Change Current Subscription

Question

I was just charged for Microsoft F and do not need it. I have signed up for Microsoft Personal for next year. I do not have family that I would need to share the Microsoft F(I am a widow and live alone) with and would like this current subscription changed to the less costly subscription. Can I do this. The charge went on my credit card yesterday and I have been trying to change it since yesterday.

Answer 1

Hi, I'm John! I will help you with this.

Just to confirm, do you see both Microsoft 365 Family and Microsoft 365 Personal listed under your Microsoft account subscriptions?

Please sign in to your Microsoft account and check the Services & subscriptions page: https://account.microsoft.com/services

If the Family subscription was renewed only yesterday, there may still be options available depending on its status and your region.

Can you let me know:

1. Is the Microsoft 365 Family subscription showing as active right now?
2. Did you purchase the Microsoft 365 Personal subscription separately, or was it a plan change from the Family subscription?
3. Was the Family subscription charged through Microsoft directly or through a third-party retailer?

With that information, I can provide more specific guidance.

Answer 2

Yes, switching from Microsoft 365 Family (or Family/Premium) to a less costly Microsoft 365 Personal–type subscription is supported.

Key points and actions:

1. Confirm which subscription is active and just charged
   • Go to https://account.microsoft.com/services and sign in with the Microsoft account used for the subscription.
   • Locate the Microsoft 365 subscription that was just charged (for example, Microsoft 365 Family).
   • Select Manage to view its details (plan, renewal date, recurring billing status).
2. Switch to a different Microsoft 365 subscription
   • From the same Manage page, use the option to switch plans as described in the “Switch between Microsoft 365 subscriptions” guidance.
   • This allows changing from Microsoft 365 Family to another Microsoft 365 for home subscription (such as Personal or Premium) depending on what is available in the region.
   • For consumer subscriptions, the supported path is described in the “Switch between Microsoft 365 subscriptions” article: it covers switching between Microsoft 365 Premium, Personal, Family, and Basic.
3. If the subscription was purchased through a third party
   • If the Family subscription was bought via a third-party billing partner (Apple App Store, Google Play, or a retailer), subscription management (cancelling, renewing, switching plans) must be done with that partner.
   • In that case, go to account.microsoft.com/services, select Manage for the subscription, and follow the instructions or contact the third party as indicated.
4. About the charge that posted yesterday
   • The documentation does not specify refund rules for switching plans, but it does support switching between Microsoft 365 subscriptions.
   • If a refund or billing adjustment is needed for the recent Family charge, contact Microsoft Support or, if applicable, the third-party billing partner to review options.
5. Ensure only the desired subscription renews going forward
   • After switching or setting up Microsoft 365 Personal for next year, verify in https://account.microsoft.com/services that:
     • The unwanted Family subscription is either switched, cancelled, or has recurring billing turned off (so it will not renew again).
     • The preferred Personal subscription is the one with recurring billing enabled (if ongoing renewal is desired).

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References:

• Switch between Microsoft 365 subscriptions
• Change your Microsoft subscription payment method and options
• Turn recurring billing on or off for a Microsoft subscription