How to create a PW and change credit card

Question

Have spent hours and Microsoft is telling me I don’t have a PW ! Also can’t access my recent Word docs.

Answer 1

Hello RENEE S HARTZ,

You’re likely stuck in account/security state issue. Let me help you further. My suggestion is:

Create / reset password

1. Go to: Microsoft account page
2. Click Sign in
3. Click Forgot password
4. Verify using email / phone code
5. Create a new password
6. Sign in again with that password

If it says you can’t reset > you are in the 30‑day security hold (see Solution 3).

To change / add credit card

1. Go to: Services & subscriptions
2. Sign in with your account
3. Find Microsoft 365 > click Manage
4. Click Change how you pay
5. Choose: existing card OR Add a new payment method
6. Save

Important: If you don’t see “Change how you pay” > recurring billing is OFF or already paid.

I hope this will help with your situation. Please feel free to reach back if you have further update or more questions.

Best Regards,

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Answer 2

To manage both the password and the credit card, the Microsoft account must be accessible first. The same Microsoft account controls sign-in, Office/Microsoft 365 subscription, billing, and access to recent Word documents (if using Microsoft 365 or Office tied to that account).

1. Create or change the Microsoft account password
   • Go to https://account.microsoft.com and sign in with the email address used for Microsoft 365/Office and Word.
   • If sign-in works and a password is already set, change it:
     1. Open the Security page: https://account.microsoft.com/security
     2. Select Change Password.
     3. Enter the current password, then enter and confirm a new password.
     4. Select Save.
   • If Microsoft is saying there is no password (for example, if sign-in is normally done with a passkey, fingerprint, or similar), a password can still be created:
     1. Go to https://account.microsoft.com/security
     2. Go to Advanced security.
     3. Choose Change password or Create password.
     4. Set a new password and save it.
   • If the current password is not known and sign-in fails, use Reset your Microsoft account password from the article linked in the context: Reset your Microsoft account password.
2. Change the credit card on the Microsoft account
   • After successful sign-in at https://account.microsoft.com with the updated/created password, use the Manage account and billing options (from the “Manage account” articles in the context) to update payment methods for the Microsoft 365/Office subscription.
   • Billing and subscription changes require a working sign-in, so the password step must be completed first.
3. Access recent Word documents
   • If Word is part of a Microsoft 365 subscription and the subscription is active under this Microsoft account, Word desktop apps should open normally once signed in.
   • If Word documents are password-protected individually, the document password is separate from the Microsoft account password:
     • On Windows Word: File > Info > Protect Document > Encrypt with Password.
     • If the document password is forgotten, Word cannot recover it. Only an IT admin with the DocRecrypt tool configured before encryption could help, as described in the password-protection article.
   • If a different plan was recently chosen (for example, Microsoft 365 Basic), note that this plan does not include desktop Office apps; only web and mobile versions plus OneDrive storage are available. In that case, desktop Word may stop working and upgrading to a plan with desktop apps (such as Microsoft 365 Personal or Family) is required.

If sign-in, password creation, or billing changes still fail after these steps, contact Microsoft Support using any working Microsoft account (or a newly created one) as described in the Q&A references, and choose the Microsoft 365/Office and “Manage my subscription” or “Manage Account Security” options to reach a support agent.

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References:

• Change your Microsoft account password
• Video: Change your Office for home password
• Change your password in Outlook.com
• Protect a Word document with a password
• I need to speak with a real person and it seems impossible. - Microsoft Q&A
• I am unable to open and create documents - Microsoft Q&A
• Can't add telephone number to my Microsoft 365 account - Microsoft Q&A
• Trying to use an Office365 product key and "getting error PaymentAuthenticationVerificationFailed" - Microsoft Q&A