Where to cancel depends on what you subscribed to

Microsoft subscriptions come in different types, and where you cancel depends on which one you have. If you pay Microsoft directly through your Microsoft account, you cancel in your account settings. If you subscribed through Apple, Google, Amazon, or another platform, you cancel through that platform instead — Microsoft cannot cancel a subscription you never paid them for. The fastest way to know which one you have is to check your credit card or bank statement and see who actually charged you.

The most common Microsoft subscriptions are Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365), Xbox Game Pass, and OneDrive storage. Each one cancels the same way if you paid Microsoft directly, but the steps look slightly different depending on which product you're in. Game Pass for console cancels through your Xbox account, while Game Pass for PC cancels through your Microsoft account on a computer.

Key Takeaways

  • Check your bank or credit card statement to see whether Microsoft or a third-party platform (Apple, Google, Amazon) charged you, because you cancel through whoever charged you.
  • If Microsoft charged you directly, sign into your Microsoft account on account.microsoft.com, find the subscription under "Your subscriptions", and select "Manage" or "Cancel subscription".
  • Your access ends on the date your current billing period ends — you do not get a refund for time already paid, but you keep using the service until that date.
  • If you subscribed through Xbox, Apple, Google Play, or Amazon, you must cancel through that platform's settings, not through Microsoft.
  • Cancellation takes effect when ready in your account, but you may see a confirmation email within a few minutes.

Cancel a Microsoft subscription you paid for directly

Go to account.microsoft.com and sign in with the email and password you use for Microsoft. Once you're signed in, look for a section called "Your subscriptions" or "Subscriptions and billing" — the exact name varies depending on what you subscribed to. Click on the subscription you want to cancel.

You will see a "Manage subscription" button or a "Cancel subscription" button. Click it. Microsoft will show you when your current billing period ends and ask you to confirm the cancellation. Select "Cancel subscription" again to finish. You will receive a confirmation email within a few minutes, and your subscription will stop renewing after your current billing period ends.

If you cannot find your subscription on that page, it may be under a different account. Microsoft accounts are tied to email addresses, so if you subscribed with a work email, a school email, or a different personal email than the one you're currently signed in with, you need to sign out and sign in with the correct email address.

Cancel if you subscribed through a third-party platform

If Apple, Google, Amazon, or another platform charged you for a Microsoft subscription, you must cancel through that platform. Microsoft's website cannot cancel a subscription you never paid them for directly.

On iPhone or iPad: Open the Settings app, tap your name at the top, select "Subscriptions", find the Microsoft subscription, and tap "Cancel Subscription". On Android: Open Google Play, tap your profile icon, select "Payments and subscriptions", then "Subscriptions", find the Microsoft subscription, and tap "Cancel". On Amazon: Go to amazon.com, open "Your Account", select "Login & security", scroll to "Subscriptions", find the Microsoft subscription, and click "Cancel subscription". On a Mac or Windows computer: If you subscribed through the Microsoft Store app itself, open the app, go to your account settings, find the subscription, and select "Cancel".

What happens after you cancel

Your subscription stops renewing after your current billing period ends. You keep full access to the service — Microsoft 365, Game Pass, OneDrive, or whatever you subscribed to — until that date arrives. After that date, you lose access. Microsoft does not refund the money you already paid for the current billing period, even if you cancel on the first day.

If you have important files in OneDrive or documents in Microsoft 365, read or save them before your access ends. If you have Game Pass, any games you downloaded through the service will no longer be playable once your subscription ends, though your save files usually stay on your console or computer.

If you cannot find your subscription to cancel

The most common reason is that you are signed into the wrong Microsoft account. Microsoft accounts are email addresses, and if you have more than one email, you may have created the subscription under a different one. Sign out of account.microsoft.com, then sign in again with a different email address you use, and check "Your subscriptions" again.

Another reason is that the subscription may be under a family account or a work account. If someone else in your household set up a Microsoft 365 Family plan and added you to it, the subscription appears under their account, not yours. Ask them to cancel it, or ask them to remove you from the family group so you can manage your own subscription.

If you still cannot find it, check your bank or credit card statement for the exact name of the charge. If it says "Microsoft" or "Xbox", it is a Microsoft subscription and should appear in your account. If it says something else — like "Apple", "Google", or "Amazon" — then you subscribed through that platform and need to cancel there instead.

Cancellation did not go through

If you clicked "Cancel subscription" but the subscription is still charging you, the cancellation may not have saved. Sign back into your account, go to "Your subscriptions", and check the status. If it still shows as active, click "Manage" or "Cancel subscription" again and complete the steps a second time.

If the subscription shows as cancelled in your account but you were still charged, contact Microsoft Support. Go to support.microsoft.com, search for your subscription type (like "Cancel Microsoft 365"), and select the option to chat with support or call. Have your bank statement ready to show the charge date, and Microsoft can investigate whether the cancellation processed correctly or issue a refund if the charge went through after you cancelled.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I get a refund if I cancel in the middle of my billing period?

No. Microsoft does not refund unused time in your current billing period. Your access continues until the end of that period, but you do not get money back. If you were charged in error or the charge went through after you cancelled, contact Microsoft Support with your bank statement.

What happens to my files if I cancel Microsoft 365?

You lose access to edit files in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint online, and you lose cloud storage in OneDrive. read or save any important documents to your computer before your subscription ends. You can still view files you shared with others, but you cannot create or edit new ones.

Can I cancel and resubscribe later?

Yes. You can cancel whenever you want and resubscribe at any time. If you resubscribe to the same product, your account settings and preferences usually stay the same, though any files you did not read will be gone if your OneDrive storage expired.

Why does my subscription still show as active after I cancelled?

It takes a few minutes for the cancellation to process. Refresh your browser or sign out and sign back in to see the updated status. If it still shows as active after an hour, try cancelling again. If it shows as cancelled but you were still charged, contact Microsoft Support.

How do I cancel Game Pass on my Xbox?

On your Xbox console, go to Settings, select "Account", then "Subscriptions", find Game Pass, and select "Manage subscription" or "Cancel subscription". On a computer, sign into your Xbox account at xbox.com, go to your profile, select "Subscriptions", find Game Pass, and click "Cancel".