License & Subscription Issues

Why Were Microsoft 365 Annual and Monthly Charges Both Applied?

Nimra Malik Oct 15, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user noticed both an annual charge of $75 and a monthly charge of $6.99 for Microsoft 365 and wants to know if this is a duplicate billing error.

Why Was I Charged Both Annual and Monthly for Microsoft 365?

Product: Microsoft 365
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Changing a subscription billing frequency from monthly to annual, or having overlapping subscriptions.
Observed behavior: Both the annual fee and the monthly fee were deducted from the account simultaneously or within the same billing cycle.

Before you start

Gather your recent bank or credit card statements and ensure you have the login credentials for the Microsoft account associated with these charges.

Solution 1Recommended

Review Billing History and Contact Support

Check your Microsoft account's order history and active services to confirm the source of the charges before requesting a refund for duplicate billing.

Double charges often occur if a monthly auto-renewal processes just before you manually upgrade to an annual plan, or if two separate subscriptions were accidentally created under the same account.

Check Microsoft order history

Navigate to https://account.microsoft.com/billing/orders in your web browser and sign in. Look for the recent $75 and $6.99 transactions to verify they were billed to this specific account.

Verify active subscriptions

Go to https://account.microsoft.com/services. Check if there are two separate active Microsoft 365 subscriptions (e.g., Personal and Family) or if the monthly plan was not successfully replaced by the annual one.

Contact Microsoft Billing Support

If you confirm that both charges apply to the exact same service period or represent duplicate billing, use the 'Help' or 'Contact Us' feature on the Microsoft support page to request a refund for the overlapping monthly charge.

Review Billing History and Contact Support

Refund Eligibility: Microsoft generally refunds overlapping charges if you contact them promptly after upgrading from a monthly to an annual plan.

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Switch to WPS Office to Avoid Complex Subscription Fees

If managing unexpected charges and complicated Microsoft 365 subscriptions is frustrating, consider switching to WPS Office. It provides a robust, free suite for all your document needs without the worry of recurring double billing.

1. Download the installer: Visit the official WPS website and download the free WPS Office installer for your operating system.
2. Install the software: Run the setup file and follow the on-screen prompts to complete the installation.
3. Open existing files: Launch WPS Office and directly open your existing Microsoft Office documents without worrying about format issues.

Completely free to use with no hidden annual or monthly subscription traps.Fully compatible with Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint file formats.Lightweight, fast, and features a familiar user interface for a seamless transition.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get a refund if Microsoft charged me twice?

Yes, if you were incorrectly billed for both monthly and annual plans for the same account, Microsoft Support typically refunds the overlapping monthly charge once you explain the situation.

Why did the monthly charge still process after I switched to an annual plan?

If the monthly auto-renewal payment was processed by the system right before you manually switched to the annual plan, both charges might go through. The system should ideally credit this, but sometimes manual support intervention is required.

How do I cancel the monthly subscription to prevent future duplicate charges?

Go to account.microsoft.com/services, locate the monthly subscription, click 'Manage', and select 'Cancel subscription' or 'Turn off recurring billing'. Make sure you do not cancel your newly purchased annual plan by mistake.

Login & Account Issues