I felt compelled to make an FAQ seeing as there was nothing on the forums covering many basic account functions and billing functions. Hope this helps. This guide ranges from removing your credit card to graduate your account to phishing awareness.
Table of Contents:
- How to remove a credit card from your account
- How to cancel your Live membership
- How to turn off automatic renewal of your Xbox Live membership
- How to graduate your account
- How to change your Windows Live ID
- Phishing FAQ & Account Security
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1. How to remove a credit card from your accountWith a recent update, removing a credit card has become an easy process.
Instructions:
NOTE: If you try to remove a credit card which is currently being used as a payment option, it will not let you remove it. First you will have to cancel the subscription the payment option is paying for. Refer to part 2.
ALSO: Disabling auto-renewal will not allow you to remove a payment option. You will need to wait until your subscription term ends before you can remove a payment option associated with your subscription.
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2. How to cancel your Live membership
To cancel your Xbox Live Gold membership, you need to
contact Xbox Support in your region and have them remove it for you.
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3. How to turn off automatic renewal of your Live subscriptionWhen you buy Xbox Live Gold with a credit card, automatically added is an automatic renewal function which pays for your Xbox Live Gold subscription when it runs out via credit card/payment option.
To cancel your automatic renewal, you need to
contact Xbox Support in your region and have them remove it for you.
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4. How to graduate your account/promote child account
If you are below 18 years of age, there are certain items on the Xbox Live marketplace you are restricted to download, including but not limited to free M-rated content in the form of videos, themes, demos, gamerpics, etc... You also don't get advertisements on the Xbox Dashboard.
When you turn 18 years of age, you can promote your account so you have access to all of the above.
Instructions:
- On the My Xbox area of the dashboard, press A on the profile block (with your avatar). ->
- Select Manage Account ->
- Select Promote Child Account
- Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process
NOTE: You need a credit card to successfully promote your account.
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5. How to change your Windows Live ID
You can change the Windows Live ID associated with your Xbox Live gamertag using the tool on the dashboard. What this means is that it changes the e-mail address used to sign into your gamertag on xbox.com, bungie.net, forzamotorsport.net and other Xbox Live affiliated websites, and it transfers the Microsoft Points on your account to your new appointed Windows Live ID.
To make a new Windows Live ID, go to
http://windowslive.com or
http://account.live.com and sign up.
Instructions:
- On the My Xbox area of the dashboard, press A on the profile block (with your avatar). ->
- Go to Manage Account ->
- Select Windows Live ID ->
- Select Change Windows Live ID
- Sign in with your current Windows Live ID associated with your gamertag, then enter the one you wish to change it to when prompted, and follow the rest of the on-screen instructions.
Partial credit to Syncstorm
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6. Account Security and Phishing FAQ
I've added this section because safety of your account is extremely important and there are many people trying to access people's gamertags through methods of phishing, and with valuable information on your account like credit card number, it's something absolutely important in protecting.
Remember,
your account is your responsibility.Account Sharing
- Account sharing is a common way of losing your account. By sharing your Windows Live ID credentials you're putting your account at risk. Make sure to keep your password secret, even with your family and friends. Any risk of someone knowing your password is a risk regardless. Be careful.
Phishing Scams
- Phishing (pronounced fishing) is a very common form of scamming people. It's a way of tricking people into giving their login credentials, usually by imitating a trusted site, or by promising a reward in exchange for your credentials. You may be phished through:
- An e-mail imitating one from Xbox or Microsoft.
- A site designed to look like xbox.com, bungie.net, forzamotorsport.net or any other site which requires your Windows Live ID credentials. These often have free domains.
- A site promising free Microsoft Points, or Live Subscriptions, or generally anything that Microsoft or its affiliates charge for. These often have free domains.
- A message from Xbox Live that may come from someone on your friends list with a link to a website.
- Regardless of how you may be phished, it's most important to keep your password to yourself.
Gamerscore/In-game Level Boosting Sites
- Any site proposing a way to increase your gamerscore or in-game rank, asking for your WLID credentials may (and more than likely will) put your account at risk. Typically, they ask for your credentials and say they can get your GS/rank up to [insert level here] in no time! Don't give in. To add insult to an already bad injury, some of these sites may ask for payment in exchange for boosting your rank/score. This may lead to you being down on money, and your account. Don't risk it. These sites which are not affiliated with Microsoft should not be trusted.
Social Engineering
- Social Engineering is a way of finding certain information about a person, which can be found in seamingly meaningless conversation, but can be used to gain your personal info and WLID credentials. Once the phisher has enough info about you, they can use the info to pose as you and attempt to gain access to your account. Again, be sure to keep all personal information to yourself, and only enter it to Microsoft-based sites when prompted.
- To avoid being a victim and to keep your profile safe:
- Don't enter your first and last name on your profile and tell people what they are over Xbox Live.
- Don't put your home address on your Xbox Live profile or give it out on the internet.
- Don't give your Windows Live ID to people that may email you that you do not know, and don't give it out over Xbox Live with people you do not trust completely.
- Your job is your business. Keep responses about your career brief, or vague. Do not provide specifics about where you work or who you work for as this information can lead to locating more information about you. Do not put your employer in your Xbox profile.
- Be wary of anyone asking you for information about yourself that doesn't have a need for the information.
- Also, to keep your Windows Live ID safe:
- Microsoft and Xbox will never ask you for your Windows Live ID password in email, Instant Messaging or over the phone. Enter your Windows Live ID password only at known Microsoft sites or through the Xbox console.
Reporting a Phishing Scam
What To Do If You Suspect You're a Victim of Phishing
- Change the passwords on all your online accounts.
- Check your credit card/bank statements to see if your credit card has been accessed.
- If your account has been stolen for sure, to attempt to get your account back, as well as contacting your credit card/bank corp. if you have a credit card attached, contact Xbox Support about the incident.
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Thus concludes this FAQ. Please check out the other helpful links to follow. I hope this will prevent possible phishing scams, and keep them down.
Other Helpful links:
desynch's minion #000002
