Well, this is a nice surprise even if it is long overdue. It seems that you can now use your Microsoft account balance to purchase Xbox Live Gold subscriptions, games, consoles or even a new Surface Pro.
In the past your Microsoft account balance could only be used to purchase digital games or media from Xbox and Windows stores. This has been a point of criticism for many gamers who wanted to use their account balances towards Xbox Live Gold subscriptions.
Here’s a tip for you – Xbox currency codes like the ones you can get from Amazon or Best Buy also work for your Microsoft account. If you have any way to earn Amazon gift cards or Xbox Live codes from programs like Bing Rewards then you can build up a nice balance towards a new console or laptop from the Microsoft store.
Thanks to Reddit user BackxMamba for noticing this fix.
