The more you know: How to turn off automatic Xbox Live renewal
By default, Xbox Live is set to automatically renew Gold subscriptions when a user's current membership expires, but not everyone is down with a surprise credit card charge -- especially if they're rocking a parent's plastic. Thankfully, Xbox Live's Major Nelson has posted a quick guide to help users disable the automatic renewal process. The steps are simple:
[Thanks, Juan]
- 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 (as shown above).
- If it reads ON, users can click the ON link and be brought to a page to turn the feature OFF.
- If you'd like to change the setting to ON or OFF -- Click the link, make your selection, then click next.
- You'll be returned to your Membership level page, where you can confirm your selection
[Thanks, Juan]











Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
CJONES22 @ Jul 30th 2009 3:05PM
It took them how long to do this now?
Deezul @ Jul 30th 2009 3:14PM
If only the date that shows how long I've been rock XBL was correct. It says I've only been a member since October 2008. Really? Then how was I playing multiplayer Halo 2 on my original Xbox in 2004?
Disco Ball @ Jul 30th 2009 3:30PM
FYI... if you call up 1-800-4MY-XBOX and tell them you want to cancel your auto-renewal they will offer you 500 FREE microsoft points not to cancel. Accept their offer then log onto xbox.com and cancel your auto renewal. That is what I did for some free points!
BIGGEN (LIVE-PSN: BIGGEN1103) @ Jul 31st 2009 8:32PM
no dice on that one. they didn't offer me poo :(
Gemini Ace @ Jul 30th 2009 3:31PM
Did they just make this change, because I was trying to do this back in May and it wasn't there.
colt4by5 @ Jul 30th 2009 3:38PM
Yeah, I just tried this a couple weeks ago and it would not let me do that. I feel like I even had that "ON" link, but it just took me to a billing screen that let me change my payment type (no option to turn "OFF"). FINALLY! I wonder if the recent lawsuit had anything to do with this change.
Garst @ Jul 30th 2009 5:30PM
The automactic renewal thing was there, but it wasn't a link.
STEVE @ Jul 30th 2009 3:52PM
"I wonder if the recent lawsuit had anything to do with this change"
Which recent lawsuit???
Curtis @ Jul 30th 2009 4:11PM
GOOD. I recently got charged an auto-renew on a credit card that I had cancelled, and after agonizing phone calls I realized it renewed my friend's account. I had used my card to buy him some points for something, and it kept my card on record and automatically renewed.
Mike @ Jul 30th 2009 4:15PM
Or you can just buy one of those "Buy 12 months, get 1 free" cards and not have to worry about auto renewal. Sometimes you can even find those cards on sale.
Deezul @ Jul 30th 2009 7:36PM
That doesn't turn off auto renewal. I've NEVER used my credit card for XBL access; I've always used cards. But the original Xbox required a credit card, so it was still hanging around.
Mike @ Jul 31st 2009 1:23AM
hmm. I checked earlier and it was off. I don't remember turning it off an I know I've bought points online. I must have just forgot that I turned it off at some point.
mmhlaw222 @ Jul 30th 2009 4:19PM
I remember about 2 years ago I tried to cancel my one xbox live account, I called them up and they made it so hard for me to cancel, finally I just hung up and canceled my credit card so it couldnt be charged, such a pain
gianjerk @ Jul 30th 2009 4:28PM
They make me call in to cancel auto-renewal... if I click the button it says, 'Contact Microsoft blah blah blah...' Weird...
dylan @ Jul 30th 2009 4:42PM
Damn it, two weeks too late, and I didn't think I was due for a renewal until September. Well thanks anyway, it will help keep it from happening next year at least.
dylan @ Jul 30th 2009 4:45PM
Haha, they sent me an automatic notice saying "warning! Your automatic renewal has been canceled and your Xbox Live will expire July 2010, to avoid an interruption of your service switch back to auto renewal" I'd better hurry, only one year left to act!
What about the constant outages? Will it help avoid those?
drdre74 @ Jul 30th 2009 4:47PM
they just made this change. I tried to change it after i did that $1 gold deal they had. I just found myself not playing online at all this past month. None of my friends are even playing anymore. Everybody is on netflix when i log on.
Juande @ Jul 30th 2009 4:48PM
You welcome.
wwod123 @ Jul 30th 2009 6:18PM
Now if they would only give us a tutorial to remove the credit card completely from the account. When I first go on live there was no subscription cards, now that there is I see no need to have the CC number on the account, but yet after 3 years of making calls every sfew months the number remians.
protofunc @ Aug 3rd 2009 11:45AM
xbox.com >> My Account >> Manage Payment Options >> Remove
You'll find the link next to your credit card information. That option has been there since the beginning of summer methinks.
Matt @ Jul 30th 2009 6:31PM
So I had called them three times to cancel, it was paid for on my dads credit card so I didnt want the card there anymore, they wouldnt remove it. Kept saying My dad had to call, he lives in a completely different city which makes it difficult since when he would call they asked him for different details about my account. In between trying to originally cancel and finally getting microsoft to switch off auto renewal my subscription was due, they charged the card (which had luckily expired) but now they have suspended my account for not paying the auto renewal. Even though we argued that I had begun trying to cancel it before the auto renewal date.
I dont bother with xboxlive anymore I'm buying PS3 versions where I can and am playing those online.
RedSonRising @ Jul 30th 2009 9:08PM
this woulda been useful a week ago when i was tryin to cancel the auto renewal after my 1 month special. they billed my maxed out CC cause i couldnt get xbox.com or my 360 to delete it w/out adding a new one..
Crusty Magic @ Jul 30th 2009 9:25PM
Thank God!
I've been wondering how to do this for ages.
Tann @ Jul 31st 2009 7:41AM
It won't let me since my mums credit cards expired=////////
Tann @ Jul 31st 2009 7:43AM
YAY
I DID IT!
omg i can't tell you how pleased i am now!
Storm Eagle (MW2 Sweatshop Union Leader) @ Jul 31st 2009 9:33AM
And knowing is half the battle.
G.I. JOOOOOOOOEEEE!!!
tkAshur @ Jul 31st 2009 4:06PM
Hey, I recently moved to a location that the mighty gods of high speed internet have forgotten, does anyone know if xbox lets people put their accounts on hold? I barely was into my 12 month card when I moved...and I fear the whole thing will be up once I'm either back into high speed or when high speed finally becomes available(which, I'm told, is NEVER).
Hedgehog666 @ Jul 31st 2009 11:47PM
YES! YES! YES! THANK YOU! Just got RROD and i'll wait till NATAL
dyehater @ Aug 4th 2009 8:34PM
To whoever posted this THANK YOU TO THE HIGHEST HEAVEN! I had been wanting for months to disable my gold subscription but didn't want to have to suffer through Microsoft Customer Service. Thanks to whoever posted this and gave the info again, it really made my day.