how to cancel my subscription

Question

My Father (holder of this account) has recently passed away and I need to cancel his account/subscription

Answer 1

Hi, I'm Bernard, a fellow Windows user. I'm happy to help!

If you can log in to your father's account, you may follow the steps provided by Q&A Assist. However, if you do not have access to the account, you may reach Microsoft Accounts and Billing support by following the steps below:

Go to this link: https://support.microsoft.com/home/contact

In the search bar, type in your issue, then hit enter.

Scroll down to the bottom and select the blue button "Contact Support"

 

Answer 2

To cancel a Microsoft 365 or other Microsoft subscription held by someone who has died, the options depend on whether the account credentials are available.

1. If the account credentials are known
   • Sign in with the deceased person’s Microsoft account at the Subscriptions page: https://account.microsoft.com/services.
   • Under Services & subscriptions, locate the Microsoft 365 (or other) subscription.
   • Select Manage.
     • If Turn on recurring billing is shown instead of Manage, the subscription is already set to expire on the date shown and will not be charged again.
   • Select Cancel or Cancel subscription (it may appear as Upgrade or Cancel), then follow the prompts to complete cancellation.
   • For Microsoft 365 consumer subscriptions specifically, the same steps apply via https://account.microsoft.com/services/microsoft365: select Cancel subscription (or Upgrade or Cancel) and confirm I don’t want my subscription.
2. If the account credentials are not known
   • Microsoft generally cannot provide access or make account changes for non‑account holders due to privacy and legal requirements.
   • Official guidance for deceased or incapacitated users states:
     • If the account can be accessed, it can be closed directly by following the “How to close your Microsoft account” steps.
     • If the account cannot be accessed, it will automatically close after two years of inactivity.
   • In this situation, subscriptions can be stopped by working with the bank or card issuer:
     • Cancel the payment method (for example, close the card or revoke authorizations) so that recurring Microsoft charges are declined.
     • This is explicitly recommended when access to the account is not available.
3. If still being charged after cancellation
   • If a cancellation was attempted close to the billing date, a final charge may still appear. Cancellations must be more than two days before the billing date.
   • Check the subscription end date at https://account.microsoft.com/services if access to the account is available.
4. Data and account behavior after cancellation or inactivity
   • For Microsoft 365 consumer subscriptions (Basic, Personal, Family, Premium), when canceled, storage reverts to the free allowance. If usage exceeds the free allowance:
     • New files cannot be uploaded/edited/synced to OneDrive.
     • Outlook.com email cannot be sent or received.
     • After six months, OneDrive and its files may be deleted.
   • For accounts of deceased users where no action is taken, Outlook.com and OneDrive are frozen after about one year of inactivity, and the Microsoft account expires after two years of inactivity.

If access to the account is possible, cancel through the Services & subscriptions page as above. If access is not possible, coordinate with the bank or card issuer to stop payments and allow the account to lapse by inactivity.

---

References:

• Cancel a Microsoft 365 subscription
• Cancel your Microsoft subscription
• Unable to cancel your Microsoft subscription
• Accessing Outlook.com, OneDrive and other Microsoft services when someone has died
• How to get a refund on a Microsoft subscription
• I can't sign in to my Microsoft account
• How to Cancel Microsoft 365 subscription if you do not have account info? Or get anyone to help? - Microsoft Q&A
• How to unsubscribe microsoft 365 account? - Microsoft Q&A
• cancel subscription - Microsoft Q&A
• Request refund - Microsoft Q&A