Microsoft Word says I need to purchase or renew a Microsoft subscription, but my next charge isn't until 31st May

Rachael P 25 Reputation points
2026-10-14T08:09:22.08+00:00

I'm was trying to edit a Word Document but it just says "selection locked". I somehow seemed to have linked my work email to my laptop at some point (not sure how), so I tried disconnecting that based upon a suggestion in a similar question thread, but now it just says that I need to either renew or purchase a subscription when I try to use any of my personal emails.

Considering that on my accounts settings it says that my next charge is the 31st May 2027, I'm not sure why and nor am I willing to just throw away another £85.

Edit: on the off chance this is relevant, the last time I opened up this word document to edit it was the 10th October and it worked perfectly fine.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Subscription, account, billing | For home | Windows
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AI answer

2026-10-14T08:09:42.7466667+00:00

If the subscription page shows the next charge as 31 May 2027, the subscription is active. The most likely cause is that Word is still using the wrong account or stale license information.

Try this in order:

  1. Close all Office apps Close Word and any other Microsoft 365 apps completely.
  2. Check the subscription online Go to the Services & subscriptions page and sign in with the same Microsoft account that shows the next charge in 2027. Confirm the Microsoft 365 subscription is listed there as active.
  3. Sign out of Office, then sign back in with the correct personal Microsoft account In Word, open File > Account.
    • Sign out of any work, school, or other Microsoft accounts shown there.
    • Sign back in with the personal Microsoft account that owns the active subscription.
  4. Restart the PC After signing out, restart the device, then open Word again and sign in only with the subscription account.
  5. If Word still shows renew/purchase If the subscription was renewed recently, Word can continue showing Renew your subscription or Subscription expired until all Office apps are closed and reopened. Microsoft also notes that signing in again with the Microsoft account associated with the subscription may be required.
  6. If payment/account notice appears instead If the banner says “Account Notice. We’ve run into a problem with your Microsoft 365 subscription”, check the Payment options page and make sure the payment method does not show an error.
  7. If a retail product key was used If the subscription was bought as a physical box or card, the subscription does not start until the product key is entered.
  8. If the problem continues Check the expiration/renewal status again online. If it still looks correct and Word remains locked, contact Microsoft Support. If this is a work or school subscription, contact the Microsoft 365 admin or IT department.

The key point is that this does not indicate a need to buy another subscription if the account page already shows the next charge in 2027.

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  1. Rachael P 25 Reputation points
    2026-10-14T08:31:03.96+00:00

    Never mind, I didn't notice that I had a PowerPoint open which was stopping it from 'refreshing' when I logged out.

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