Charge prefix guide
What is a Microsoft charge on your bank statement?
One company, many products, one descriptor family. Microsoft 365 (the Office subscription), OneDrive storage, Xbox Game Pass and game purchases, Copilot Pro, and one-off Microsoft Store buys all bill as MSFT or MICROSOFT — usually with the product name after the asterisk and msbill.info as the reference site. Xbox is the family favourite: a child's game purchase or an auto-renewing Game Pass on the account's stored card is the most common 'mystery' Microsoft charge.
Important: a processor prefix identifies who processed the payment — not necessarily who you bought from.
Real examples of how it appears
- MSFT *ONEDRIVE STANDA MSBILL.INFO WA
- MICROSOFT*365 PERSONAL MSBILL.INFO
- MSFT *XBOX GAME PASS
- MICROSOFT*STORE 425-681-1830 WA
Formats vary by bank — reference fragments, cities and codes come and go, but the prefix shape stays recognisable.
Descriptor formats to look for
- MSFT / MICROSOFT * …
How to verify the charge
See your Microsoft order history ↗- Sign in at account.microsoft.com → Payment & billing → Order history — every subscription renewal and Store purchase is listed with dates and amounts that match statement lines.
- Check which Microsoft account: family members' consoles and PCs often keep a parent's card on file, so try the emails your household actually signs in with, not just your own.
- Xbox purchases specifically live under the same order history — a run of small odd amounts is usually in-game content.
- The product tag in the descriptor (ONEDRIVE, 365, XBOX) narrows it before you even sign in.
Is it fraud?
Small unexplained MSFT charges on a card that's never touched Microsoft are worth checking properly — subscription sign-ups are a common test for stolen cards. But the overwhelmingly common case is a family member's account with your card stored: check order history under every household email before disputing, because a chargeback on a legitimate family purchase can suspend the Microsoft account it belongs to, Xbox library included.
Frequently asked questions
What is MSFT *ONEDRIVE on my statement?
OneDrive storage billing — either the standalone storage plan or a Microsoft 365 subscription that includes it. account.microsoft.com → Services & subscriptions shows which plan and its renewal date.
Why was I charged by Microsoft twice in one month?
Two different products usually — a 365 renewal and an Xbox purchase, or two family members' subscriptions on the same card. Order history under each household account separates them.
How do I stop a recurring Microsoft charge?
account.microsoft.com → Services & subscriptions → Manage next to the product → cancel or turn off recurring billing. Xbox subscriptions are managed in the same place, not on the console.
I cancelled but was still charged — why?
Cancelling after the renewal date bills the period already started, and annual plans renew on the anniversary people forget. Check the order history line's date against the subscription's renewal date; refunds for just-renewed subscriptions are often available through Microsoft support.
Common misunderstandings
- The city or state shown is often the company's registered address, not where you made the purchase.
- Charges can post days or weeks after the purchase.
- Small businesses may bill under a legal or holding-company name.
Whole statement, one pass
Stop looking charges up one by one
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