I bought Microsoft Office but can't activate my account

Try these steps in order:

1. Confirm the account used to buy Office
   • Go to the Microsoft account Services & subscriptions page: https://account.microsoft.com/services
   • Sign in with each personal email address that might have been used to purchase Office.
   • Verify that the Office product (for example, Microsoft 365, Office 2021, Office 2019, or Office for Home and Business) appears in the list.
   • If the product is not listed for that email, that account cannot be used to activate Office.
2. If Office was bought with a product key (card/box or online store)
   • If Office was bought from a physical retail store, use the product key that came in the packaging.
   • If it was bought from an online retailer, check the email receipt for the product key.
   • Redeem the key following the steps in Redeem a product key to activate Microsoft 365 or Office. During redemption, sign in with the Microsoft account that will be associated with Office.
   • After the key is redeemed once, use the associated Microsoft account (not the key) to install and activate Office.
3. If Office was bought directly from the Microsoft Store
   • Sign in to the Microsoft Store with the same Microsoft account used at purchase.
   • That account is automatically associated with Office.
   • If installation fails because the redemption step was missed, follow I just bought Office. Where do I enter my product key? to complete redemption, then install again from the Services & subscriptions page.
4. Activate Office using the Microsoft account (not the key)
   • Open any Office app (Word, Excel, etc.).
   • When prompted to activate, choose Sign in and enter the Microsoft account confirmed in step 1.
   • Do not enter the product key again if it has already been redeemed; activation is done by signing in.
5. If Office shows “Unlicensed” or similar activation errors
   • Make sure the subscription is active on the Services & subscriptions page.
   • Sign out of Office apps, then sign back in with the correct Microsoft account.
   • Check that there are not multiple conflicting Office installations on the device; if there are, uninstall the ones not associated with the account.
6. If someone else installed Office or shared a subscription
   • If using Microsoft 365 Family that someone shared, use the Microsoft account that received the sharing email or text when installing.
   • If someone else installed Office using their own account and that account is now tied to the product, contact Microsoft Support with proof of purchase to correct the association.

If these steps are followed and the product still cannot be activated, contact Microsoft Support and provide proof of purchase so they can review the license and account association.

References:

• Why do I need an account to sign in to Microsoft 365 or Office?
• Unlicensed Product and activation errors in Office
• "This product key has already been used" error in Office