July 29th 2009 7:18 pm PT

How to turn off Xbox LIVE account Auto Renewal

Update: This feature may not be available in all Xbox LIVE regions.

Each year that your Xbox LIVE membership needs to be renewed and you have a credit card on file with us, we automatically renew the account. We’ve heard from some members that, for a variety of reasons, they’d like the option to turn this off. I am going to show you how to do this in a few easy steps.

Sign in to Xbox.com and go to the My Account section.
Click the Membership level link on the left.
You’ll see a page that has your Membership level, and the end date. Under that, you’ll see your “Automatic Renewal” status.
If it reads ON (like the screenshot above) You can click the ON link and you’ll be brought to next page that will let you switch it on or off. (screenshot)
Make your selection, then click next.
You’ll be returned to your Membership level page, where you can confirm your selection (screenshot)

Hopefully, that will help

Update: This feature may not be available in all Xbox LIVE regions.

Archive By Larry Hryb, Xbox LIVE's Major Nelson

permalink: http://majornelson.com/2009/07/29/how-to-turn-off-xbox-live-account-auto-renewal/

L31GHS

nice thanks.
halo3dog

Awesome I’ve been wondering how todo this
Zeebruh

Thank you very much for this tip!
Sirius389

Awesome Thanks!
DarkEquitus

Sweet
JohnnyricoMC

I came across that a month or 2 ago, wrote a quick tut and was told by people that it didn’t work.
I gave up hope after that, I guessed the helpdesk would just have to keep on doing the dirty work :-/
IconicSoulJA

Wow. Finally a Xbox 101 that I didn’t know. Thanks. Although I don’t use my Credit Card. I use Subscription only!
Anonymous

Wow, never knew about that. Thanks~
IconicSoulJA

Now could you tell us how to sign into LIVE offline INSTANTLY. I do not mean sign in then go offline. I mean sign in offline instantly.
IconicSoulJA

Wow Major 2012. Really. I guess you also think the world’s going to end so you decided renewing is futile.
NBA Kirkland

That part worked but it still wouldn’t let me remove my credit card from my account. It says there is an outstanding balance which is ridiculous because my Xbox LIVE doesn’t expire until Nov. 2011.
DubbeL FriSSS

Me too, we don’t have netflix so I also don’t need one for that,

And I’m Dutch as you can see why we getting German E-Mails ?? I poorly understands what there is standing, English would be better then choosing the German Language for us, a lot of people still hate German because of WWII
Zacabeb

@IconicSoulJA: If you disable auto sign-in for your primary account, you can go to the Account blade in the Xbox Guide and select to appear offline from within there before you log in on Xbox LIVE.
P00K

@IconicSoulJA:
.
Major’s covered this before and online in videos.
.
- Turn off Auto-sign in.
- Start your Xbox, then go to the guide and set your status to “Appear Offline”.
- Now, sign in.
.
An alternative is to edit your privacy settings to block everyone from seeing your online status. Then even with auto-sign in nobody can see that you’re online.
.
(The exception is if you’re in a party, the people in your party can see you)
Shafnitz

So this feature must have just been added to Xbox.com. I got my wife the $1 Silver to Gold upgrade last month and when I went to cancel it last week, I was forced to call Support. The ON link in the screenshot wasn’t clickable a week ago. Glad it’s finally an option. Keep the improvements coming!
Glossophobia

Finally! My prays have been answered No more call centers!
I Famicom I

Seriously though, 50 dollars for a year?
In Sweden we have to pay 600 SEK. Which is 80 dollars !!

That’s not fair.
Shonk

Gold Member since: 11/06/2009
End date: 02/10/2011
Automatic renewal: OFF

Why does it keep reseting the member since date every time you add a code
i have been a member since 2005 not 11/06/2009
Swamp Thing 71

I did this, but I still can’t remove my credit card info.
Shonk

yes this is a new addon
get in quick to disable auto renewal
i have been trying to get my cc and auto renewal removed
for about 2 years

in the past it wasnt clickable
and you just had to go on a promise by xbox support that it would disable in 2011 in my case

the last time i tried was about a month ago and it wasnt clickable for sure
P00K

@Shonk: I wonder that too. I’ve been a live member since the very beginning, I’m wondering if the little gold badge with the new update is going to reflect that.
Shonk

This payment option cannot be removed at this time. Go to the Payment method information page to view services associated with this payment option.

paid up until 10/2011 on codes

why does microsoft insist on keeping a cc on account
even though its expired

it is well known that microsoft has been sucessfull in taking cash from
expired cc’s
II EV0L 0NE II

WOW I never knew that thanks Major!!
Freaky Priest

By the way, why is it 49.99 $ in the US and 59.99 € in Germany when 49.99 & equals 35,6257127 € ???
lie07

let say i turned it off and i have MS Point on my account, if i renew with new code will i loose my MS Points or no?
JamesFitz

Gold Member since: 09/02/2008

Haha thats funny because i’ve been gold member since 26/12/2007
Shafnitz

@lie07 No, if you don’t renew, you’ll simply fall back to Silver. You won’t lose any MS points on your account.
WinterSnowblind

I was trying this just later today and I can assure you all that this did not work! Was this just recently added? Very glad to see it though, forcing people to call up was very annoying, it’s a nightmare to convince those people you want to cancel it.. So thanks!
Joergen8

Sweet! I’ve been wanting this since I realised that using my credit card to order live gold costs me in excess of 20e a year extra compared to deals on redeemable cards.

Additionally, not updating your credit card did not and does not CANCEL your live subscription, but freezes your live account which is held hostage until you renew your credit card and pay up. That is HIGHLY QUESTIONABLE.

Finally we can at least automatically cancel the subscription at the end of the cycle.
JamesFitz

Gold Member since: 09/02/2008

Haha thats funny because i’ve been gold member since 26/12/2006*
Shonk

if auto renew is on
even if the cc is expired they try to bill you
and if they cant get the cash
you go into debt with microsoft
they suspend your account and wont turn in to silver until
you pay the debt

I cant see me ever not having gold but
i dont trust microsoft as far as i can throw them
with my cc data

simply for the way they hold onto them like someone hanging off a cliff
and also in the past the inability to turn auto renew off

also why would i pay £39.99 for live
when i can get it for £20 on the net in codes
IconicSoulJA

Credit Cards + LIVE = FAIL + CALLING XBOX LIVE SUPPORT! I do not recommend it.
AutomaticOcelot

Woohoooo! Thank you Larry, this is a great new feature. You just saved me another awkward call to a friendly support rep. I just wanted to switch from CC to using my collection of cards.

Much appreciated. Long time coming.
Shonk

@ Joergen8

my feelings exactly

its good that major has pointed out this is now working for a limited time only!!
until microsoft realise everyone is turning it off
and they wont be able to hold accounts hostage anymore
to extort another year out of users not wanting gold anymore

it would be even better if major could follow up with the cc problem
Joergen8

Oh yes, and having to pay 59.99€ for something that the yanks get for 49.99$ or 35€ is OUTRAGEOUS. But I suppose somebody has to pay for the hole you people left in the world economy.
IconicSoulJA

@Zacabeb @P00K I guess you guys don’t know what INSTANTLY really means. When I say instantly, I mean sign into my Xbox LIVE account but set offline. You know when you set your IM client to keep you offline until you tell it to put you online. That’s what Xbox LIVE should have. I mean how hard is it to give us the option as to how we want to appear when we sign in.
Shafnitz

Now they definitely need to add the ability to remove a credit card that was tied to your Live subscription at some point.
IconicSoulJA

@Joergen8 http://boxeddeal.com/cart.php?target=product&sns_mode=featured_product&product_id=255&category_id=60

There are other sites that sell points and LIVE for cheaper. I got (2) 1600MS points once for $30 total and a 4000MS points card for $38. Look around to find deals. Don’t pay M$ directly.
Bennyishere

Prices are never the same between countries. Sales tax and other factors can increase the price drastically. I pay 90 USD for games, but I just have to live with it because sales tax and importing costs more.
Spiraea22

Wow, you must have been reading my mind because I was just wondering this while I was checking out my latest RSS feeds. Thanks alot, Major!
tabicat

This must be a new feature, because a month ago I had to call Xbox Live support to remove my credit card and disable auto-renew.
Shonk

@IconicSoulJA

we can use usa 12month codes in europe
but not microsoft points codes
the ms points codes are region specific
Hawaiian c

hey ms live crew or major just asking… i dont see an option on if you have more then one xbox is there a way to make or switch your account on the 2 xboxs on account site or if you have two on you can just make other one sliver but main one stays gold and flop the stats on the x360…

i mean if you can make it like that…

here my issue i got 2 x360 one in my room and one in the living room both hooked to the web every time i log in it tells me i need to re-download the account which takes forever so please make it easier on that part

ps oh i hear we going to get a “when we join xboxlive” date on are stats in the dash can u give the beta testers that was on before xbl launch a basket beta ball for avatar lol i miss having that on the forums lol”we want are beta ball back” thred hehe
IconicSoulJA

@Shonk, how about this… http://boxeddeal.com/cart.php?target=product&sns_mode=featured_product&product_id=259&category_id=60

Is this €21.42 cheap for 2100MS Points?
IconicSoulJA

@Shonk, I also got my LIVE 12+1 Month for $30. I never paid the $50 LIVE price. That was way too high for me.

Again, you just got to look for the deals. M$ won’t give you the deals because they can get money from people who just don’t care for deals. They just want the service and points now.
OPT1CS

This would’ve helped me a few days ago when I was automatically charged $20, especially since I have 1 year card laying around.
Shonk

@IconicSoulJA

nope thats £17.81
i try to pay no more than £13 for 2100 ms points
though latley it has been more like £14 i have paid as little as £10 though
GPanOnline

…..
This was posted for the new Gold Member Veterans “feature” of the new dashboard update thats show a stamp on your Gamer Card that tells people how long you’ve been a Gold member.

I hate that feature beacause I was gold member every year since I bought my Xbox 360 in 2006, and my gamertag only shows 1 year!! I hope they fix it to count how many months we were gold, and add a year every 12 months, because I was gold more that my gamer card shows. FIX IT!!!
MrSt33l

Thanks Major. I did not know the website could actually do this. Was this just recently added? I remember calling technical support once and asked them to turn off auto renewal and they told me the system doesn’t allow them to do so.
IconicSoulJA

Yea I try to pay $15 max for 1600 points. I know what you mean. I don’t buy a lot of games on the marketplace or DLC so it helps. Out of all the content released this summer, I only like Splosion Man. The Epic Games content is a waste of money cause multiplayer is terrible and the Road to Ruin content lasts like 1 hour for both modes. LOL

July 29th 2009 7:18 pm PT

How to turn off Xbox LIVE account Auto Renewal

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