How to Cancel Microsoft 365 in 2026
To cancel Microsoft 365, sign in at account.microsoft.com/services, select Manage on your subscription, and choose Cancel or Turn off recurring billing. That stops the next charge, and you keep access until the expiry date shown on the page. If you bought Microsoft 365 through the Apple App Store or Google Play, you cancel in that store instead, because Microsoft cannot stop those charges.
Short answer: account.microsoft.com/services, Manage, Turn off recurring billing, confirm. Store-billed subscriptions cancel in the store. Access runs to the expiry date.
Last updated: June 2026
Microsoft 365 (the old Office) does not have one big red "cancel" button. What you actually do is turn off recurring billing so it stops charging you. Your account keeps working until the paid period runs out. Here is exactly where the setting lives, plus the billing trap that catches people who bought it on a phone.
Where is the cancel button for Microsoft 365?
It is not in Word, Excel, or any app. It is not in the Microsoft 365 app on your phone. The setting lives in your web account, at account.microsoft.com/services, under Services & subscriptions. People dig through the apps looking for it and never find it, because it was never there. Depending on your subscription, the button reads Cancel, Turn off recurring billing, or Upgrade or Cancel. They all do the same core job: stop the renewal.
How do I cancel Microsoft 365 if I bought it directly from Microsoft?
This is for a personal or Family subscription you bought on microsoft.com with a card or PayPal. If you paid through an app store or got a key from a retailer, skip to the next section.
- Go to account.microsoft.com/services and sign in with the same Microsoft account you used to buy the subscription.
- Find your Microsoft 365 subscription and select Manage.
- Select Turn off recurring billing (or Cancel, depending on your plan).
- Read the on-page explanation, then scroll down and choose I don't want my subscription. If you change your mind, I want to keep my benefits backs you out.
- The status should flip so it now shows an expiry date with no future charge. You should get a confirmation email.
No confirmation email and no "expires on" date means it did not go through. Do it again. Screenshot the confirmation so you have proof of the date you cancelled.
How do I cancel Microsoft 365 bought through the App Store or Google Play?
This is the buried detail that costs people money. If you subscribed through the Apple App Store or Google Play, that store is the one charging you, not Microsoft. Turning off recurring billing in your Microsoft account will not stop those charges. Microsoft says so directly: for store-bought subscriptions, you contact that store to cancel. You have to cancel where you pay.
Apple App Store (iPhone or iPad)
- Open Settings and tap your name at the top.
- Tap Subscriptions.
- Tap Microsoft 365, then Cancel Subscription.
Google Play (Android)
- Open the Google Play app and tap your profile icon.
- Tap Payments & subscriptions, then Subscriptions.
- Tap Microsoft 365, then Cancel subscription.
Not sure who bills you? Check your card or PayPal statement. A charge from "Apple.com/Bill" or "Google" means the store owns the billing. A charge from "Microsoft" means you cancel in your Microsoft account. If you bought a boxed key or a code from a retailer like Best Buy or Amazon, that was usually a one-time purchase that expires on its own, so there may be nothing to cancel, but confirm on the services page.
How do I cancel a Microsoft 365 business subscription?
Business plans do not live on the personal account page. Sign in to the Microsoft 365 admin center at admin.microsoft.com. In Simplified view, select Subscriptions. In Dashboard view, go to Billing > Your products. Pick the subscription, then under Subscription status, select Cancel subscription. You need admin rights to do this.
Do I keep access after I cancel Microsoft 365?
Yes. Turning off recurring billing stops the next payment. It does not cut you off right away. Microsoft's own wording is that you and anyone you shared a Family subscription with can keep using it as normal until the expiry date. So there is no reason to wait until the last day. Turn off recurring billing the moment you decide, then keep using the apps until they lapse on their own. After it expires, the apps drop to read-only or a free tier and your OneDrive storage shrinks back to the free amount, so move your files off before then.
What is the deadline to avoid the next Microsoft 365 charge?
Recurring billing fires on your renewal date, which is the day your current term ends. Cancel before that date and the next charge does not happen. Cancel after it and you have already been billed for the new year or month. Find your renewal date on the Services & subscriptions page and turn off recurring billing at least a day ahead to be safe. Annual plans are easy to forget, so do it as soon as you decide, not when the reminder email lands.
Can I get a refund from Microsoft 365?
Maybe, but do not count on it in the United States. Microsoft checks refund eligibility during the cancellation flow itself, so cancel first and see what it offers you. A few countries get automatic prorated refunds, including Canada, Germany, and the Netherlands. The United States is not on that list, so a US renewal you forgot about may not be refundable through Microsoft. Where you bought it changes who pays you back:
- Direct from Microsoft: cancel at account.microsoft.com/services and check whether the page offers a refund. If it does not, you can still contact Microsoft support and ask.
- Apple App Store: Microsoft cannot refund Apple purchases. Request the refund from Apple.
- Google Play: request it through Google Play's refund process.
- Retailer or partner: contact that seller directly.
Terms change, and Microsoft does not publish a fixed day-count refund window for renewals, so confirm the current policy on Microsoft's site before you count on any of this. If a charge lands after you cancelled, or a promised refund never shows up, you can also dispute the credit card charge with your bank. If you already asked and got a flat no, here is what to do when a company will not refund you.
Cancel Microsoft 365: your options compared
| Method | Effort | Best for | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| account.microsoft.com/services, Manage | A few minutes | Personal or Family, bought direct | Recurring billing off, access to the expiry date |
| Apple or Google store settings | A few minutes | Anyone billed through an app store | Store subscription cancelled, access to period end |
| Microsoft 365 admin center | A few minutes | Business plan admins | Subscription cancelled from Billing > Your products |
| Put Karen on it | One click | People who want it handled and hate the retention prompts | Karen files the cancellation and any refund request for you. The outcome depends on Microsoft's terms and is not guaranteed. |
Common questions
Does Microsoft 365 have a cancel button in the app?
No. The apps have no cancel option. You turn off recurring billing in your web account at account.microsoft.com/services under Services & subscriptions, or in your app store if that store bills you.
Will I lose access to Word and Excel as soon as I cancel?
No. Cancelling stops the next charge. Your Microsoft 365 apps keep working until the expiry date shown on your account page. After that they drop to read-only or a free tier.
Why is turning off recurring billing in my Microsoft account not stopping the charges?
You most likely subscribed through the Apple App Store or Google Play. Those stores handle the billing, so you have to cancel inside that store, not in your Microsoft account. Check your statement for an "Apple.com/Bill" or "Google" charge to confirm.
Can I get my money back for a Microsoft 365 renewal I forgot about?
Maybe not in the United States, which is not on Microsoft's prorated-refund list. Cancel first, since the page checks eligibility as you go, then ask Microsoft support. If you get nowhere, you can dispute the charge with your bank.
How do I cancel a Microsoft 365 business subscription?
Sign in to the Microsoft 365 admin center at admin.microsoft.com, go to Subscriptions, or Billing then Your products, pick the plan, and select Cancel subscription. You need admin rights.
Skip the login hunt and the "are you sure" prompts. Karen finds where Microsoft 365 is billing you, turns off the renewal, and files the refund request if you qualify. Put Karen on it.
Cancelling something else too? See the full how to cancel guide, or the cancel steps for Adobe and Dropbox.