Thinking about cancelling Microsoft Copilot? Maybe you’ve realized that you’re not using your Copilot “Pro” subscription as much as you thought, and want to save a bit of extra cash each month. Or perhaps you’ve found a better generative AI app out there that you prefer, such as ChatGPT Plus, or Google’s Gemini. Whatever the case, cancelling your subscription can be tricky.
First, you’ll need to ensure you’re getting the timing right when you cancel, if you want to avoid paying for another month. Secondly, if you’re using certain versions of Copilot – such as Copilot 365 in Microsoft Teams, and your admin acquired your license, you won’t be able to cancel it yourself. Don’t worry, we’re here to help.
Here, we’ll show you exactly how to cancel Microsoft Copilot subscriptions and provide some quick insights into when a cancellation might be a good idea.
Cancelling Microsoft Copilot: Understanding the Subscriptions
One of the things that makes cancelling Microsoft Copilot a little tricky, is that there are various different “pricing plans” and versions of Copilot to consider. The free versions of Copilot that you can access via the Copilot web app, mobile app, Windows, and Microsoft Edge can’t be “cancelled.”
If you want to quit using Copilot, all you really need to do is ignore it – although the AI bot may still show up when you’re searching for things on Microsoft Bing, or working with certain apps.
For individual users, Copilot Pro ($20 per month) is the most common “premium” subscription for Microsoft’s generative AI tools. This basically gives you access to all of the most advanced Copilot features, from the ability to create images, to the option to search the web with Copilot’s assistance.
It also includes access to Copilot in certain Microsoft 365 apps, like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and OneNote – provided you have a license for these tools. Anyone can use Copilot with a Pro subscription in the web-based version of the apps, but you’ll need a separate Microsoft 365 Personal or Family subscription to use Copilot in the desktop apps.
For businesses, there’s the Copilot Microsoft for 365 plan (for $30 per month per user), which needs to be purchased alongside an applicable Microsoft 365 subscription. This gives you a lot more features, such as access to Copilot in more apps – including Microsoft Teams.
Beyond that, there are subscription costs for Microsoft Copilot Studio, Copilot for Sales and Service, Security Copilot and Copilot for Finance. If you’re confused about all your options, check out our complete pricing guide here. The key thing to know is that the process for cancelling Microsoft Copilot differs depending on the subscription you choose.
Cancelling Microsoft Copilot: Ending a Copilot Pro Subscription
If you’re an individual user with a Copilot Pro subscription, the cancellation process is pretty straightforward. There aren’t a lot of hoops to jump through – although getting a refund can be a bit tricky if you’ve already paid a portion of your plan.
To cancel a Copilot Pro subscription:
- Log into the Microsoft account you used to purchase Copilot Pro. Make sure you choose the right account here (not your business account, for instance).
- Go to the Subscriptions section on your account, and look for the Copilot Pro You should see the plan you’re on, and if you’ve set up recurring payments.
- Click on Manage and then Cancel when you see it on the next page.
- Follow the instructions on the page to proceed with the cancellation. You may have to confirm that you want to cancel, and check a few boxes.
Once you’ve cancelled your Copilot Pro subscription, you should receive an email confirmation, and you’ll lose access to the Pro features on your next payment date. However, you’ll still be able to use Copilot’s free tools after this.
Getting a Refund for Microsoft Copilot Pro
If you want to get a refund for the Copilot Pro features you’re not going to use (potentially for the rest of the month after you cancel), there are a few caveats. Microsoft automatically offers “pro-rated refunds” to people living in specific countries, including Canada, Denmark, France, Greenland, and a selection of others.
The pro-rated refund means that you’ll receive a refund for the value of the time left in your plan. As soon as you cancel your subscription at any time, you’ll get your refund.
However, if you’re cancelling Microsoft Copilot Pro and you live in the US, the UK, and most other countries not listed here, then you need to cancel within 14 days of the initial “payment date” for your monthly plan. You won’t get a refund if you don’t cancel in that time.
Cancelling Microsoft Copilot for Businesses
Cancelling Microsoft Copilot is a little trickier for business users. Whether you’re using Copilot for Microsoft 365, Copilot Studio, or one of the specialist versions of Copilot, like Copilot for Sales and Service, you’ll need to follow some specific steps. First, you’ll only be able to cancel any of these subscriptions yourself if you actually purchased them and you’re the “admin” for your account.
If someone else in your company purchased licenses and distributed them to you and other team members, they’ll need to go through the cancellation process. If you purchased something like Copilot for Microsoft 365 yourself, cancel your subscription by:
- Logging into the Microsoft account you used to purchase the subscription.
- Searching for the Copilot for Microsoft 365 subscription (or any other business-level Copilot subscription you purchased) in the Subscriptions
- Click Manage then select
- Review the information on the page, and confirm you want to cancel.
Don’t see the option to cancel? There are a few reasons for this. You might already have recurring billing turned off – or your subscription might be set to expire. Remember, you also won’t see the option to cancel if you’re not the “subscription owner”. So, if someone bought a Copilot subscription for your work or school account, you’ll need to ask them to step in.
One important thing to remember is that you must cancel business-level Microsoft subscriptions 2 days before the subscription date to avoid paying for another month. If you wait until after a new month starts, you won’t be able to request a refund like you can with Copilot Pro.
Why Consider Cancelling Microsoft Copilot?
Personally, I think Microsoft Copilot is one of the best generative AI solutions out there. It’s something I use regularly in a bunch of Microsoft apps, including Word, and Microsoft Teams. However, it might not be the right option for everyone. Here are some reasons you might choose to cancel your subscription:
- Avoid paying after a free trial: Microsoft typically offers “free trials” to beginners experimenting with Copilot for the first time. For instance, you can currently get one month of Copilot Pro for free if you haven’t used it before. Cancelling your subscription before your trial runs out means you can test out the features, then decide you don’t want to use Copilot Pro anymore, without paying anything.
- Adhere to new business guidelines: Most companies aren’t as concerned about allowing employees to use Copilot as they are about letting them use apps like ChatGPT. However, if your company is introducing new AI governance rules, and they don’t want you to use Copilot for work, you might need to cancel your subscription. Typically, most admins will handle the “business Copilot” cancellation process for you.
- Switch to another AI tool: Copilot isn’t the only generative AI assistant out there. You might have decided you like ChatGPT better than Copilot, and want to switch to a Pro, Plus, Teams, or Enterprise subscription with OpenAI. Alternatively, you might choose Gemini if you already use many Google Workspace apps.
What if You Change Your Mind?
Now you know how to cancel Copilot, you might be wondering what happens if you change your mind and decide you want to use the AI again. If you’re using one of the business versions of Copilot, like Copilot Studio or Copilot for Microsoft 365, you’ll need to ask an admin to renew your subscription. However, if you want to go back to using Copilot Pro, you can just sign up again.
Simply log back into your Microsoft account, and head to the Copilot Pro webpage, and subscribe again with your payment details. Copilot might not remember all of your previous conversations, but you should be able to start using the Pro features again as normal.
Check out our guide to enabling Copilot if you’re starting from scratch.
