Unable to cancel Microsoft 365 subscription without account access – need cancellation and refund

Question

Hi,

Our company is still being charged for a Microsoft 365 subscription, but we no longer have access to the account linked to it, so we can’t cancel it through the admin centre.

We’ve tried calling Microsoft support and also tried the online support options, but both seem to require us to sign in first.

We don’t need to recover the old account. We just want to cancel the subscription, stop any future charges, and request a refund for the AUD $179 charge made on 26 August 2026.

We can provide the company and billing details privately if needed.

Could you please advise how we can cancel the subscription and request the refund if we’re unable to sign in to the account?

Thank you for your help.

Answer 1

Hi Lucie

Since you no longer have access to the Microsoft 365 admin account you do not need to regain access to the old account and simply want to stop future charges, you can try to create a new Microsoft 365 trial tenant and use the admin center in that tenant to open a support ticket with Microsoft Support Team.

Note: This method doesn't require you to use your new account for your business. Instead, it just allows you to create a temporary global administrator account so you can submit a support ticket, as your original global administrator account is locked out. The trial account is free for one month. Be sure to delete it after submitting your support request to avoid any automatic renewals or charges from Microsoft.     

When contacting Microsoft Support team, please mention that the tenant associated with the subscription is inaccessible (for example, the admin account is locked out or no longer accessible) and that you do not require account recovery. Your request is solely to stop billing, cancel the subscription, and have the recent charge reviewed.

Please note that Microsoft Support may need to verify that you are authorized to act on behalf of the company before they can discuss the subscription, cancel services, or process any refund request. To help with verification, be prepared to provide information such as the company name, billing contact details, invoice or order information, payment details (where appropriate), and any email addresses that may have been associated with the subscription. The support team will advise what specific information is required during the verification process. They can then review the case and advise on cancellation, stopping future charges, and any refund eligibility.

To create a new trial tenant:

• Go to Microsoft 365 Business Plans and Pricing and click Try for free to set up a temporary Microsoft 365 tenant with a trial license.    
• Use this new account to sign in to the Microsoft 365 Admin Center and submit a support request on behalf of your primary (locked) account.   
• Select the Help & support (headset) icon. If Support Assistant is enabled, turn it off > Type contact support in the search box > Select Contact support, then choose Phone or Email to submit your request.   

For further instructions, you can follow this guide: Get support - Microsoft 365 admin | Microsoft Learn.   

I hope this information helpful.