Microsoft closes Outlook.com Premium to new subscribers

Microsoft announced today that it has begun rolling out Outlook.com Premium features to Office 365 Home and Personal subscribers, but one other change initially slipped under the radar. In a related support document (via ZDNet), Microsoft revealed that it is closing the Outlook.com Premium standalone subscription to new subscribers.

From Microsoft:

The Outlook.com Premium standalone offering was closed to new subscribers in October 2017. Many of the benefits in the standalone subscription are now included with subscriptions to Office 365 Home and Office 365 Personal.

Though the service is now closed to new subscribers, current subscribers can continue to renew their subscriptions to hold onto personalized domains and email addresses. Microsoft says it is "working on a solution that will enable you to transfer your domain to other providers." For anyone who would like to end their standalone subscription now that premium features are included in Office 365, Microsoft says it is not offering refunds "due to the special promotional price" of Outlook.com Premium.

It's an interesting move, particularly considering Outlook.com Premium only left preview in early 2017. However, now that certain premium features, including the ad-free experience, are included in Office 365 Home and Personal subscriptions, Microsoft is likely looking to consolidate its offerings.