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Office Watch - Tuesday, October 22, 2024 at 11:35?AM
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Get Microsoft 365 for less money
<p class="has-medium-font-size">There are simple and legal ways
to save money on consumer Microsoft 365 plans, either Personal
or Family. Don’t give Microsoft more money than you have to.</p>
Microsoft
365 is NOT a normal subscription
<p>Microsoft 365 Personal or Family plans are different in
three, potentially, money saving ways:</p>
Buy a ‘renewal’ <strong>at any time</strong>.
‘Renewals’ are really extensions’ to the current plan
expiry date.
A Microsoft 365 plan can extended up to <strong>5
years ahead</strong>.
Don’t have to wait until near the expiry date.
Renewals can be purchased from ANY retailer
You don’t have to buy/renew from Microsoft.
That’s the most expensive way.
A retailer can sell at a <strong>discount</strong> to
Microsoft’s standard, full, price.
<p>A Microsoft 365 consumer/retail subscription isn’t like other
subscription plans. Most subscriptions only let you renew at
the expiry of the current term and only pay for the renewal
direct. For example, renew for another 12 months at the end
of the current subscription year.</p>
<p>Microsoft lets other retailers sell Microsoft 365 Family or
Personal both for new and existing customers.</p>
It’s a rental not a
subscription
<p>Microsoft 365 plans are really software and online service
rental. Microsoft calls it a ‘subscription’ because market
research told them it was a more acceptable term than
‘rental’.</p>
<p>Most people, including a compliant media, have gone along
with Microsoft redefinition of the word ‘subscription’.</p>
The worst way to
renew Microsoft 365
<p>The worst and most expensive way to renew Microsoft is to let
the company automatically renew the subscription.</p>
<p>Automatic renewal will always be at full price with no
discounts.</p>
<p>You do <strong>NOT</strong> have to renew direct with
Microsoft.</p>
<p>This is a common trick that many companies pull, it’s called
the ‘Laziness Tax’. For example,
insurance companies will often renew a policy at an inflated
rate. Or the 1.5 million people who
still pay for AOL, in many cases not realizing they are
still being billed.</p>
<p>Don’t be worried if the automatic renewal doesn’t work (maybe
an old or blocked credit card). There’s some days grace after
the expiry date before the plan is stopped, maybe a week or
more, see
<strong>Will Microsoft 365 stop working if the plan is not
paid?</strong></p>
Extend Microsoft 365
at any time
<p>Instead of waiting until the payment date, Microsoft 365
Family or Personal plans can be extended to a future date at
any time.</p>
<p>A consumer Microsoft 365 plan can have an expiry up to FIVE
years ahead.</p>
<p>That means you can buy a Microsoft 365 plan at a cheaper
price and add it to your existing account.</p>
<p>For example, a Microsoft 365 Family plan that expires in a
few months time, say January 2025.</p>
<p>A good offer for Microsoft 365 Family 12-month is available –
under the usual US$99 or equivalent. Buy it and get the
all-important product key.</p>
<p>Login to your Microsoft account (the same one that has the
existing Microsoft 365 plan) and add the purchase.</p>
<p>Now the Microsoft 365 plan will expire in January <strong>2026</strong>
or 15 months away.</p>
<p>If it’s a really good deal,
follow the lead of other Office Watch readers and buy
two, three or four annual packs.</p>
It’s OK
by Microsoft
<p>A common objection to extending a Microsoft 365 plan is that
it’s somehow wrong or not allowed by Microsoft. Far from it –
Microsoft explicitly permits it.</p>
<p><em>“You can renew and extend the duration of a Microsoft 365
subscription for a maximum of 5 years.”</em></p>
<p>The five-year rule has been in place ever since Microsoft 365
plans started. Originally the rules said you had to buy extra
years from the same retailer, that was never enforced and now
that limit has been dropped.</p>
Looking for a
Microsoft 365 good price
<p>Any reputable retailer will do.</p>
The same plan as you already have: Microsoft 365 <strong>Family/Home</strong> or
Microsoft 365 <strong>Personal.</strong>
You’re buying a one-time product key that’s added to your
existing Microsoft 365 plan.
There’s no special renewal product. It’s the same
Microsoft 365 Family/Personal for both new and renewals.
It doesn’t have to be the same store as you bought
Microsoft 365 before but it does have to be in the same
country.
Sometimes it’s cheaper to have the product physically
delivered (by post) than getting electronically.
Discounts on <strong>Microsoft 365 Family</strong> happen
fairly often but are less common for the
<strong>Personal </strong>(one person) plan.
<p>In North America,
Costco seems to have Microsoft 365 discounts almost all
the time.</p>
<p>Look for
15-month offers that usually work out to a better price
per month.</p>
<p>Microsoft 365 is sometimes offered as a bundle with some
other software. Most commonly a limited subscription some
security software to lure you into another regular payment of
dubious value. Sometimes the total price is under what you’d
pay for Microsoft 365 alone, if so, buy the bundle and ignore
the extra software.</p>
<p>Amazon and Best Buy have their own
full-price renewal traps. If you buy Microsoft 365
Family/Personal, that company will sign you up for
auto-renewal by them at full price. You have to explicitly
stop that after the initial purchase.</p>
How to extend a
Microsoft 365 plan
<p>It’s easy to renew/extend a Microsoft 365 Family or Personal
plan.</p>
Buy
a Microsoft 365 plan
<p>Make sure it’s the same type as what you have already.</p>
<strong>Family</strong> – formerly Home. For up to six
people
<strong>Personal</strong> – for one person.
Get the
product key
<p>You’ll get a product key either electronically or on a paper
card. Either way, it’s your key to extending a Microsoft 365
plan.</p>
<p>A Microsoft 365 Product Key is a 25-character code, separated
into five blocks for easier reading.</p>
Login
<p>Go to https://setup.office.com/
and log into the correct Microsoft account (top right).</p>
<img width="690" height="226" src="https://office-watch.com/fredagg/uploads/2024/10/image-63-690x226.png" alt="" class="wp-image-68463" data-unique-identifier=""/>
<p><strong>IMPORTANT:</strong> make sure you’re logged into the
Microsoft account that ‘owns’ your existing Microsoft 365
plan. Many people have more than one Microsoft account for
work, personal or more and it’s easy to forget which one is
currently logged in.</p>
<p>Click ‘Get Started’ then type in or copy/paste the product
key.</p>
<img width="690" height="349" src="https://office-watch.com/fredagg/uploads/2024/10/image-64-690x349.png" alt="" class="wp-image-68464" data-unique-identifier=""/>
<p>As you can see above, there’s one last check that you’re
using the correct Microsoft account.</p>
<p>That’s it! You can check your account at “Services and Subscriptions” to
see the new expiry date, sometimes given as the “Next charge”
date.</p>
<img width="690" height="209" src="https://office-watch.com/fredagg/uploads/2024/10/image-65-690x209.png" alt="" class="wp-image-68465" data-unique-identifier=""/>
Other Microsoft 365
discount offers
<p>There are two important Microsoft 365 discount plans that are
available to many people including many who don’t realize they
qualify.</p>
<p>Both plans have good discounts but renewals differ in one
important way.</p>
Workplace
Discount Program
<p>Staff for many organizations and government agencies can buy
Microsoft 365 Family or Personal for 30% off using the
Workplace Discount Program.</p>
<p><strong>Renewal:</strong> Once you’ve joined the Workplace
Discount Program, you can continue to renew at the lower price
even if you leave that employer.</p>
Military Appreciation
Edition
<p>US Military personnel can buy a discounted “Military Appreciation Edition”
from the “PX”.</p>
<p><strong>Renewal:</strong> To renew at a lower price, you have
to buy another Military Appreciation Edition from the ‘PX’,
otherwise the renewal will be automatic by Microsoft at full
price.</p>
<p>6 steps to saving on Microsoft 365
renewals or first purchase</p>
<p>New Microsoft 365 Renewal traps</p>
<p>https://office-watch.com/2024/get-microsoft-365-for-less-money/</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in"><span>David
Goldfield,</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in"><span>Blindness
Assistive Technology Specialist</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in"><span>If you
need help using your assistive technology learn about my
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in"><font color="#000000"><span>WWW.ScreenReaderTraining.com</span></font></p>
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of Israel Lives!</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in"><font color="#000000"><span>NVDA Certified Expert</span></font></p>
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