License & Subscription Issues

Fix Excel Showing Unrenewed Subscription After Microsoft 365 Redemption

Maira Mehtab Sep 27, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user redeemed a Microsoft 365 subscription, but Microsoft Excel continues to display a message indicating that the subscription is unrenewed.

Product: Microsoft Excel
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Activating and verifying a recently redeemed Microsoft 365 subscription within the Excel desktop application.
Observed behavior: Excel shows a subscription renewal prompt and fails to recognize the active license, likely because the application is signed into a different Microsoft account.

Before you start

Ensure you know the exact Microsoft account credentials (email and password) that were used to purchase or redeem your Microsoft 365 subscription.

Solution 1Recommended

Sign In with the Correct Microsoft Account

Resolve the subscription error by signing out of the current account in Excel and logging into the account linked to your Microsoft 365 purchase.

Microsoft Office applications often share sign-in information. If you use multiple email addresses, Excel might be trying to verify the subscription against an account that does not hold the active license.

Open Account Settings

Launch Microsoft Excel. Click on 'File' in the top-left corner of the window, then select 'Account' from the bottom of the left-hand menu.

Sign Out of Current Account

Under the User Information section, click the 'Sign out' button to remove the currently logged-in account that does not have the subscription.

Sign In with the Redeemed Account

Click 'Sign In' and enter the email address and password for the Microsoft account that was originally used to redeem your Microsoft 365 product key.

Restart Office Applications

Close Excel and any other open Office applications completely. Reopen Excel and navigate back to File > Account to verify that the subscription status now shows as active.

Activation Successful: Once signed into the correct account, the unrenewed subscription warning will disappear, and all premium features will be restored.

Solution 2

Capture Account Details and Contact Microsoft Support

If switching accounts does not resolve the issue, gather diagnostic screenshots of your account page to share with Microsoft Support.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Excel say my subscription is expired when I just redeemed a key?

This usually happens if you have multiple Microsoft accounts and Excel is currently logged into an account that does not hold the active subscription. Switching to the account used for redemption will resolve the issue.

How can I check which Microsoft account holds my Microsoft 365 subscription?

Log into the Microsoft Account portal (account.microsoft.com) via a web browser using your email addresses. Navigate to the 'Services & subscriptions' tab to view which account has your active licenses.

Do I need an active internet connection to update my Office subscription status?

Yes, your device needs an internet connection when you sign in or switch accounts so that Microsoft's servers can verify your credentials and refresh your active subscription status.

Login & Account Issues