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How to Cancel Microsoft 365 Subscription (Personal, Family & Business)

Learn how to cancel Microsoft 365 subscription for Personal, Family, and Business plans. Understand refund policies, data retention, and what happens after cancellation.

5 min readUpdated January 2025

Need to cancel your Microsoft 365 subscription? The process differs between Personal/Family and Business plans. This guide covers cancellation steps, refund policies, and what happens to your data.

Before You Cancel

  • Back up your data: Download OneDrive files and export Outlook emails
  • Check remaining time: Consider turning off auto-renewal instead
  • Verify admin status: Business plans require Global Admin or Billing Admin role

Cancel Microsoft 365 Personal or Family

  1. Sign in to account.microsoft.com/services
  2. Find your Microsoft 365 subscription
  3. Click Manage
  4. Select Cancel subscription
    • Or choose Turn off recurring billing to keep access until expiration
  5. Follow the prompts to confirm

Refund Policy (Personal/Family)

TimingRefund
Within 30 days of purchase/renewalFull refund available
After 30 daysNo refund, access continues until term ends

Cancel Microsoft 365 Business

  1. Sign in to admin.microsoft.com as an admin
  2. Go to Billing > Your products
  3. Find the subscription to cancel
  4. Click the three dots (...) or subscription details
  5. Select Cancel subscription
  6. Provide a reason (optional)
  7. Confirm cancellation

Refund Policy (Business)

Plan TypePolicy
Monthly billingCancel anytime, no penalty
Annual billing (within 7 days)Prorated refund typically available
Annual billing (after 7 days)Early termination fees may apply

What Happens After Cancellation

Personal/Family Plans

ServiceAfter Cancellation
OneDriveStorage drops to 5GB free tier
Office appsRead-only mode (view/print only)
Outlook.com emailRemains active (free)

Business Plans

ServiceAfter Cancellation
User accessEnds immediately
Admin data access90-day retention for export
After 90 daysPermanent data deletion

Turn Off Recurring Billing Instead

If you want to keep access until your current term ends without future charges:

Personal/Family

  1. Go to account.microsoft.com/services
  2. Click Manage on your subscription
  3. Select Turn off recurring billing

Business

  1. Go to Admin Center > Billing > Your products
  2. Select the subscription
  3. Click Edit recurring billing
  4. Turn it Off

Third-Party Purchases

If you bought Microsoft 365 through a third party, cancel through them:

  • Apple App Store: iPhone Settings > Apple ID > Subscriptions
  • Google Play: Play Store > Profile > Payments & subscriptions
  • Amazon: Amazon account > Your Subscriptions
  • Reseller: Contact the reseller directly

Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers to common questions

For Personal and Family plans, you can typically get a refund if you cancel within 30 days of purchase or renewal. For Business plans, refunds depend on your billing term - monthly subscriptions have no penalty, while annual plans may have early termination fees or a 7-day refund window.

Need Professional Help?

Our team of experts can help you implement and configure these solutions for your organization.