LinkedIn premium is LinkedIn’s paid subscription service that unlocks additional features beyond the free version of LinkedIn. There are three paid tiers of LinkedIn premium: Premium Career, Premium Business, and Sales Navigator. Each tier provides upgraded functionality to help professionals get more out of LinkedIn for job searching, business networking, lead generation, and sales prospecting.
What features do you get with LinkedIn Premium?
Here are some of the key features included with the different tiers of LinkedIn Premium:
Premium Career
- See who’s viewed your profile
- Stand out in search results
- View expanded profiles of people who have viewed you
- InMail messages to contact anyone on LinkedIn
- Interview preparation and coaching
- Salary insights
Premium Business
- All Premium Career features
- 40 InMail messages per month
- Profile organic views
- Expanded search filters
- Premium message templates
- Talent Insights
Sales Navigator
- All Premium Business features
- Unlimited InMail messages
- Lead recommendations
- Advanced search filters
- TeamLink collaboration
- Contact management and alerts
As you can see, the higher tiers build on the features of the lower tiers and add more advanced functionality for finding and contacting people on LinkedIn.
How much does LinkedIn Premium cost?
The cost of LinkedIn Premium varies based on which tier you choose and whether you pay monthly or annually. Here are the current pricing options as of October 2023:
LinkedIn Premium Plan | Monthly Price | Annual Price |
---|---|---|
Premium Career | $29.99 per month | $239.88 per year ( saves 17% ) |
Premium Business | $59.99 per month | $479.88 per year ( saves 20% ) |
Sales Navigator | $79.99 per month | $779.88 per year ( saves 5% ) |
As you can see from the pricing table, annual subscriptions provide some savings compared to paying month-to-month. Sales Navigator has the smallest savings for annual plans at just 5%. Premium Business offers 20% savings for annual plans, while Premium Career has the biggest discount at 17% off when paying annually.
Can you pay for LinkedIn Premium with a gift card?
Yes, you can pay for LinkedIn Premium using prepaid gift cards from select merchants. Here are some ways to use gift cards for LinkedIn Premium:
- Redeem Visa, Mastercard, or American Express branded gift cards during checkout
- Use PayPal to pay with a gift card balance if the gift card provider is linked to your PayPal account
- Purchase LinkedIn Premium gift cards that provide a premium subscription code
- Redeem Microsoft gift cards during checkout if purchasing through a Microsoft owned property
When using a normal retailer gift card, make sure the card can be used for digital goods or online purchases. Gifting LinkedIn Premium subscriptions also makes a great present for professionals in your network.
What payment methods does LinkedIn accept?
LinkedIn provides flexibility in how you pay for Premium subscriptions. Here are the payment methods accepted by LinkedIn:
- Credit card (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover)
- Debit card (Processed like a credit card)
- PayPal
- LinkedIn gift cards or promotion codes
- Microsoft gift cards (when purchased through Microsoft)
Keep in mind that LinkedIn will require a valid credit or debit card on file even when redeeming gift cards or promotional codes. This allows them to automatically charge your card when the gift or promo credit runs out to avoid disruption to your Premium access.
Does LinkedIn offer installment plans?
Unfortunately, LinkedIn does not currently offer installment plans or financing options for Premium subscriptions. Premium must be paid in full upfront either monthly or annually. However, there are a couple potential workarounds:
- Use a credit card that offers installment plans on large purchases as a payment option
- Sign up for an annual plan and pay with a gift card that covers several months up front
While LinkedIn itself does not allow installments, strategically using credit cards or gift cards can produce a similar outcome. Just be aware of any additional interest or fees charged by those third-party providers.
Can you share a LinkedIn Premium account?
LinkedIn’s terms of service prohibit sharing of individual Premium accounts across multiple users. Each person is required to have their own Premium subscription. However, some features of Premium Business and Sales Navigator allow collaboration across a team:
- Premium Business allows adding Premium to teams and groups
- Sales Navigator enables TeamLink for shared access to accounts and leads
While multiple people can’t log into the same Premium account, those team features allow some collaboration capabilities across subscribers. Overall though, everyone needs their own Premium membership to access the full range of benefits.
Can you access Premium temporarily without subscribing?
LinkedIn offers a few ways to access Premium features on a limited basis without a paid subscription, including:
- One month free trial for all Premium tiers
- Student and educator access discounts
- Access sponsored by recruiters and sales reps
- Premium trials and freemium content offered during special promotions
Trials, student discounts, and sponsored access offer temporary usage in many cases. Take advantage of those opportunities to evaluate whether a paid Premium subscription is worthwhile for you before committing.
What are LinkedIn Premium certification benefits?
In addition to the standard Premium features, having an active Premium subscription can also unlock access to certain LinkedIn Learning certification benefits. These include:
- One free retake on cert exams if you fail
- Ad-free learning experience
- Some certifications offered free to Premium subscribers
The certification benefits are most valuable for Premium subscribers who use LinkedIn Learning extensively. However, even occasional LinkedIn Learning users may find value in the free retakes when working toward certification in business, creative, and technology fields.
What are the payment settings on LinkedIn?
Within your LinkedIn account settings, you can manage your payment information and billing preferences. Here are some of the key payment settings:
- Update payment method – Add/update credit card or PayPal
- Change billing frequency – Switch between monthly and annual billing
- Cancel subscription – Stop auto-renew for Premium membership
- Purchase history – View previous Premium transactions
- Invoices – Access receipt and plan details
- Premium promotion code – Redeem discounts and gift cards
Keeping your payment settings up to date ensures timely processing of your Premium subscription fees. The settings also allow you to easily make changes to your plan or cancel auto-renewal.
Does LinkedIn offer refunds for Premium?
LinkedIn’s refund policy for Premium subscriptions is as follows:
- Monthly plans – Cancel before the month ends to avoid being charged for the next month
- Annual plans – Cancel within 30 days for a full refund. After 30 days, the annual fee is non-refundable.
So essentially, you have 30 days from the start of any annual plan to receive a full refund if you cancel your Premium subscription. Monthly plans must be canceled before the current month ends to avoid being charged again.
Can you write off LinkedIn Premium on your taxes?
In some cases, yes the cost of LinkedIn Premium can be deducted on personal or business tax returns. Here is how it works:
- Businesses – Premium fees are a deductible business expense when used for marketing, networking, hiring, etc.
- Self-employed – Premium costs may qualify as a deductible professional development expense on Schedule C filings
- Job seekers – Potentially deductible on Schedule A if Premium aids your job search
Consult a tax professional to understand how LinkedIn Premium applies to your particular tax situation. Proper documentation is key to claiming allowable deductions on your taxes.
What are LinkedIn Premium’s payment terms?
Here is a summary of LinkedIn’s Premium payment terms:
- Subscriptions auto-renew until canceled
- Charges processed at the start of each month or year per billing cycle
- Cancellation changes take effect after the current billing period
- Unused time is non-refundable if you cancel mid-cycle
- Taxes and VAT are added where applicable based on account residence
Reviewing the payment terms ahead of time ensures you know what to expect when signing up for Premium. Key points to understand are the auto-renewal feature and the timing of cancellation effects.
Can services pay for employee LinkedIn Premium access?
Yes, companies and organizations can provide Premium access to employees and team members by purchasing subscriptions on their behalf. There are a couple ways businesses can pay for employee Premium:
- Gift individual Premium subscriptions – Purchase codes and distribute to employees
- LinkedIn Elevate – Manage Premium seats and allocation through a central dashboard
Providing Premium as a work perk can improve employees’ productivity on LinkedIn. The Elevate platform offers centralized management and insights for the business. Individual gift subscriptions offer more flexibility.
What are the advantages of paying annually?
Here are some potential benefits of paying for LinkedIn Premium on an annual rather than monthly basis:
- Cost savings from the annual pricing discount
- Locks in the annual rate and avoids price increases
- Fewer credit card transactions to process and renew
- Uninterrupted access without ongoing renewals
- Motivates full use of features with sunk annual cost
The main trade-off is needing to pay a large lump sum upfront. But if you know you’ll use Premium long-term, the annual commitment can make financial sense and provide convenience.
What are LinkedIn’s cancellation and refund policies?
Here is an overview of LinkedIn’s Premium cancellation and refund policies:
- Monthly plans – Cancel before renewal to avoid next charge
- Annual plans – 30 day money back guarantee from start
- Unused time is non-refundable when canceling mid-cycle
- Cancel via account settings or contact customer support
- Cancellation changes take effect next billing cycle
The ability to receive a full annual plan refund within 30 days gives you adequate time to evaluate Premium. Just be sure to cancel unused annual plans within that initial timeframe.
What happens to Premium features if you stop paying?
Here is what occurs if you allow your LinkedIn Premium subscription to expire due to non-payment:
- Immediate loss of access to all Premium features
- Profile returns to free Experience tier
- Premium badge removed from your profile
- Unused InMail credits are forfeited
- Saved searches and preferences are retained
Essentially all Premium capabilities are deactivated when the subscription lapses. Make sure to export any data or items you want to keep access to before non-renewing. Your profile visibility returns to standard level.
Conclusion
LinkedIn Premium unlocks powerful business, networking, and recruiting functionality through paid access. While Premium requires an ongoing investment, the features and services can provide strong value depending on your professional needs. Carefully evaluate whether the benefits are worth the cost for your personal situation.