Hotmail yearly subscription payment

Question

I have used Hotmail for20 years but since last 3 years it asks me to pay a subscription fee every year. I just checked and there is enough storage. How do I avoid this charge?

thanks

dhiren

Answer 1

Outlook.com (Hotmail) can be used for free, but some features and higher storage limits require a paid Microsoft 365 subscription. To avoid the yearly charge, the subscription’s recurring billing must be turned off or the subscription canceled.

To stop future yearly charges for a Microsoft subscription with recurring billing:

1. Go to the Services & subscriptions page: https://account.microsoft.com/services and sign in with the Microsoft account used for Hotmail/Outlook.com.
2. In the list of subscriptions, find the Microsoft 365 (or other) subscription that is being charged yearly.
3. Select Manage.
4. From there, either:
   • Turn off recurring billing, or
   • Cancel the subscription (if the option is available).

If Change how you pay or cancellation options are not visible, it may mean recurring billing is already off and the subscription will end when the current period expires.

Note that upgrading to Microsoft 365 is what provides the larger Outlook.com mailbox (up to 100 GB), ad‑free inbox, and advanced email security. Without the subscription, Outlook.com continues to work as a free email service but without those premium benefits.

---

References:

• Change your Microsoft subscription payment method and options
• Premium features in Outlook.com for Microsoft 365 subscribers
• Storage limits in Outlook.com