How to Fix "Check the Instructions That Came With Your Code" Xbox Error

8 min read

Got the error "Check the instructions that came with your code" when redeeming an Xbox Game Pass code? You're not alone — it's the most common Game Pass redemption error. Here's the fix.

Quick Fix

99% of the time this is a Trial key being redeemed on an account that already had a subscription. You need a brand new Microsoft account with zero subscription history. Follow the 4 steps below — takes about 3 minutes.

The Fix — 4 Steps

Warning

Don't keep retrying the code on the same account — Microsoft can temporarily lock redemption attempts after multiple failures, which makes things worse. Also, do NOT try to redeem through the Xbox console or Xbox app. The web page at redeem.microsoft.com is the only reliable method.

Follow these steps to redeem your code

01
Redeem on the correct page. Go to the official Microsoft redemption page at https://redeem.microsoft.com/ Do NOT try to redeem through the Xbox console or Xbox app — use the web page directly.
02
Check your subscription history. Go to https://account.microsoft.com/services and sign in. Look under Services & subscriptions. If you see ANY past or current subscription (Game Pass, Xbox Live Gold, Game Pass Ultimate, even an expired free trial) — that's why the code won't work and you need to continue to step 3.
03
Create a new Microsoft account. Go to https://signup.live.com and create a brand new account. Important: use a completely different email address (not an alias of your existing one), do not add the same phone number tied to your old account, and use an incognito/private window to avoid being auto-logged into your old Microsoft account. Make sure this account has zero subscription history.
04
Redeem your code. Log in with your new account at https://redeem.microsoft.com and enter your code. It should work!

Tip

Use an incognito/private browser window for steps 3 and 4. This is the easiest way to guarantee Microsoft doesn't auto-link your new account to your existing one through cached cookies.

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