Double subscription

Question

I am constantly being billed annually for a Microsoft365 family package at £104.99 on our old and now defunked emailaddress of ******@btinternet.com, as it is a card payment subscription it automatically debts the amount. I have just renewed my Microsoft 365 package on ******@sky.com. the card has updated on both accounts which is why I am getting billed twice. I have gone into my account and found the discrepency but I'm unable to cancel the card on the old unused account. Can you cancel the Microsoft365 family subscription.

Richard Ingham UK

Answer 1

Hey there! Nice to meet you!

Please be advised that unless the account owner is able to access the account, subscription cancellation is not possible, and Microsoft personnel cannot retrieve this information.

Since you mentioned: "old and now defunked emailaddress" if you are no longer able to recover your account, you will need to reach out directly to your bank and request to freeze all charges from Microsoft, cancelling the subscription on its renewal in the process.

Then you will also need to request a new payment method from your bank.

Thank you for your understanding.

Best regards,

Darhyl

Answer 2

To stop being billed twice, the unused Microsoft 365 Family subscription on the old btinternet.com account must be cancelled from that account, or the payment method must be blocked at the bank/card level.

Because sign-in and card removal on the old account are not working in this scenario, the practical options are:

1. Cancel via Microsoft account (if you can still sign in)
   1. Go to https://account.microsoft.com/services.
   2. Sign in with the old btinternet.com Microsoft account (the one that is being billed £104.99).
   3. Find the Microsoft 365 Family subscription.
   4. Select Manage or Cancel subscription / Upgrade or Cancel and follow the prompts to cancel recurring billing.
   5. If you see Turn on recurring billing instead of Manage/Cancel, the subscription is already set to expire and will not be billed again.
2. If you cannot access the old account reliably
   • Microsoft will not cancel a subscription on an account that cannot be verified for security reasons. In that case, the recommended route is to stop the payment at the card issuer or bank:
     • Contact the bank/credit card provider that is being charged £104.99.
     • Ask them to block further recurring payments to Microsoft for that old subscription or to replace the card if necessary.
   • This is explicitly suggested when account ownership or access cannot be established.
3. Check for duplicate/close-together charges
   • Review order history and bank statements to confirm which charges belong to which account and ensure there are truly duplicate/overlapping payments. Use the guidance in the “I’ve been charged twice” article to compare:
     • If Microsoft could not take payment earlier, a “late” payment and the next “on time” payment can appear close together.
     • Multiple subscriptions or multiple accounts using the same card can also cause what looks like double billing.
4. If needed, investigate other accounts using the same card
   • Sign in to the Microsoft account that is currently accessible and go to Payment options.
   • Use Investigate to search for other Microsoft accounts using the same card. This can help confirm which account is tied to the unwanted Family subscription.
5. Refund considerations
   • After cancelling, if a recent unwanted renewal was charged, review the refund guidance for Microsoft subscriptions. Depending on timing and region, a prorated or full refund may be available.

If none of the above works because the old account cannot be accessed at all and Microsoft support cannot verify ownership, the only reliable way to stop future charges is through the bank/card issuer.

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References:

• Cancel a Microsoft 365 subscription
• I've been charged twice
• How to get a refund on a Microsoft subscription
• Unable to cancel your Microsoft subscription
• How to Cancel Microsoft 365 subscription if you do not have account info? Or get anyone to help? - Microsoft Q&A
• i have been charged twice - Microsoft Q&A
• Have been billed multiple times on multiple charge cards for renewal - Microsoft Q&A
• cancel subscription - Microsoft Q&A
• Request refund - Microsoft Q&A