If you’ve decided to call it a day with your Microsoft subscription, the good news is it’s quick and easy to cancel the package subscription.
Before you begin, you must have your Microsoft account information handy. It is also important to check the Microsoft cancellation policy for your particular subscription.
Once you have the information needed to cancel your Microsoft subscription, you can exit it by following three simple steps.
Please note: your subscription won’t be completely canceled until you receive an email notification from Microsoft confirming that the subscription has been successfully canceled.
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Cancel Microsoft Subscription
Depending on which subscription you wish to cancel, here’s what you need to do:
How to Cancel Microsoft 365
First, you will be required to select the language you wish to proceed in. According to Microsoft, it is recommended that you contact a support advocate to help you cancel your subscription if necessary. Otherwise, you may have to wait until your billing cycle has ended.
Aside from that, the steps to cancel your Microsoft 365 subscription are the following:
- Log in to your Microsoft 365 admin center.
- Under “Billing” select “Your Products“.
- Select your product and then click on Cancel Subscription
- Microsoft will then provide instructions on canceling your subscription by turning off “recurring billing”.
Tips for Any Issues That May Arise When Cancelling Your Subscription
The account details you log in with to cancel your Microsoft 365 subscription need to be the ones you used to purchase the package.
Visit the cancellation policy in Microsoft Store Terms of Sale for more information.
How to Cancel Xbox
If you can cancel and receive a refund for an Xbox subscription, here’s what you need to do:
- Log in to your Microsoft account.
- Head to “Services & Subscriptions”.
- Locate the subscription you wish to cancel and click the “Manage” option next to it.
- Click on “Cancel Subscription” or “Turn Off Recurring Billing”.
Microsoft will let you know whether or not you qualify for a refund.
How to Cancel Microsoft Azure
If you’ve purchased an Azure subscription via the portal, here’s how to cancel it:
- Go to the Azure portal and navigate to the “Subscriptions” page.
- Select the required subscription.
- Click on the “Overview” page and then “Cancel Subscription“.
- Complete the remaining prompts required.
Please be mindful that with Azure, Microsoft partners can cancel the subscription without legal ramifications.
How to Cancel Other Microsoft Subscriptions
If the subscription you wish to cancel isn’t one of the listed above, you’ll need to do the following:
- Log in to your Microsoft account.
- Head to “Services & Subscriptions” (again, you will need to make sure the login details you use are that of what you used to purchase the product in question; otherwise, the cancellation process will not be successful).
- Locate the subscription you wish to cancel and select “Manage”.
- Read through the instructions and information that will then be provided and follow the remaining cancellation process.
Please bear in mind that which country you are based in will depend on your subscription length and refund policy.
It is also worth noting that when trying to cancel a subscription, you may see “Turn On Recurring Billing” instead of “Manage.”
This means the subscription is set to expire soon, and you will no longer be charged after the date mentioned. This means you will need to continue your subscription until the aforementioned date.
Managing Your Microsoft 365 Subscription
If you are using a Microsoft 365 subscription for business purposes and purchased via a third party (such as a contractor, client, or partner), you will need to contact the third party to manage the subscription.
Be mindful of the following, though:
- Microsoft’s access and visibility regarding third-party purchases are limited.
- You would NOT be able to cancel a Microsoft subscription if purchased by a third-party retailer. This includes managing the recurring billing setting.
- You will not be entitled to any refunds. If there is a refund to be awarded, naturally, it will go to the third-party buyer.
Microsoft Alternatives for Business?
If you’ve decided Microsoft isn’t the software for you or your business, you may prefer a better alternative.
Many modern businesses can rely on the Google Cloud Platform (GCP), as it provides a plethora of unmatched services, such as:
- Computation services (Google App Engine, etc.)
- Cloud storage services
- Management services
- Cloud AI
- Big Data services
- Security & identity
And much more. And the good news is, setting up and configuring a cloud environment is super easy.
Cancelling Microsoft: FAQs
Can I cancel my Microsoft subscription anytime?
If you’re still in the free trial period, then yes – you can cancel that anytime. However, if you’ve already purchased a package, if you try to cancel your subscription, you will be charged a subscription fee if the package in question is any of the following:
- Microsoft 365 for business.
- Windows 365.
- Power Platform.
- Intune.
- Dynamics 365.
What happens if I don’t renew my Microsoft 365 subscription?
As soon as you cancel this subscription, you will no longer be able to use the Office assets, such as Word, Excel, etc. Unless you are the admin, you will have 90 days to continue accessing data created using the assets, but you will lose access to any of the bonuses included within the package (such as Skype minutes and OneDrive storage).
Canceling your Microsoft 365 subscription also means you will have difficulty accessing documents created within this package – so you will need to ensure you have saved any relevant information elsewhere. You will still be able to “View Only” all of your documents, but you will not be able to edit them or create new documents. You will, however, still be able to print them if necessary.
How do I stop Microsoft from continuing to charge my card?
If you have followed the steps mentioned earlier, you will have been presented with the “Turn Off Recurring Billing” option, which should prevent any further payments from coming out of your bank account.
Why can’t I cancel my Microsoft subscription?
If you’re trying to cancel your subscription and keep being met with a window that says, “We can’t cancel your subscription,” this can usually indicate that the particular subscription is set to expire soon.
However, if this is not the case, you will need to contact Microsoft Support to troubleshoot the issue.
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Thank you for reading my blog.
If you have any questions or feedback, please leave a comment.
-Charbel Nemnom-
