How to Cancel Microsoft 365 Subscription (Step by Step)

To cancel a Microsoft 365 subscription you bought from Microsoft, go to account.microsoft.com/services/microsoft365 and sign in with the same Microsoft account you used to buy it. Select Cancel subscription (it may say Upgrade or Cancel), read the Please review section, then choose I don't want my subscription at the bottom.

If you see Turn on recurring billing instead of a cancel option, your plan is already set to end on the date shown. Microsoft says there's nothing more to do and you won't be charged after that date.

If you bought Microsoft 365 through Apple, Google Play or a retailer such as Amazon, Microsoft can't cancel it for you. The sections below cover each route, what happens to your OneDrive files and Outlook storage, and when a refund applies.

How to cancel Microsoft 365 on the web#

This works for Microsoft 365 Personal, Family, Basic, Premium and other consumer plans you bought directly from Microsoft, whether you started it on a Windows PC, a Mac or the website.

1. Open a browser and go to account.microsoft.com/services/microsoft365.
2. Sign in with the Microsoft account you used to buy the subscription. This matters: if you sign in with another account, you won't see the plan.
3. Select Cancel subscription. On some plans the button says Upgrade or Cancel.
4. Read the Please review section at the top. Microsoft may suggest cheaper plans here.
5. At the bottom, choose I don't want my subscription to cancel. (The other choice, I want to keep my benefits, keeps it.)
6. Follow any remaining prompts and check that your plan now shows an end date.

You can reach the same place from account.microsoft.com/services, where all your Microsoft subscriptions are listed. Find Microsoft 365, select Manage, then the cancel option.

Microsoft's menus change from time to time, so if your screens look different, its support article "Cancel a Microsoft 365 subscription" has the current steps.

If you see "Turn on recurring billing"#

That link appears when your subscription is already set to expire. Microsoft's support page says that in this case you don't need to do anything: you can keep using Microsoft 365 until the date shown, and you won't be charged after it. Don't click the link unless you want the plan to renew.

If you live in Germany#

Microsoft's support page says customers in Germany can cancel without signing in, using a dedicated cancellation link (aka.ms/germancancel). You'll need some account and purchase details to hand.

If you bought Microsoft 365 through Apple, Google Play or a retailer#

Microsoft says it cannot cancel, or turn recurring billing on or off, for subscriptions bought through a third-party retailer, and refund requests go to the seller because Microsoft didn't receive the payment.

Bought in an iPhone, iPad or Mac app with your Apple Account: Apple bills you. On an iPhone, open Settings → [your name] → Subscriptions → Microsoft 365 → Cancel Subscription. You can also use https://apps.apple.com/account/subscriptions. For a refund, Microsoft points you to Apple; you request one at https://reportaproblem.apple.com. Our guide on how to cancel subscriptions on iPhone covers Apple's list in detail.

Bought in an Android app: Google Play bills you. Open the Play Store, tap your profile picture, then Payments & subscriptions → Subscriptions, choose Microsoft 365 and tap Cancel subscription. On the web, go to https://play.google.com/store/account/subscriptions. See how to cancel subscriptions on Android and Google Play.

Bought from a retailer (Microsoft's examples include Amazon and Harvey Norman): contact the retailer. A boxed product or prepaid code usually runs for a fixed term, but if you then turned on recurring billing with Microsoft, cancel that on the web as above.

Through work or school: if your Microsoft 365 comes from an employer or school, an admin manages it. There's nothing for you to cancel, and cancelling a personal plan won't affect it.

Where to cancel: quick reference#

To check who bills you, look at your bank or card statement. A charge with Microsoft's name usually means Microsoft; APPLE.COM/BILL means Apple; Google means Google Play.

What happens to OneDrive and Outlook when you cancel#

This is the part to plan for, because Microsoft 365 isn't just Word and Excel. It's also your extra cloud storage, and losing it can affect files and email.

According to Microsoft's support page, after your subscription ends:

• Your storage drops to the free allowance: 5 GB of cloud storage shared between OneDrive and Outlook.com attachments, plus 15 GB of Outlook.com mailbox storage.
• If you're over the free limit, you can't upload, edit or sync new files to OneDrive.
• If you're over the free limit, you can't send or receive email in Outlook.com.
• After 6 months, Microsoft may delete your OneDrive and all the files in it.
• On Family or Premium plans, everyone you shared the subscription with also has their storage reduced.

The Microsoft 365 apps also lose their subscription features. Your documents are still your files, so you can keep them on your computer and open them in other software. Check Microsoft's help pages for what a free Microsoft account includes at the time you cancel.

Before you cancel: a storage checklist#

1. Check how much OneDrive storage you're using (it's shown in OneDrive's settings and your Microsoft account).
2. If it's over 5 GB, download the files you want to keep to your computer or move them to another storage service.
3. Clear out large email attachments in Outlook.com if your mailbox is near the limit.
4. If you're on a Family plan, tell everyone you share with so they can do the same.
5. Then cancel.

Microsoft 365 refunds: what the policy says#

Cancelling doesn't automatically refund you. Microsoft's support page says you have to cancel first, and the cancellation process tells you whether your subscription qualifies.

Microsoft's subscription refund policy, for plans bought directly from Microsoft, says:

• In most cases, you can get a refund within 30 days of your initial purchase or before your first recurring billing date, whichever is sooner.
• For a renewal you didn't mean to pay, you're entitled to a refund of your most recent recurring billing charge if you cancel within 30 days after that payment. This is limited to one time per Microsoft account, per subscription product.
• Prorated refunds depend on where you live. For Basic, Personal and Family plans, they're available at any time in a list of countries that includes Canada, France, Korea and Türkiye, and not elsewhere. For Microsoft 365 Premium and Pro, outside those countries you need to cancel within 14 days of your initial purchase for a prorated refund.
• Prepaid retail codes aren't covered; they follow the retailer's return policy.

Apple and Google Play purchases follow their own refund processes. If you're charged after a cancellation you can prove and support can't help, contact your bank or card issuer.

A worked example: the annual renewal#

Say you're on a yearly plan that costs, for example, $100. It renews automatically, and you notice the charge three weeks later.

• If you cancel now, you're within 30 days of that payment, so the policy's one-time refund of your most recent recurring charge can apply: up to $100 back.
• If you'd noticed after five weeks, you'd be outside that window, and outside the listed countries you'd simply keep the plan until it ends.

Spread over a year, $100 is $100 ÷ 12 ≈ $8.33 a month. If you only use Microsoft 365 for its storage, compare that with what you actually store. If it's well under 5 GB, the free allowance may be all you need.

Cancel, downgrade or turn off renewal?#

You don't always have to cancel outright.

• Let it run out. Cancelling on the web turns off renewal, and you keep Microsoft 365 until the paid period ends. You can cancel the day you decide without losing time you've paid for, unless you're asking for a refund.
• Switch plans. The Please review section may offer a cheaper plan, such as one that mainly includes storage. If the apps aren't what you use, that may be enough.
• Share a Family plan. If several people in your household each pay for their own plan, one shared Family plan may cost less overall. Our guide to splitting subscription costs with family has ideas for doing it fairly.

Troubleshooting: when cancelling Microsoft 365 doesn't work#

Microsoft also has a support article on troubleshooting when you can't cancel a subscription, and its Contact Microsoft Support page if that doesn't help. If you're seeing charges you can't explain, our guide on how to find every subscription you're paying for walks through statements and receipts.

Microsoft 365 for business#

Microsoft 365 business plans are managed in the Microsoft 365 admin center, not the consumer account page, and cancelling affects everyone's licences. If you're the admin, check with your team first and look at Microsoft's business support pages for the current steps. If you're tracking several software tools for a small business, our guide to tracking software subscriptions as a freelancer or small business shows a simple system.

Keep track of when Microsoft 365 renews#

Most people on Microsoft 365 pay yearly, which makes the renewal easy to forget. A yearly charge you didn't expect is also the one most worth catching inside the 30-day window.

The manual fix is to note your renewal date in your calendar with a reminder a week before. When it fires, decide whether you still need the apps and storage.

If you'd rather keep all your renewals in one place, Monthlee is an iPhone app that lists your subscriptions and bills and reminds you on the day or 1, 2, 3 or 7 days before each charge. You add Microsoft 365 in one tap, and it never asks for a bank login.

The bottom line#

To cancel Microsoft 365, go to account.microsoft.com/services/microsoft365, sign in with the account that bought it, select Cancel subscription and choose I don't want my subscription. If you see Turn on recurring billing, it's already set to end. Apple, Google Play and retailer purchases are cancelled with that seller.

Before the plan ends, get your OneDrive and Outlook.com storage under the free limits, and tell anyone on your Family plan. If a renewal just went through, check the 30-day refund rule in Microsoft's policy and cancel promptly.