Xbox Live Gold: Microsoft Eliminates 12
New Xbox Live Gold subscribers will now pay higher prices to join.
Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass service is an enticing deal all around, but some subscribers have demurred from signing up.
Now, it looks like Xbox Live Gold users are being funneled into becoming Game Pass members with a drastic price change.
New subscribers will be paying much different prices for Xbox Live Gold with these changes enacted.
Here’s what we know so far.
How To Turn Off Auto
You might want to turn off the Auto Renewal on your Xbox One subscription in the event you arent taking part in steadily or want to unsubscribe for every other reason why as you’ll get charged mechanically when your subscription expires. Here is an easy step-by-step information on how to turn off Auto-Renewal on Xbox One:
With Donotpay You Wont Be Charged After The Free Trial
Most people, when they subscribe to a free trial, forget to cancel it before it expires. This leads to unwanted costs of subscription renewal that can be quite pricey. If you dont want to be charged when your free trial expires, you can sign up with DoNotPays virtual credit card. Xbox Live cant tell the difference between a virtual and real credit card, and they wont be able to charge you.
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Canceling Xbox Live With Donotpay
Canceling Xbox Live on your own may take you some time. Canceling the service with the DoNotPay app wont take more than a couple of minutes. All you have to do is follow these steps:
As soon as we cancel your Xbox Live subscription, we will let you know via email.
Is Xbox Live Gold Worth It After 2021 Changes
Microsoft just dropped some significant changes to Xbox Live Gold, opening multiplayer to all users for free-to-play games and unbinding other social features from the paid subscription. It allows any Xbox owner to play many of the most popular Xbox games online, including Fortnite, Call of Duty: Warzone, and Apex, without forking out for additional charges.
Xbox Live Gold remains essential for most Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S owners, with the majority of multiplayer experiences still tied up in the membership. The change is directed towards those who exclusively play from the few dozen free-to-play games, especially suited to those frequenting today’s top battle royale titles. The move has also detached Party Chat and Looking for Group services from Xbox Live Gold, now freely available to all Xbox users.
Whether Xbox Live Gold is still worthwhile depends on your playing habits and whether you regularly play titles online outside the free-to-play offering. Many of the most popular games on the platform, like Call of Duty and FIFA, still require an active membership to access multiplayer features. Xbox Live Gold also retains other exclusive benefits like the Games with Gold program and member-only discounts.
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Looks Like Your Need To Renew Xbox Game Pass Error
This seems to be an odd error that you might run into from time to time with the Xbox consoles and once we have seen a little more than usual as of late. During such an event, you would run into it when you turn on the console, select a game, and open it. You would then be faced with an error that says something similar to Looks like your need to renew Xbox Game Pass. It will then kick you out of the game and right back to the dashboard.
Now, your default response might be to panic. Especially, if you dont currently subscribe to Xbox Game Pass. If your Xbox Game Pass membership is just current or you are trying to access a normal disc or digital game that you personally own and have a current Xbox Live Gold subscription, then everything is ok.
It appears to be an odd glitch in the Matrix of things that occurs from time to time. You may never run into it, or you may run into it a small number of times. Either way, the fix is easy. A little annoying that it has to be done, but easy nonetheless.
You can also attempt this without the controller by holding power button for 10 seconds to do a full shutdown from there. Then wait a number of seconds and press it again. Again, it should take a lot longer to boot up than normal. However, once it comes back, you should be good to go.
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Xbox Live Gold Price: What Do You Get For Your Cash
The main draw to that Xbox Live Gold price is access to online multiplayer, as it’s the only way to play co-operatively or competitively online on Xbox. However, there are other benefits included to sweeten the deal a little, like two free monthly games and exclusive discounts at the Microsoft Store as well.
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What Is Xbox Live Gold
Xbox Live Gold is one of four monthly Game Pass plans offered by Microsoft. Its key features are, per Microsoft:
- Get 2 free games to play every month.
- Join the greatest community of gamers on the most advanced multiplayer network.
- Experience the best in competitive and cooperative online console multiplayer.
- Save up to 50% on select titles in the Microsoft Store.
Xbox Live Gold is not the most comprehensive and expensive gaming plan offered by Microsoft. Rather, that is Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, which includes all features of Xbox Live Gold and more.
Best Xbox Live Gold Deals 2021
If you want to enjoy everything the Xbox Series X and Xbox One have to offer, you’ll need an Xbox Live Gold subscription. Buying direct from Microsoft isn’t always the cheapest place, though. As you’ll see, the best Xbox Live Gold deals can often be found at Amazon and CD Keys.
We’ve shopped around, found today’s cheapest Xbox Live Gold memberships, and listed them below. So whether you’re due to renew your Xbox Live subscription or about to sign up for the first time, don’t reach for your money until you’ve checked the discounts and offers below.
- Read our full review of the Xbox Series X
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Canceling Xbox Live Through Their Website
After you complete these steps, your subscription will end once the prepaid term expires. If you want to cancel your subscription immediately, you need to contact Xbox Live customer service. Dial 469-9269 to cancel your membership.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate
If you want to combine your Xbox Live Gold and Xbox Game Pass subscriptions, you can save with the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. On top of your free monthly games courtesy of Live Gold, you’ll also get access to the entire Xbox Game Pass library for one price.
While you can only grab three month memberships at the moment, buying both Xbox Live Gold and Xbox Game Pass separately through a rolling subscription with Microsoft will set you back $59.94/£44.94 for those three months. The Xbox Game Pass Ultimate will save you at least $15/£12, and that’s before you’ve even taken a look at the great deals below.
We’d recommend starting off with the $1/£1 introductory month available through your Xbox console, before cancelling your auto-renew and grabbing one of these amazing discounts.
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How Do You Turn Off Automatic Payments On Xbox
How to turn off auto renewal on an Xbox One
Cheapest Xbox Live Gold Deals
We generally find that CDKeys is one of the cheapest prices to buy 12-month Xbox Live Gold deals. However, you’ll need to make sure that your Xbox Live Gold membership code will work in your country, so double check the region before picking one up.
If you’d prefer to go down the official route, you can buy directly from Microsoft’s website. There are discounts sometimes, but we generally find prices stick to the full RRP. If you’d like to take a look, that’d be $59.99 in the US or £39.99 in the UK or $79.95 in Australia.
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Having Issues With Xbox Live Donotpay Can Help You Sue Them In Small Claims Court
If you feel like Xbox Live didnt provide you with a resolution you think you deserve or treated you unfairly, you can get the justice you deserve by suing the company. DoNotPay has been awarded by the American Bar Association and has a stellar reputation in suing people and businesses in small claims court.We can help you sue the company without wasting your time and effort.
My Xbox Live Gold Subscription
Congratulations! You acquired an Xbox Live Gold card. With the code you have received, you are granted access to the most wanted content available on your Xbox! But what exactly is Xbox Live Gold? With a Live Gold membership, you got yourself the following deal:
- You are a member of a trusted gaming community
- You can play online with your friends
- You get to download 2 free games every month
- You receive exclusive discounts for add-ons, games and more
- You are granted access to the Xbox Live-parties and party chat
- With Home Gold, everyone within your household can benefit from your Live Gold membership
Is this the first time you have ever bought an Xbox Live Gold card and you are unsure how to redeem it? Do not worry, we love to help a fellow gamer in need! To assist you, we made this step-by-step instruction guide on redeeming your code. Enjoy all the extras that come with a Gold Live membership today!
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How To Turn On Recurring Billing
When recurring billing is turned on for a Microsoft subscription, youll be billed for your subscription on your renewal date.
Sign in to Services & subscriptions with your Microsoft account. If you have more than one Microsoft account, make sure you’re signing in with the one that applies to the subscription you want to set up recurring billing for.
Locate the subscription you’d like to set up with recurring billing.
Note: If you can’t find it on the list, it might be a subscription from a third party, such as Apple or Best Buy. Contact them directly for managing your subscription and billing.
Select Turn on recurring billing.
If you see an upcoming payment date next to your subscription, you already have recurring billing turned on and you dont have to do anything else.
If your subscription has already expired, select Renew to renew your subscription. Recurring billing will be turned on automatically when you renew your subscription.
If you see Paid with pre-paid card next to the subscription expiration date, you paid for the subscription with a pre-paid code and you can’t turn on recurring billing. You can buy a new one at Microsoft Store when the subscription expires.
Check your inbox for an email that confirms recurring billing. If you don’t see it in your inbox, check your junk mail or spam folder.
How Microsoft Planned To Hike Prices
The bullet points below list the planned changes originally announced by Microsoft on the morning of Jan. 22, 2021, along with the changes made in the evening of the same day:
- Existing members with 12-month and six-month plans will see no price increase and can renew at their current prices. This offer stands.
- For both existing and new members, the price of a one-month plan was to increase from $9.99 to $10.99. This price hike was canceled.
- For both existing and new members, the price of a three-month plan was to increase from $24.99 to $29.99. This price hike was canceled
- For new members, the price of a six-month plan was to increase from $39.99 to $59.99. This price hike was canceled.
- Existing Xbox Live Gold members can upgrade to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate at no extra cost, for the remaining term of their current Gold membership, with a cap of 36 months. This offer stands.
In 2020, Microsoft stopped offering new 12-month Xbox Live Gold memberships, which had been priced at $59.99 per year. The upshot of all the above was that, for new members, Microsoft had planned to double the cost of a 12-month membership to just under $120. However, in its updated announcement, Microsoft indicates that $59.99 12-month memberships are available. Meanwhile, Sony Corporation is holding the price of a 12-month subscription for PlayStation Plus at $59.99.
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Donotpay Can Monitor All Of Your Subscriptions For Unused Services
According to recent research, one in ten millennials spends over $200 a month on subscription services. What makes this issue so important is that 87% of them arent aware of how much money theyre spending on such services. If you think you are one of them, you should consider using DoNotPay to monitor your subscriptions. The app can help you track all your subscription services and find those that you do not use.
Is The Xbox Live Gold Price Increasing
For one hot second the Xbox Live Gold price was increasing, however as of January 2021, that decision has been reversed . It seems the backlash was too great for Microsoft to put its costs up at this stage.
James Pickard is a Deals Editor at TechRadar. After many years of scouring the net for the cheapest games and tech for his own personal use, he decided to make it his job to share those bargains with you. James also has over five years of experience covering some of the biggest sales events of the year at Eurogamer and VG247, including Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Amazon Prime Day. When not deals hunting, James can be found on the PS5, watching a classic film noir or cheering on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
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Use Xbox Live Gold Deals For Game Pass Ultimate
As of June 2019, there’s an even better way to make the most of these Xbox Live Gold deals – turning your membership into a Game Pass Ultimate subscription. Game Pass Ultimate combines the online play of Live Gold and the game streaming library of Game Pass to bring you the ultimate Xbox experience. Plus, Microsoft are offering an introductory $1/£1 price tag on players’ first month with the subscription.
This is where it gets interesting, though. Microsoft is also offering to convert any remaining Xbox Live Gold months you have left when you sign up into Game Pass Ultimate months. As long as you add the Live Gold months to your account before you sign up for Ultimate, you can stack gift card codes to save an amazing amount of cash. Previously, this could net you up to 36 months of Game Pass Ultimate, however now that amount is based on a conversion ratio of how long you have left on your Live Gold subscription. It’s a great way to make the most of those Xbox Live Gold deals and explore the Game Pass library in one go.
You’re still spending money on the Live Gold deals, but this subscription is far cheaper than Xbox’s most expensive membership. Plus, Microsoft is fully supportive of the lifehack, so there’s no need to worry about being told off.
Is The Xbox Live Gold Price Worth It
If you want to play online, you need to grab yourself an Xbox Live Gold subscription to do so. However, if you’re not looking for multiplayer, you might be struggling for reasons to pick up a new service.
One of those reasons may be the Games with Gold program which offers free Xbox titles every month in a similar vein to Sony’s own PlayStation Plus offerings. This is included with your Xbox Live Gold membership, so if you regularly find yourself looking for something new to play there are some benefits here.
Plus, those Xbox Live Gold member discounts will come in handy if you’re a regular shopper, so if you’re spending a lot on that digital marketplace you may well make back the Xbox Live Gold price overall.
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Month Xbox Live Gold Subscriptions Are No Longer Available Via The Microsoft Store
In a bit of a surprising move, Microsoft has removed the option to purchase a 12-month Xbox Live Gold subscription from the Microsoft Store digital storefront.
At this time Xbox has decided to remove the 12 month Xbox Live Gold SKU from the Microsoft online Store, Microsoft said in a statement to NW. Customers can still sign up for a 1 month or 3 month Xbox Live Gold subscription online through the Microsoft Store.
The change is now live in the United States, Australia, and other regions though it should be noted that current Xbox Live Gold subscribers can currently renew their subscriptions for 12 months with the traditional discount by logging into their subscription page on the Xbox or Microsoft website. I just did this and Id recommend you do the same as its unclear how long this option will be available. A 6 month membership can also be purchased here.
No reason has been given for this change. It could simply be Microsoft trying to save some money though its possible that the company could have plans to phase out Xbox Live Gold as a standalone service later this year when the Xbox Series X console is released.