I can't renew my subscription.

Question

I can't renew my subscription.

José Manuel Escobar Orantes 0

I've been trying to renew my 365 personal subscription but it jus can't be done because all I get is a pop up that reads "Things are not working at the moment" please help me get this fixed.

John Jefferson Doyon 86,980 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-08-14T00:06:50.3366667+00:00
Hi, @José Manuel Escobar Orantes

That error can sometimes depend on where the Microsoft 365 subscription was purchased.

To help narrow down the issue:

Was the Microsoft 365 Personal subscription originally purchased directly from Microsoft, or through the Apple App Store?

Where exactly do you see the "Things are not working at the moment" message, in the Microsoft 365 app, Safari, or on your Microsoft account subscription page?

Click "Add comment" to let me know.

Thanks!
José Manuel Escobar Orantes 0 Reputation points

2026-08-14T00:37:59.36+00:00

Hi John, I am from Mexico and the purchase was made in this country through my official microsoft account. I tried to update my subscription from Family to Personal but ended up hitting the "Basic" option a few days prior to my payment day. Then,I got a meesage from Microsoft saying that my card couldn't get through due to insufficient funds. I manually fixed the situation and the payment was made successfully. Soon, I realized that I was not able to get access to any office product; Therefore, I returned to my account to update the subscription and get a Personal 365 but all I got was this error message.

Please let me know if you need further details.
John Jefferson Doyon 86,980 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-08-14T04:20:31.0566667+00:00
Hi,

You don't need to switch to Microsoft 365 Personal just because the Office apps are currently not working.

Please go to https://account.microsoft.com/services and check your Microsoft 365 Family subscription.

To help narrow down the issue:

Does Microsoft 365 Family show as "Active" there?

What exact error message do you see when trying to use Word, Excel, or the other Office apps?

Is this happening only on your iPhone/iPad, or also on another device such as a Windows PC or Mac?

1 answer

Your answer

John Jefferson Doyon 86,980 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-08-14T00:06:50.3366667+00:00

Hi, @José Manuel Escobar Orantes

That error can sometimes depend on where the Microsoft 365 subscription was purchased.

To help narrow down the issue:

Was the Microsoft 365 Personal subscription originally purchased directly from Microsoft, or through the Apple App Store?

Where exactly do you see the "Things are not working at the moment" message, in the Microsoft 365 app, Safari, or on your Microsoft account subscription page?

Click "Add comment" to let me know.

Thanks!
José Manuel Escobar Orantes 0 Reputation points

2026-08-14T00:37:59.36+00:00

Hi John, I am from Mexico and the purchase was made in this country through my official microsoft account. I tried to update my subscription from Family to Personal but ended up hitting the "Basic" option a few days prior to my payment day. Then,I got a meesage from Microsoft saying that my card couldn't get through due to insufficient funds. I manually fixed the situation and the payment was made successfully. Soon, I realized that I was not able to get access to any office product; Therefore, I returned to my account to update the subscription and get a Personal 365 but all I got was this error message.

Please let me know if you need further details.
John Jefferson Doyon 86,980 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-08-14T04:20:31.0566667+00:00

Hi,

You don't need to switch to Microsoft 365 Personal just because the Office apps are currently not working.

Please go to https://account.microsoft.com/services and check your Microsoft 365 Family subscription.

To help narrow down the issue:

Does Microsoft 365 Family show as "Active" there?

What exact error message do you see when trying to use Word, Excel, or the other Office apps?

Is this happening only on your iPhone/iPad, or also on another device such as a Windows PC or Mac?

Answer 1

Check whether the subscription actually renewed:
- Go to your Microsoft account Subscriptions page and sign in with the same Microsoft account used for Microsoft 365.
- If recurring billing is on, the next renewal date should appear.
- If recurring billing is off, the expiration date should appear.
Check the payment method:
- Go to Payment options and sign in with the same Microsoft account.
- If the payment method shows an error, update it.
- This is relevant because the renewal problem can be caused by a declined, expired, or cancelled card.
If Microsoft 365 has already renewed but apps still show renewal notices:
- Close all Microsoft 365 apps.
- Open them again.
- Sign in again with the Microsoft account associated with the subscription if prompted.
If the renewal still will not complete and the site shows "Things are not working at the moment":
- Contact Microsoft Support for help with the renewal error.
- If Microsoft 365 is expired and access is needed right away, use the Microsoft 365 web apps at microsoft365.com in a browser until the renewal issue is resolved.