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Adding a payment method.
I can't add a payment method!
I can't remove my payment method.
I'm unable to add PayPal to my account
I still can’t add my payment method.
What are valid payment methods?
Currently you can use major label credit and debit cards:
These should be current accounts, and the billing information should match that of your Xbox LIVE account. Also, prepaid credit/debit cards may not work on Xbox LIVE, as the service requires the card be able to accept online and recurring charges, something prepaid cards sometimes cannot do.
How do I add a payment method?
You can add payment methods on the console or on Xbox.com. For the console, just follow the steps below:
1. Navigate to the Settings Hub and select Account.
2. Under the Your Billing Options panel select
Manage Payment Options.
3. Select which type of payment method you wish to add: Add PayPal or Add Credit Card.
4. Fill out the required info and select Next.
*You can also use the options found on Step 3 to Update or Remove a current payment method.
I can't add a payment method!
First, verify that you are entering all the information correctly and that it matches your Xbox LIVE account. This includes your name, address, card info, etc. For instance, if the name on your card is "John Smith" and the name on your LIVE account
is "Master Chief" then there could be some issues when authorizing or using the card. Also, the billing region on the payment method must match that of the account.
If you are sure that all the information on the account and payment method are correct, you could try to remove the payment method entirely and re-add it back to your account. You could also try using a different payment method.
I’m getting a specific error code or message.
There are several different messages you could be getting. These errors might look like:
Can't authorize the selected payment option. Please select a different payment option or add a new one.
Can't retrieve information from Xbox LIVE. Status code ########
Here are some specific things to double check before posting about this issue:
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Things to check |
Why and how you should check |
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Your account billing address does not match your billing address for the credit card
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You can check your billing address on Xbox.com under the Account section. |
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Your credit card billing address and the account region do not match
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You can check the region of your account by visiting https://billing.microsoft.com and clicking on “Personal Information”. |
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Your card has not been activated - or - - or - Your card cannot accept online purchases or automatic billing - or - Your credit card company is intentionally preventing the card from being used
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You will need to get in touch with your payment method provider to check on these issues. A lot of users don’t realize that not all credit cards are created equal. Your card must allow for online purchasing and recurring fees (like auto-renewing LIVE time). Also, some prepaid credit or debit cards do not work with LIVE as they cannot be counted on for automatic billing. |
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You have too many unsuccessful purchase attempts, and will need to wait 24 to 48 hours |
If you have been trying to authorize a card too many times, the fraud protection on the card might kick in, preventing any further attempts. If you have waited longer than 48 hours and it is still not working you may need to call your provider to see if you need to personally authorize the use of this card for this purpose. |
I get "Can't Authorize" errors for multiple payment methods.
If you are getting this same error with multiple payment methods from multiple providers (PayPal, different banks or credit cards, etc), you should contact phone support in your region for more information
and possible resolution. This could indicate some kind of issue with your account that only phone support will be able to assist you with.
I'm getting charged $1 when adding a payment method!
These are just test charges that are sent to verify that your payment method is currently accepting charges. They will be reversed within a few days. If you don't see them leave your account, first verify you didn't make any $1 purchases, and then contact
either your bank or Xbox Phone Support.
Is there another way I can purchase my content?
In addition to purchasing content directly on LIVE, you could purchase a pre-paid card from a local retailer or online. These cards can be redeemed for Microsoft points, games, add-on content, or Xbox LIVE time.
I can't remove my payment method.
Before taking any steps, you need to know if your account is currently on a auto-renewing subscription to LIVE. If you purchased LIVE through the console with a payment method, possibly some kind of promotion, a valid payment method must be attached to
the account for the duration. You can switch the payment method by adding a new one and then removing the original method, but you cannot remove all payment methods.
If you wish to cancel your auto-renewal so you can remove your payment method, start by calling up phone support in your region and asking them to turn it off. You can also get more information on
our auto-renewal process in this sticky post. Now you just sit back and let your LIVE time run its course. When the subscription expires, you are free to remove any and all payment methods from your
account.
IMPORTANT: Please note that you can call phone support and have them manually cancel your subscription as this is the only way to prematurely remove all your payment methods. Please make sure you and the phone agent are clear on this before continuing.
Once your LIVE time is canceled, it cannot be returned to you. Refunds are generally not given when you manually cancel your subscription.
I'm unable to add PayPal to my account
If you are having issues with adding PayPal first check to make sure that your account meets all the requirements for using PayPal. Please ensure that all of the following criteria are met before continuing to other troubleshooting steps.
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Region |
PayPal is currently available to users in the following regions. Please ensure your Account Region is set to the correct region. You can verify this by visiting https://billing.microsoft.com and clicking on "Personal Information"
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Age |
PayPal is currently only available to users 18 years of age and older. This is checked based on the birthday set when creating the account. |
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Funds |
In order to properly use your PayPal account, it must either have a valid credit card attached to it or a positive money balance. If you have an attached bank account and are still having trouble adding/using your PayPal method, try transferring some money from the bank account to PayPal so the PayPal account actually has a positive balance. |
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Account Information |
Please ensure that the account information on both your LIVE account and PayPal account is current and that it matches. For instance, if your PayPal account is under "John Smith" but your Xbox LIVE account is registered to "Master Chief", you may have issues linking the two accounts. This also goes for contact information, billing address, etc. |
I have tried everything and still can’t add my payment method.
If none of the above troubleshooting has helped you out, you can create a new post in this forum for us to take a look at. Please include the following information in your post so we can better assist you.
What type of payment method are you trying to add?
What error code or message are you receiving?
What region is your account set to?
What region do you physically connect from?
What region is your payment method's billing address in?