LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network with over 800 million members. An annual LinkedIn subscription provides access to premium features that can help you get the most out of LinkedIn for your career and business.
What are the benefits of a LinkedIn Premium subscription?
Some key benefits of a LinkedIn Premium subscription include:
- See who’s viewed your profile – Find out who’s been looking at your profile so you can focus your networking efforts.
- Search profiles anonymously – Lookup people’s profiles without them being notified to discretely research contacts.
- Unlimited profile views – View as many profiles as you want without restrictions to research people and companies.
- InMail messages – Connect with anyone by sending direct messages even if you’re not connected.
- Insights on skills – Gain insights into the most in-demand skills for roles you’re interested in.
- Advanced profile filters – Use more filters like location and industry to find the right profiles.
- Learning video courses – Access over 16,000 expert-led video courses to boost your skills.
Having a Premium account can help you make connections with the right people, find job opportunities, research industries, learn new skills and gain insights to advance your career or business.
How much does a LinkedIn Premium subscription cost?
LinkedIn offers three tiers of paid subscriptions:
- Premium Career – $29.99 per month
- Premium Business – $49.99 per month
- Sales Navigator – $79.99 per month
The Premium Career plan has all the core benefits for individuals focused on their career. The Premium Business plan has additional features for marketing a business and managing a team. Sales Navigator is tailored for sales professionals.
You can save money by paying annually rather than monthly. Here are the annual subscription costs:
- Premium Career – $239.88 per year (saves $59.88 vs monthly)
- Premium Business – $519.88 per year (saves $119.88 vs monthly)
- Sales Navigator – $840 per year (saves $180 vs monthly)
So an annual subscription can save you around 20% compared to paying month-to-month. It’s a good option if you know you’ll use LinkedIn Premium long-term.
How do I purchase a LinkedIn Premium subscription?
Here are the steps to purchase an annual LinkedIn Premium subscription:
- Go to the LinkedIn homepage and log into your account
- Click on your profile picture in the top right and select “Premium”
- This will bring you to the Premium plans & pricing page
- Click “Buy Now” on the annual subscription option you want
- Enter your payment information on the secure checkout page
- That’s it! You’ll have an annual subscription activated on your account
Once subscribed, you can access your Premium features right away with no delays.
Can I try Premium for free first?
Yes, LinkedIn offers one month free trials for all Premium packages. Here’s how to take advantage of a free trial:
- Follow steps 1-4 above to select an annual plan
- On the checkout page check the box for “Start with 1 month free”
- You’ll get billed the annual rate after 1 month
- Cancel anytime during the free trial to avoid being charged
The free trial lets you test out LinkedIn Premium risk-free to see if the features benefit you. You can cancel ahead of being billed if you decide it’s not worthwhile.
Can I gift a Premium subscription?
LinkedIn allows you to purchase Premium subscriptions as gifts for other members. Here’s how to give Premium as a gift:
- From the Premium plans page, click “Buy As Gift”
- Search for the LinkedIn member you want to gift it to
- Select a delivery date and custom message
- Complete the checkout process with your payment info
- The recipient will receive a notification of your gift on the delivery date
Gifting Premium can be a thoughtful present for professional connections, employees, networking contacts, clients, friends and family members.
Can I pay with a prepaid card?
Yes, LinkedIn accepts prepaid credit and debit cards issued by major providers like Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover. To use a prepaid card:
- Purchase and register a prepaid card with sufficient balance for the Premium subscription
- Enter the prepaid card details when checking out
- Ensure the card balance remains sufficient to cover renewal payments
Using a prepaid card allows you to pay for LinkedIn Premium without linking a bank account or credit card. Just be sure to maintain your prepaid card’s balance.
What payment methods does LinkedIn support?
LinkedIn accepts these payment options:
- Visa
- Mastercard
- American Express
- Discover
- JCB
- Diners Club
- Prepaid credit/debit cards
- PayPal
Payment can be made with credit card, debit card, prepaid card or through a PayPal account. Subscriptions automatically renew each year and the annual fee will be charged to your selected payment method.
Can I cancel my Premium subscription?
Yes, you can cancel a LinkedIn Premium subscription at any time:
- Go to your account settings
- Under “Products”, click “Manage” beside your Premium subscription
- Click “Cancel subscription”
- Follow the on-screen instructions to confirm cancellation
Your Premium access will continue until the end of the current billing period, then automatically expire. You won’t be charged another annual fee.
Downgrading or cancelling Premium won’t delete your profile – you simply revert to a free Basic account.
Is there a refund policy for Premium subscriptions?
LinkedIn does not offer refunds on Premium subscriptions, however there are a couple options:
- Cancel within free trial – Cancel before the 1 month free trial ends to avoid being charged at all.
- Cancel renewal – You can cancel to prevent being charged again when your annual subscription renews.
To request a refund, you’d need to contact LinkedIn customer support and provide details on why you’re unsatisfied with the Premium service.
Who is eligible for student discounts?
College students can get discounts on LinkedIn Premium subscriptions. The student discounts include:
- Premium Career – $14.99 per month
- Premium Business – $24.99 per month
To qualify for student discounts you must:
- Be a current college or university student
- Have a valid school-issued email address
- Verify your student status with SheerID
SheerID will ask you to confirm details like your enrollment status, graduation date, field of study, and more. Verifying student eligibility lets LinkedIn offer discounted rates.
Can I switch between Premium plans?
Yes, it’s possible to upgrade or downgrade your LinkedIn Premium subscription if your needs change:
- To upgrade – start a new 1 month free trial on a higher tier plan
- To downgrade – manage your subscription settings and switch plans
Upgrading lets you try higher-tier features for a month risk-free before paying. Downgrading immediately reduces access to some features while retaining your current expiration date.
Conclusion
A LinkedIn Premium subscription unlocks features that boost your professional networking and career growth opportunities. While not essential, it can provide helpful benefits for some LinkedIn members.
The annual subscription offers a nice 20% discount compared to going month-to-month. You can try it risk-free with the 1 month trial and cancel anytime. Overall, Premium is worth considering if you use LinkedIn extensively for business or career advancement and can justify the annual cost.
Here are some key takeaways:
- Premium offers insights on profile views, InMail messages, and advanced profile searches.
- Annual subscriptions are $239.88 for Premium Career, $519.88 for Premium Business.
- Purchase Premium through your account settings and payment methods like credit card or PayPal.
- Cancel anytime – subscriptions auto-renew each year.
- Students get discounted rates after ID verification with SheerID.
Getting the most out of LinkedIn often requires a paid Premium subscription. Evaluate the features and decide if the annual investment is worthwhile for how you use LinkedIn professionally.
I hope this comprehensive article explained clearly how to purchase an annual LinkedIn Premium subscription, provided useful details on the plans and pricing, and gave helpful guidance on managing your subscription. Let me know if you have any other questions!