microsoft 365

Microsoft 365 is a subscription and is not sold as a lifetime license; a legitimate “lifetime” purchase is normally a one-time-purchase edition such as Office Home 2024, licensed for one PC or Mac.^1^

Check what you actually own

1. Sign in to the Services & subscriptions page using the Microsoft account used for the purchase:
   https://account.microsoft.com/services
2. Find the product:
   • Microsoft 365 Personal, Family, Premium, or Pro with an expiry or next-payment date means it is a subscription.
   • Office Home & Student, Office Home & Business, Office 2021, or Office 2024 indicates a one-time purchase.
3. Open Word and select File → Account.
4. Under Product Information, check whether it displays Microsoft 365, a specific Office edition, or Unlicensed Product.

If the account page says Expires on [date], the subscription will end on that date unless renewed. A circular-arrow symbol instead indicates recurring billing and displays the next charge date.[^2^](https://support.microsoft.com/accounts-billing/subscriptions/[Subscription ID] "What happens when your Microsoft 365 subscription expires | Microsoft Support")

If you purchased a one-time Office edition

The Office edition itself does not become a Microsoft 365 subscription. However:

• It is licensed for one computer.
• It does not include upgrades to later major Office releases.
• It does not include Microsoft 365 subscription services such as ongoing feature upgrades and subscription cloud benefits.^3^

If Word shows Microsoft 365 rather than the one-time edition listed in your account, sign out of Office and sign back in using the Microsoft account associated with the one-time purchase. An expiry notice could belong to a separate Microsoft 365 trial or subscription rather than the perpetual Office license.

If a seller advertised “Microsoft 365 lifetime”

Contact the seller and request clarification or a refund. Microsoft states that Microsoft 365 normally does not provide a product key as a one-time purchase, while one-time-purchase Office editions do. Microsoft also warns that separately sold keys can be unauthorized and may later be blocked; if a key stops working, the documented action is to contact the seller for a refund.^4^

If the purchase was through Apple, Google, Amazon, or another retailer, subscription and billing issues must be handled by that provider. Purchases made directly from Microsoft can be managed from the Microsoft account subscription page.[^5^](https://support.microsoft.com/accounts-billing/subscriptions/[Subscription ID] "Where can I manage my Microsoft 365 subscription? | Microsoft Support")

References

1. What's the difference between Microsoft 365 and Office 2024? | Microsoft Support
2. [What happens when your Microsoft 365 subscription expires | Microsoft Support](https://support.microsoft.com/accounts-billing/subscriptions/[Subscription ID])
3. Office 2024 and Office LTSC 2024 FAQ
4. Using product keys with Microsoft 365 | Microsoft Support
5. [Where can I manage my Microsoft 365 subscription? | Microsoft Support](https://support.microsoft.com/accounts-billing/subscriptions/[Subscription ID])