Can I get a refund when canceling Microsoft 365?

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.

What happens to my files when I cancel Microsoft 365?

For Personal plans, OneDrive storage drops to 5GB. Files exceeding this become read-only during a grace period before deletion. For Business plans, user access ends immediately but admins retain data access for 90 days to export files before permanent deletion.

Can I keep using Office apps after canceling?

No, Office apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) enter reduced functionality mode after cancellation. You can view and print documents but cannot edit them. The apps remain installed but require a valid subscription to edit files.

How do I turn off auto-renewal instead of canceling immediately?

Go to account.microsoft.com/services for Personal/Family plans or the M365 Admin Center for Business plans. Select your subscription and choose 'Turn off recurring billing'. Your subscription remains active until the current billing period ends with no future charges.

What if I bought Microsoft 365 through a third party?

If you purchased through Apple App Store, Google Play, Amazon, or a reseller, you must cancel through that provider's subscription management. Microsoft cannot process cancellations for third-party purchases. Check your email receipts to identify where you purchased.

Do I lose my Outlook email address if I cancel?

For Personal plans using Outlook.com, Hotmail, or Live email addresses, your email account remains free and active after canceling Microsoft 365. For Business plans with custom domains, you must migrate email to another provider before the 90-day data retention period ends.

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

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

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

Refund Policy (Personal/Family)

Timing	Refund
Within 30 days of purchase/renewal	Full refund available
After 30 days	No refund, access continues until term ends

Cancel Microsoft 365 Business

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

Refund Policy (Business)

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