Can I change which Account I use to pay for a Microsoft 365 Tenancy?

Yes, you absolutely can change the payment method (account) you use for your Microsoft 365 tenancy. This is managed within the Microsoft 365 admin center.

You will generally need to be a Global Admin or Billing Admin to make these changes.

Here is the general process:

1. Go to the Microsoft 365 Admin Center

• Sign in to the Microsoft 365 admin center.

2. Navigate to Billing and Payment Methods

• In the navigation menu, go to Billing and then select Bills & payments (or just Payment methods).

3. Add the New Payment Method

• Select Add a payment method.
• Enter the details for your new credit card, debit card, or bank account, depending on the available options in your region.
• Select Save.

4. Apply the New Payment Method to Your Subscription

After the new payment method is saved, you need to associate your Microsoft 365 subscription with it.

• On the Payment methods page, you can often choose to Replace an existing payment method.
• Alternatively, you may need to go to your Subscriptions or Billing profiles (depending on your account type) to change the payment option for the specific Microsoft 365 subscription.
  • Find the subscription you want to change.
  • Select it and look for an option to Edit or Change the payment method/details.
  • Select the new payment method you just added and confirm the change.

Important Considerations:

• Replacing vs. Editing: You can often edit details like the expiration date or billing address for an existing card. However, if the card number or bank account number has changed, you should add it as a new payment method and then replace the old one for your subscription.
• Keep a Payment Method Active: Always add and assign the new payment method before removing the old one to prevent any service interruptions.
• Billing Account Type: Depending on the type of billing agreement your organization has with Microsoft (like a Microsoft Customer Agreement or a Microsoft Online Services Agreement), the exact steps and terminology in the Admin Center might vary slightly (e.g., using “Billing profiles”).

I Meant Which user Pays for the Tenancy

I understand. When you talk about which “user” pays for a Microsoft 365 tenancy (or subscription), you are referring to the user account that holds the billing ownership for the subscription, or the user who manages the payment information.

Here is a breakdown of how to change the user responsible for managing the payment and billing:

1. Change the User Responsible for Billing (Assign a Billing Admin Role)

The most common and secure way to delegate billing responsibility to another user in your organization is to assign them a Billing Administrator role in the Microsoft 365 admin center.

A Billing Administrator can:

• Make purchases and manage subscriptions.
• Manage billing details (like billing address and invoice settings).
• View and pay invoices (if they are also a Billing Profile Contributor/Owner for the relevant profile).
• Manage service requests.

Steps (for a Global Administrator):

1. Go to the Microsoft 365 admin center at admin.microsoft.com.
2. Navigate to Users > Active users.
3. Select the user you want to assign the billing role to.
4. In the flyout pane, select Manage roles.
5. Select the checkbox for Billing administrator (or a similar billing-related role).
6. Select Save changes.

2. Change the User Who Owns the Billing Profile (If Applicable)

Microsoft business subscriptions often use a Billing Account and Billing Profile structure (especially for a Microsoft Customer Agreement, or MCA). The Billing Profile holds the payment method and billing settings. To completely transfer who “owns” the ability to manage the financial aspects, you may need to assign them a Billing Profile Owner role.

Steps (Requires a user with Billing Account/Profile Owner privileges):

1. Go to the Microsoft 365 admin center.
2. Go to Billing > Billing accounts.
3. Select the billing account.
4. Select the Billing profiles tab.
5. Select the billing profile linked to your subscription.
6. On the billing profile details page, select the Billing profile roles tab.
7. Select Assign roles and assign the desired user the Billing profile owner role.

3. Change the Payment Method

If the user who currently “pays” is simply the one whose credit card or bank is on file, you can change the payment method associated with the subscription’s Billing Profile to a payment method owned by another user.

Steps (Requires a user with Billing Profile Owner or Contributor privileges):

1. Go to the Microsoft 365 admin center.
2. Go to Billing > Bills & payments, and then select the Payment methods tab.
3. You can Add a new payment method (associated with the new user or organization’s finances).
4. Then, navigate back to your Billing Profile (via Billing accounts > Billing profiles) and select Replace under the Payment method section to switch the payment source for your subscription to the newly added method.

Important Note: For Microsoft 365 Home or Family subscriptions, you generally cannot transfer an existing subscription to a completely different Microsoft account. The current owner must turn off recurring billing and wait for the subscription to expire, and then the new person can purchase a new subscription on their account.