Unauthorized Charge

Question

I need help with an unauthorized charge (xbox subscription) on my bank account. I have no idea where this is coming from - checked both accounts and there is no subscription.

Answer 1

Hello Karen Meaney,

Thank you for posting on Microsoft Q&A forum

I can see that you need help with an unauthorized charge (xbox subscription) on your bank account and you have no idea where this charge is coming from.

Since Q&A assist already provide several methods you can use to investigate the unknown charge and protect your account, I would like to add a detail step to contact Microsoft Support in case you need further assistance with this issue:

1. Open a website link - Contact - Microsoft Support 
2. In the box below "We're here to help", type Microsoft 365, click "Get Help", and then click "Contact Support" below. 
3. In this section, you will need to sign in to your Microsoft account. 
4. Select "Microsoft 365 and Office" under Products & Services, select "Manage my Subscription" as the category, and click to confirm 
5. You can select " Chat with a support agent in your web browser " to access the chat window. 

I hope you can get the support you need, have a nice day.

Answer 2

Follow these steps to investigate and dispute the unauthorized Xbox subscription charge:

1. Check what the charge is for
   • Go to the Manage your payments page of the Microsoft account dashboard that might be associated with the card.
   • Select Investigate next to the unrecognized charge if it appears. This helps identify whether it is a subscription, in-app purchase, or something bought by someone else using the card.
   • If there are multiple Microsoft accounts in the household, repeat this check for each account.
2. Review order and subscription history
   • Sign in to account.microsoft.com/billing and check Payment & billing > Order history for any Xbox or Microsoft Store purchases with status Completed or Redeemed.
   • Also review the Services & subscriptions page to see if any active or past subscriptions could match the charge.
3. If the charge is accidental or unauthorized
   • For accidental or unauthorized purchases, use the refund process described in Returning items you bought from Microsoft for exchange or refund.
   • If someone else in the family may have used the card, review guidance to Keep track of your child's Microsoft Store purchases and set up spending controls.
4. If the charge truly does not belong to any of your accounts
   • Use the steps in How to investigate a billing charge from Microsoft to rule out:
     • Recurring billing on a subscription
     • Purchases by a family member
     • Previously declined or delayed charges
     • In-app purchases
   • If the charge still cannot be matched to any Microsoft account or order after following the investigation steps, contact the bank or card issuer to dispute the transaction as a fraudulent or unauthorized charge. This may result in a chargeback.
5. Protect the account and prevent future unauthorized Xbox purchases
   • If there is any suspicion that a Microsoft account was compromised, follow the steps in How to recover a hacked or compromised Microsoft account and How to help protect your Microsoft account.
   • On Xbox consoles, require a passkey for every purchase to prevent unauthorized Xbox subscription or in-game charges:
     1. Press the Xbox button.
     2. Go to System > Settings > Account > Sign-in, security & passkey.
     3. Select Change my sign-in & security preferences.
     4. Choose Customize.
     5. Select Ask for my passkey to make purchases and set Passkey required.
6. If support assistance is needed
   • If the online tools do not resolve the issue or the charge cannot be identified, contact Microsoft Support for billing help as described in the Q&A guidance. If Microsoft and the bank both confirm the charge is unauthorized, the bank may block the card and issue a new one.

---

References:

• How to investigate a billing charge from Microsoft
• Cancel an order or pre-order from Microsoft Store
• Prevent unauthorized purchases from Microsoft Store
• View your Microsoft Store order history
• What is a chargeback?
• Cancel a monthly charge on my visa credit card - Microsoft Q&A
• Fraud Charges - Microsoft Q&A
• investigate a billing charge - Microsoft Q&A
• Can I speak to someone? -- Billing issues - Microsoft Q&A
• fraud charges on microsoft account - Microsoft Q&A