What happens when a Microsoft 365 subscription expires?
When a Microsoft 365 subscription reaches its expiration date, users might experience a loss of access to several services included in their subscriptions. However, they can still use Office 365 services for 30 days without any interruptions.
Once a Microsoft 365 license reaches its expiration date, it goes through a series of stages before permanent deletion. These stages are Expired, Disabled, and Deleted.
- Expired Subscription Status: In this stage, users can access all Microsoft 365 applications and data, while admins retain the ability to access the Microsoft 365 admin center and allocate licenses to users. This grace period spans 30 days, allowing billing or global admins the option to reactivate the subscription if needed.
- Disabled Subscription Status: In this stage, users lose access to all Microsoft 365 applications and data. However, admins can still access the admin portal to backup data but cannot assign licenses to users. This 90-day period allows billing or global admins the to reactivate the subscription if needed.
- Deleted Subscription Status: This marks the concluding stage, as both users and admins lose access to Office 365 services, and all associated data is permanently deleted. Nevertheless, admins retain access to the admin center for the purpose of purchasing and managing other subscriptions.