How to cancel an Office 365 subscription and get a refund

Office 365 is not for everyone. Some people balk at the idea of paying a monthly subscription for an office productivity suite, especially since there are so many great free alternatives. The 7 Best Free Microsoft Office Alternatives The 7 Best Free Microsoft Office Alternatives Microsoft Office is king of the office suites but that doesn't mean it's right for you. Here are other office suites that you might like better! Read More

And even if you want to use Microsoft's famous suite, you may still decide that buying the software with a one-time payment makes more financial sense for your usage patterns.

But just because you signed up for Office 365 once doesn't mean you're stuck with the service forever. You can easily cancel your subscription. Let's see how to cancel your service and what will happen to the applications on your machine.

How to cancel an Office 365 subscription

To cancel your Office 365 subscription, follow the instructions below:

Go to account.microsoft.com/services and enter your login credentials.
In the Services and subscriptions Section, locate your subscription.
Click Manage .
Select Cancel .
In the pop-up box, select Confirm Cancellation .

If you purchased an annual subscription in the last 30 days, or if you have a monthly subscription and cancel within 30 days of your last renewal, you are entitled to a refund.

If you claim a refund, your Office apps will immediately go into reduced-functionality mode. You will still be able to open documents and print them, but you won't be able to edit anything.

If you don't claim a refund, your apps will continue to work until the end of the subscription period you paid for.

Remember, canceling your subscription will mean you'll also lose the other benefits of your Office 365 account, like extra OneDrive storage space and free Skype minutes. Other people you've shared your subscription with will also lose access to your apps and benefits.

For more help determining whether to sign up for Office 365 or pay a one-time fee Office 365 vs. Office 2016:Which is cheaper in the long run? Office 365 vs. Office 2016:Which is cheaper in the long run? Contrary to popular belief, Office 365 is not a greed-driven move to make more money. Office 2016 and Office 365 serve different audiences. We will show you which is the best value for you. Read More