How To Remove Credit Card Details From Xbox Live
Dec 15th, 2007 | By TheFluffyFist | Category: Articles, Rants, Xbox, Xbox 360Update 7th Feb 2009:
The saga is over! Microsoft have now given us the option to remove credit card details through Xbox.com. See Remove Your Credit Card Details from Xbox Live – ONLINE! for details.
A few months ago I decided to purchase a months Xbox Live Gold membership. As you all know this is very easy to do. Enter your credit or debit card details and Microsoft take your money before you can blink. Then you receive the obligatory confirmatory email thanking you for your soul purchase. This email also tells you that your membership will automatically renew and:
For information about changing or cancelling your membership and your membership refund policy, go to www.xbox.com/live/accounts.
However, you can’t cancel your membership or remove your credit card details either via your Xbox dashboard or www.xbox.com/live/accounts. Even when you end up at http://billing.microsoft.com you can only change or add a credit or debit card. There is no facility what-so-ever to remove a payment method or cancel a service. Rubbish.
However, I want to stop my monthly Xbox Live Gold subscription. The only way to do this (at the moment) is by calling Xbox Support. I’ve included all the options you need to select to get you through to the relevant help desk person.
UK Xbox Support – Telephone: 0800 587 1102
- Press 1 – Xbox 360 support menu
- Then press 1 – For Xbox Live including billing enquires menu
- Then press 2 – For the cancel or enquire about your account menu
- Finally press 1 – To speak to someone about cancelling your Xbox Live subscription
After I’d said I wanted to remove my credit card details from my Xbox Live account, I was asked for the following information:
- Name
- Credit/Debit card number
- Address
- Home phone number
- Xbox Live username
- Mobile phone number
I was then given a call reference (no surprises there) and told that my request would be escalated to a special team. A member of this team would contact me (via my mobile number) within 48 hours.
The result of all this. It will take 30 days to remove my credit card details from my Xbox Live account. Yes, 30 days (I asked the help desk person to confirm this, just in case I miss heard, which they did). I find this totally unacceptable. The actual (and time-consuming) process of removing/cancelling your card details was completely glossed over in all the communications I received from Microsoft. I won’t hold my breath for the ability to cancel any subscription via the Xbox 360 dashboard. Somehow I don’t think it’s on Microsoft’s feature list (i.e it won’t make them any money). However, until they add this functionality I will not add my credit card details to my live account again.
Update 1st Jan 08: The task of removing my card details continues in part II and part III.
Our advice, remove your card details and buy pre-paid cards instead:
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thank you so much for posting this..it took my half an hour to find this page and this number as all other numbers lead me to some random warehouse…it took my 12 minutes to cancel but i must admit the guy was very helpful and recommended that if i want gold but don't want to put my credit card on the line…buy the pre-pay cards and just enter the code…easy :)
yeah long winded, apparently they will remove my card details and cancel subscription and because i still have a few months left they are going to email me a code to allow me to use the remaining subscription time, they said they are working on a solution to allow people to remove their card details – don't hold your breath! i will be purchasing those top up cards from now on!
I remember having this trouble 12 years ago when I signed up to microsoft dial-up internet.
Fantastic have just called 0800 587 1102 as Gareth Brown suggested a few posts up and got through to speak to an american guy and he gave me a reference number as proof of my cancellation and that was it he sorted it all out for me. The whole process took 5 minutes. Just gona keep an eye on my bank now to make sure the subscription deffinately doesnt charge me come renewal day. But im very happy so far.
Thanks everyone for the info.
I did it quite easily to be honest. I went onto my Xbox live account via my laptop and then there was an option to remove the credit card as a payment option. Though to be fair I cancelled my Gold membership subscription months ago
My advise to anyone who is thinking of putting their credit card details on X box live is don't. I put my debit cards details in to purchase points so my son could download a film. Approximately a week later when I checked my emails I found that several other transactions had taken place and someone kept adding points to my sons account. They also managed to change his gamer tag name to the Devils Pubes ( I suppose they thought that was funnly) . At first I thought it was my son purchasing without permission. However he had already reported to Xbox that someone had hacked into his account. I was furious at this point so rang Xbox . Luckily points were added but apart from the points used to change the gamer tag no other downloads had taken place. They blocked my son's system for downloads and refunded me for all the points added approx £40. This took a couple of weeks. I did not get an explanation on how someone could hack into our system. They could not take my debit card details off straight away so I ended up cancelling my card with the bank. I have now purchased a points card but am having problems adding them to his account so I will be ringing them today.
yah um… i dont have a credit or debit and i dont kno why but i cant just enter the code… i have the papers and codes but i cant enter the stupid thing…
I understand everyones frustration, because MS customer service is appaling. My situation was that there was an offer on Xbox live where you could buy a month subscription for one pound, but after the one month was over they kept on billing my credit card the full £4.99. this went on for 3 months before i realised they were charging me. this wasnt a problem because i play on my xbox alot and aslong as i had the credit in my bank account it was ok. last week i found out i avt got enough money to pay the £4.99 so i went on the xbox website and very easily removed my card details.
I did it by entering my msn messenger details in to sign in my gamertag, then by following the links "change contact infomation" then "Manage payment options" and finaly remove creit card detalis. Hope this helps people beat the hold microsoft has on us all.
I added my credit card to my account to get xbox live and tried to remove my credit card info a dozen times, then called them thet said they would refund me with online credits but I'd have to go back from gold membership to silver meaning no online play. I have 2 kids and the xbox live downloaded games I got the boys need to sign into my account to use them. Worst thing is that I now realize all my old xbox harddrives some of I had sold hold the info to enter my account and charge whatever they want to my credit card. There should be a separate pin number for online purchases to protect my credit card and this would cut down on the hassle from customers cancelling their Xbox accounts, reporting lost credit card or filing fraud charges.
no matter what MS does to scam u. u got to remember the games that they are giving you if u want to cancel its not hard i canceled a lot of a accounts a day your mad because it happened to u but seeing millions of people are messaging don't u feel better that it's not just u?
MS:bad company
xbox live:great fun
1. Go to http://marketplace.xbox.com/MyAccount/MyAccount.a...
(http://marketplace.xbox.com/MyAccount/MyAccount.a...
and sign in with your Windows Live ID.
2. Select Manage Payment Options.
3. Find the payment option that you want to remove and click Remove.
4. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process.
I just had to do this myself, I was frustrated there wasn’t a clear option to remove it and I had to make a call, after listening to a pre recorded message about things I already knew I got to a person in a call center and it took 10 mins but she deleted my card removed the suspension for the payment not coming out on the renewal date and now my redeem code from my card works, so luckily I didn’t have to wait 30 days, maybe its because I’m from the UK or because they’ve sorted themselves out a bit.
It still should be an option on the actual xbox accounts screen though.
I too have felt the pain dished out by the great and powerful Mircosoft. I have tried the suggestions in the other posts to no avail. I have endured through the 1hr 10min phone call, only to be offered a 7 day process where my kids will not have access to live (meanwhile they are off from school this week). I have failed. BUT I NOW KNOW THE ANSWER. Too late for myself, but I hope others can benefit.
NEVER give Microsoft your credit card. – Major credit card companies feature online temporary numbers that allow you to hide your real number and apply strict limits to the temporary numbers. Bank of America offers “Shopsafe” and CitiCards offers “Virtual Credit Card”. Good Luck.
if you go to this link, http://www.xbox.com/live/accounts, then click on ‘manage payment options at the side it will clearly ask you wethyer to edit, add or remove your payment options (credit card details)
Yup, they finally added that last year :)
i clicked on “remove” card details and got
This payment option cannot be removed at this time. Go to the Payment method information page to view services associated with this payment option.
3 months now i cannot remove PLEASE HELP
I searched all over xbox for a solution for this.
This is what the page I found said:
Remove a Credit Card
1. Go to xbox.com/accounts.
2. Sign in with your windows live ID.
3. Select Manage Payment Options.
4. Find the credit card you want to remove and click remove.
Sorry if this doesn’t work.
No, live does not let you delete credit card information, it’s unethical and immoral but that is their policy. I have 2 accounts and the only way I can remove a credit card is to give them fresh meat (another credit card). I have 1 360 and one classic old xbox, the account I created with the classic is not needed since LIVE STOPPED SUPPORTING XBOX on 4-15-2010 so they can make you go out and buy 360s. I am less than 1/2 year through my annual memberships and I called to cancel one account and they harassed me about that, and they said they cannot give me credit or refund for the unused balance. After being on the phone for near 45 minutes and being reassured by Justin on 5-25-2010 that there would be no more charges to my card when the account they supposedly cancelled expires. I gave up to regroup and call a superviser another day. Unfortunately I went to my 360 to remove one of the accounts there and it logged in with the cancelled account, go figure. Way up top I read my next step, gonna try the BBB next.
hi i have tryed that remove card online and it wont let me does anyone know how i can remove the card please help me
I Phoned them today to cancle my subscription the guy said that my account aws due payment toorrow and that he cancled it while he was on the phone to me and that tomorrow it will revert back to silver so ill see how this goes
thats fycken bullshit ive been chared 130 dollers in the lst four days and ihavent even bought anything i need to no how oto get ym cards off there
I put my debit card details on my son’s xbox when I bought him some points and 3 months live gold. Previously I had bought gold via vouchers. I tried to remove the card when I realised they could just carry on charging to it after the three months was up but couldn’t do it through ‘Manage Accounts’ on the console. We tried to do it with the MSN advice on here but my son couldn’t remember an ID or password as he’s always chopping and changing them.
I discovered tonight that over the past 6 weeks or so he has used the buying power of my card 4 times! Not a lot of money, only £20 odd quid but I am understandably furious with him for doing this, especially as he ‘hand on heart’ promised he would never, ever do such a thing!!
As it was a debit card, I phoned my Bank and told them it was lost/stolen so they’ve cancelled it and are issuing me with a new one (new number etc.,). Guy on the customer service line said that will do it. It’s okay if you’ve used a debit card but for those with a credit card it’s not always an option to cancel it, as there may be other outstanding purchases you need to honour.
well they did as they said and cancled mine and i have not been charged and im very happy :D
Glad to hear it, Lloyd! :)
@debbie shame they can’t be like that for everyone and cause no problems -.-