How to Cancel Your Xbox Live Gold Subscription

Xbox Live Gold comes with a lot of benefits, like free games each month, but it doesn't make sense to stay subscribed if you aren't actively using the Xbox network service. Whether you just want to take a break, or you're done with the service forever, you have to follow some very specific steps to cancel your Xbox Live Gold subscription, or Microsoft will continue to charge you each time it comes up for renewal.

How to Cancel Xbox Live Gold

The easiest way to cancel Xbox Live Gold, without talking to a customer service agent, is to use the Xbox website. You can use this site to cancel your subscription immediately, turn off your recurring subscription, or even get a refund for any Xbox Live Gold subscription time you haven't yet used.

1. Navigate to xbox.com and log in to the Xbox Network account associated with your Xbox Live Gold subscription.

2. Select your profile icon in the upper right corner of the page.

3. Select Subscriptions.

4. Locate the Xbox Live Gold section on the Services & subscriptions page.

   If you subscribe to a lot of Microsoft services, you may need to scroll down.

5. In the Xbox Live Gold section, select Manage.

6. Locate the Payment settings section.

7. Select Cancel.

8. Choose whether or not to end your subscription immediately, then select Next.

   If you choose to end immediately, you may be entitled to a partial refund. You will also lose access to all of the Xbox Live Gold benefits upon accepting.

9. Select Confirm cancellation.

How to Turn Off Xbox Live Auto-Renewal

If you're currently using Xbox Live Gold, but you're afraid you'll eventually stop using it and forget to cancel, you can turn off automatic renewals right now. This allows you to continue using Xbox Live Gold, and you maintain access to the free games that come with the subscription while it's active, but you won't accidentally spend a bunch of money on a renewal later on.

Turning off Xbox Live Gold auto-renewal works a lot like canceling the service, and when you cancel you actually have the option to simply cancel future payments. When you turn off recurring billing, you retain access to all of the Xbox Live Gold features until the end of your current subscription period. At that time, you have the option to renew manually if you're still using the service.

Here's how to turn off Xbox Live Gold auto-renewal:

1. Navigate to xbox.com and log in to the Xbox Network or Microsoft account associated with your Xbox Live Gold subscription.

2. Select your profile icon in the upper right corner of the page.

3. Select Subscriptions.

4. Locate the Payment settings section.

5. Select Change.

6. Select Turn off recurring billing.

   If you prefer, you can select Switch plan instead to change to either a monthly or a yearly subscription.

7. Select Confirm cancellation.

What Happens When You Cancel an Xbox Live Subscription?

When you cancel your Xbox Live Gold subscription, one of two things can happen:

• If you cancel your Xbox Live Gold recurring payment or turn off automatic renewal, nothing changes immediately. You retain access to all Xbox Live Gold features until your remaining subscription time runs out.
• If you cancel your subscription and receive a partial refund, you immediately lose access to all Xbox Live Gold features, including online play, voice chat, and Games With Gold.

Xbox Live subscribers with Xbox 360 consoles who obtained free games through the Games With Gold program are allowed to keep and play those games even without an active Xbox Live Gold subscription.

Xbox One games provided through the Games With Gold program are only available so long as you maintain an active Xbox Live Gold subscription. When you cancel your subscription, you lose access to Games With Gold. You regain access to these games if you subscribe again in the future, but they are unavailable as long as your Xbox Live Gold account remains canceled.