recurring Microsoft subscription being charged to my credit card every month

Tracy B 0 Reputation points
2026-08-06T15:57:27.1666667+00:00

I am extremely frustrated and hoping someone can help.

I have a recurring Microsoft subscription being charged to my credit card every month. I believe it may belong to one of my sons from when they were in college or using Xbox, but I do not know which Microsoft account or email address is associated with the subscription.

The problem is that every support option requires me to sign in to the Microsoft account that owns the subscription. I can't do that because I don't know which account it is. I only know that my credit card is being charged.

Both of my sons have signed into their current Microsoft accounts, and neither of them shows an active Microsoft 365 subscription. That makes me think the subscription may be tied to an old email address or Microsoft account that is no longer being used.

I am not asking for access to someone else's account. I am simply asking Microsoft to identify the email address associated with the recurring charge on my credit card so I can contact my son and have him either transfer the payment method or cancel the subscription.

If Microsoft cannot identify the subscription from the payment information, then my only option will be to dispute the recurring charges with my credit card company. I would prefer not to do that, but after spending a significant amount of time trying to get help, I have been sent in circles through sign-in pages and community forums instead of reaching someone in billing.

Can someone from Microsoft's billing team please help identify the account associated with the recurring charge or advise me on the proper process to resolve this? This should be a straightforward billing issue, but it has been nearly impossible to get assistance. I simply want to stop paying for a subscription that I cannot identify.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Subscription, account, billing | Other | Other
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  1. AI answer

    2026-08-06T15:57:52.1266667+00:00

    The supported path is to investigate the charge from the payment side first, then cancel if the subscription is found.

    1. Go to the Manage your payments page of the Microsoft account dashboard and select Investigate.
      • This is the Microsoft-supported flow for unrecognized charges.
      • Common causes include a subscription with recurring billing enabled, a family member purchase, a previously declined charge being retried, a pre-order or split order, or an in-app purchase.
    2. Check any other Microsoft accounts that may have been used in the past.
      • The accepted guidance for this scenario is that the charge may be tied to a different Microsoft account than the ones already checked.
      • Since both sons already checked their current accounts and no Microsoft 365 subscription appears, focus on older or unused Microsoft accounts.
    3. Ask family members who may have used the card.
      • Microsoft’s billing guidance specifically lists purchases by someone known to the cardholder, such as a family member, as a common cause.
    4. If the subscription is identified, cancel it from the purchasing account.
      • Go to the Microsoft 365 services page.
      • Sign in with the same Microsoft account that purchased the subscription.
      • Find the subscription, select Manage, then select Cancel.
      • If Turn on recurring billing appears instead of Manage or Cancel, the subscription is already set to expire and will not renew.
    5. If the charge still cannot be matched to any Microsoft account, contact Microsoft Support through Get Help / Contact Support for billing assistance.
      • For account and subscription help, use Account & Billing Help.
      • For technical routing, go to Contact Microsoft Support, enter the problem, select Get Help, and if needed select Contact Support.
    6. If Microsoft Support cannot locate the transaction in any account, dispute the charge with the card issuer.
      • Similar accepted guidance for this exact scenario recommends contacting the financial institution directly when the charge cannot be found in any Microsoft account.
      • Blocking the recurring charge or replacing the card may also be necessary if the issuer treats it as unauthorized.
    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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