide web presence. For example, you can set up or modify site files, set up and check emails, control databases, check visitor statistics etc. Those things are done through buttons and menus in an internet browser and the Control Panel can also be called ‘back office’, i.e. the administration area associated with your web hosting account. Most Control Panels on the market will allow you to handle all hosting-related matters, but you shall usually need a different system to control payments or to get a new domain name in case 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 diagnose an issue also, or you might have to use a 3rd system.