Billing on a deceased person's account

For a deceased person’s Microsoft account, Microsoft generally cannot give access or make changes for non-account holders because of privacy and legal requirements. The options depend on whether anyone has access to the account and what the goal is (stop billing vs. access data).

1. If someone has the account credentials
   • Sign in to the Microsoft account and follow the steps in How to close your Microsoft account to close it.
   • Closing the account will stop future Microsoft subscriptions billed through that account. Data is retained for 60 days, then the account and its data are permanently deleted.
2. If no one has access to the account and you only need to stop billing
   • Microsoft advises ensuring that any subscriptions are cancelled by working with the bank or card issuer:
     • Close the deceased person’s bank account or credit card, or
     • Revoke authorizations or instruct the bank/card issuer to stop payments to Microsoft.
   • Outlook.com and OneDrive accounts are frozen after one year of inactivity and deleted shortly after; the Microsoft account expires after two years of inactivity.
3. If no one has access but legal access to the account contents is required
   • Access to email/OneDrive content after death is handled through a legal process and varies by region. Details and regional variations are documented here: Accessing Outlook.com, OneDrive and other Microsoft services when someone has died.
   • In some countries (for example, Germany and China) Microsoft may grant access if specific legal documents (death certificate, proof of heirship or close relationship, ID, etc.) are provided as described in the regional variations section.
4. If OneDrive Digital legacy was set up
   • If the deceased person configured OneDrive Digital legacy, the designated contact can access the OneDrive according to that setup.
   • If Digital legacy was not set up, Microsoft is generally unable to provide information or access to non-account holders; use the legal/banking options above.

For cancelling subscriptions where no account access is possible and no regional legal process applies, working with the bank or card issuer to block further Microsoft charges is the primary supported path.

References:

• Accessing Outlook.com, OneDrive and other Microsoft services when someone has died
• Preserve your digital legacy with OneDrive