Cannot access Microsoft 365 admin center for an account nobody has access to since April 2023.

Hi Liam, 

Thank you for reaching out and for taking the time to share the steps you have already tried. Being locked out of the Global Admin account while the subscription continues to charge you is a stressful position to be in, and I want to assure you that this is recoverable. There is a clear path to regain access and stop the charges, and I will walk you through it so you know exactly what to expect at each stage. 

Since the Global Admin account is no longer accessible, the charges cannot be stopped from within the tenant just yet. The recurring billing setting can only be changed once you can sign in with the appropriate administrative permissions, so the priority is to first regain access to the tenant. Once access is restored, the recurring billing option can be turned off in the Microsoft 365 admin center, which will prevent the subscription from renewing and generating further charges. 

With that in mind, here is how to move forward: 

Step 1: Regain access to the tenant 

Contact the Data Protection Team by phone to recover access to the Global Admin account. This team has the tools and processes in place to verify your identity as the tenant owner and restore administrative access when the original credentials or recovery methods are no longer available. You can reach the team through the Global Customer Service line here: Customer service phone numbers - Microsoft Support. 

Please note that forum moderators do not have access to user account settings and cannot assist with logging in, resetting passwords, or changing access rights. While we do not have access to internal systems or administrative tools required to resolve account-specific or backend-related issues, we’ll continue doing our best to support you within the scope of our responsibilities. 

Here are some tips and an example of a prompt to help you navigate the IVR more effectively:       

(When you call the support number, you may hear an introduction of about 30 seconds such as "you can visit the link...". You can ignore this introduction and wait until you are presented with the options. Then press "1" as a business email user, and again "1" for technical help.)     

IVR: What kind of problem are you concerned about?     

You: Lost admin access.     

A: What products do you use?     

You: Office 365 for business.  

Verification: Education or company account?     

You: For companies  

IVR: Are you an administrator?      

You: Yes.  

IVR: Are there any other administrators in your organization?      

You: No.  

IVR: Do you need a... Service request?      

You: Yes. I need to create a ticket. Please send me directly to the Data Protection Team.  

Step 2: Turn off recurring billing 

Once access is restored, you can turn off recurring billing so the payments stop. To do this, please follow these steps: 

• Go to the Microsoft 365 admin center.   
• Go to the Billing > Your products page.  

• Select the subscription that you want to manage.  
• On the subscription details page, select Edit recurring billing.  

• In the Edit recurring billing pane, select Off, then select Save.  

Completing the first step is essential, since the billing setting cannot be reached until administrative access is available again. Once both steps are done, no further charges will be applied for future billing periods. 

I hope this information is helpful. Please follow the steps above and let me know if it works for you. If not, we can continue working together to resolve the issue.  

If you found the response useful, please consider marking it as accepted, as this may help other community members who are looking for similar guidance.  

Thank you for your patience and understanding. I look forward to continuing the conversation.

If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment". 

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