The number of InMail credits you get on LinkedIn depends on the type of account you have. Here’s a quick overview of the InMail credits allotted for each account type:
- Basic accounts: 0 InMails per month
- Premium Business accounts: 15 InMails per month
- Sales Navigator Professional accounts: 25 InMails per month
- Sales Navigator Team accounts: 25 InMails per seat per month
- Recruiter Lite accounts: 30 InMails per month
- Recruiter accounts: 50 InMails per month
- Recruiter Corporate accounts: 150 InMails per seat per month
InMail Credits for Basic LinkedIn Accounts
If you have a basic, free LinkedIn account, you do not get any InMail credits. The ability to send InMail messages is a premium feature only available to paying LinkedIn members.
With a basic account, you can connect with other members if you already know them, but you cannot reach out to strangers or people outside your network. Your main options for messaging are limited to responding to existing connections and commenting on posts.
Upgrading to a premium account is the only way to gain access to InMail capabilities if you currently have a free basic account.
InMail Credits for Premium Business Accounts
Premium Business accounts on LinkedIn come with 15 InMail credits per month. This allows you to send up to 15 InMail messages to anyone on LinkedIn, regardless of whether they are in your network.
The Premium Business subscription costs $59.99 per month if billed monthly, or $29.99 per month if billed annually. It offers several benefits beyond InMail access, including:
- See who’s viewed your profile
- Get insights on your profile visitors
- Access to premium courses and videos
- Unlimited profile searches
While Premium Business offers a moderate amount of monthly InMail credits, Recruiter and Sales Navigator accounts offer more credits at higher price points for power users.
InMail Credits for Sales Navigator Accounts
Sales Navigator accounts are tailored specifically for sales professionals. There are two main types of Sales Navigator accounts when it comes to allotment of InMail credits:
- Professional: 25 InMails per month
- Team: 25 InMails per seat per month
This means a single Sales Navigator Professional subscription comes with 25 monthly InMail credits. Sales Navigator Team subscriptions allow each member of the team to have 25 InMails per month.
Sales Navigator starts at $64.99 per month for the Professional plan when billed monthly. There are volume discounts available for annual billing and larger teams.
In addition to extra InMail credits, Sales Navigator provides sales-specific features like lead recommendations, saved leads lists, and company/contact tracking.
InMail Credits for Recruiter Accounts
For heavy recruiters and talent acquisition professionals, LinkedIn offers Recruiter accounts with more generous InMail allotments:
- Recruiter Lite: 30 InMails per month
- Recruiter: 50 InMails per month
- Recruiter Corporate: 150 InMails per seat per month
Recruiter accounts start at $119.95 per month when billed monthly, with volume discounts available. The higher-level Corporate plan offers team functionality.
In addition to more InMails, Recruiter subscriptions provide access to the full LinkedIn Talent database, applicant tracking system integration, recruiter analytics, and other specialized recruiting features.
Getting More InMail Credits
If you need additional InMail credits during a month, there are a couple options:
- Upgrade to a higher-tier account with more credits allotted.
- Purchase extra InMail credit packs as needed. This allows you to buy blocks of InMails at a discounted rate compared to buying them individually. The available packs range from 25 to 200 credits.
Keep in mind your purchased InMail credits expire after one year if not used, so it’s best to only buy what you expect to actually send within a 12 month timeframe.
You can check your remaining InMail credit balance at any time by going to the “My Network” page and selecting “Manage” next to the InMail section.
Maximizing the Value of Your InMail Credits
To make the most of your limited InMail credits each month, here are some tips:
- Personalize each message with the recipient’s name and company to increase open rates.
- Keep initial messages short and direct.
- Focus on high-value targets that warrant the use of an InMail credit.
- Follow up quickly when you get a positive response.
- Track your InMail response rates to refine your outreach strategy.
With proper targeting and messaging, InMail can be a powerful tool to reach qualified prospects and candidates who might otherwise be unresponsive to standard connection requests.
The number of credits you receive depends on the type of LinkedIn account you have. To get the most from your available InMails, focus them where they can provide the most value and impact.