LinkedIn’s InMail feature allows you to directly contact other members on LinkedIn, even if you are not connected to them. However, sending InMails is not free – you need to purchase InMail credits or have a premium LinkedIn account in order to send InMails.
Who can send InMails for free on LinkedIn?
There are a few select groups of LinkedIn members who can send a certain number of InMails for free each month:
- LinkedIn Recruiters – Recruiters who use LinkedIn’s recruiting platform get a monthly allowance of free InMails to use for recruiting outreach. The number of free InMails depends on the recruiter’s contract.
- Sales Navigator Team Accounts – Sales professionals who have a Sales Navigator Team subscription through their company get a monthly InMail allowance. The number depends on the subscription level.
- LinkedIn Elevate Participants – Members who are selected for LinkedIn’s Elevate program for content creators get a monthly InMail allowance while they remain in the program.
- Account Executives and Customer Success Managers at LinkedIn – To aid in their outreach and relationship-building with customers and partners.
The number of free InMails these groups get typically ranges from 25-100 per month. They can only be used for appropriate professional outreach relevant to their roles.
Who cannot send free InMails on LinkedIn?
Most regular LinkedIn members do not get any free InMails with their account. Here are some of the main LinkedIn account types that do not include free InMails:
- Free Accounts
- Premium Business Accounts
- Premium Career Accounts
- Student Accounts
Members with these account types will have to purchase InMail credits if they want to send InMails on LinkedIn. Purchased credits can then be used to send InMails to any member on LinkedIn.
How many InMails can you send per month on each account type?
| Account Type | Free InMails per Month |
|---|---|
| Free Account | 0 |
| Premium Business Account | 0 |
| Premium Career Account | 0 |
| Student Account | 0 |
| Sales Navigator Team | 25-100* |
| LinkedIn Recruiter | 25-100* |
| Elevate | Varies* |
| LinkedIn Employees | 25-100* |
*Free InMail allowances for these premium account types depend on contract terms.
How to get more free InMails on LinkedIn
If you don’t fall into one of the special account types above, there are a few limited ways to potentially get some additional free InMails on LinkedIn:
- LinkedIn’s referral program – If you refer a friend to certain paid LinkedIn subscription levels and they purchase, you may get some free InMail credits (up to 10).
- Sponsored InMails – LinkedIn advertisers who spend above certain dollar thresholds may earn small InMail credit bonuses periodically.
- Giveaways and contests – Occasionally LinkedIn runs contests where free InMails are a prize, but these are not common.
- Bug bounty program – If you responsibly report qualifying bugs on LinkedIn’s platforms, you may be rewarded with some InMail credits (usually 1-3).
Outside of limited situations like those outlined above, regular members will have to use purchased InMail credits to message non-connections on LinkedIn.
How much do InMail credits cost?
If you do need to purchase InMail credits, here is the current LinkedIn pricing as of October 2022:
- 1 InMail credit – $1
- 5 InMail credits – $4
- 10 InMail credits – $7.50
- 25 InMail Credits – $15
- 50 InMail credits – $25
- 100 InMail credits – $45
Volume discounts are available for larger quantities up to several thousand credits. Sales tax applies for purchases made by individuals depending on your state. For teams and recruiter contracts, there may also be discounted InMail credit packages.
Conclusion
The ability to freely message anyone is a key perk of premium LinkedIn accounts aimed at sales professionals and recruiters. Regular members unfortunately cannot send free InMails. But occasional limited-time free credit giveaways do pop up, and paid credits are reasonably priced if you need to message someone outside your network.
Focus first on expanding your network organically and engaging genuinely with your connections. This way, you can communicate without needing credits in most cases. But the option to purchase InMail credits is there on the occasions you really need to directly reach someone new.
Understanding the differences in InMail access across LinkedIn’s account types and programs is helpful whether you are looking to communicate with others or increase the likelihood of being contacted. Maximizing the value you get out of LinkedIn often comes down to strategically using all the communication tools available to you based on how the platform works.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I send InMails for free with my standard LinkedIn account?
No, unfortunately regular free and paid Premium LinkedIn members cannot send any InMails for free. Only certain premium account types like Sales Navigator or Recruiter get free monthly InMail credits.
Do Premium Career accounts get free InMail credits?
No, Premium Career account holders do not get any free monthly InMails. This is a paid feature limited to premium accounts for sales & recruiting roles.
How many free InMails do Sales Navigator Team accounts get?
The free monthly InMail allowance for Sales Navigator Team accounts depends on the number of seats and subscription level. For example, a 5 seat Team account on the Select plan would get 50 free InMails per month.
Can I earn more free InMails besides what my account type includes?
There are a few limited ways to earn additional one-off InMails for free like referrals or contests. But in general, the ongoing monthly free credits will be fixed based on what LinkedIn provides for your account type.
What is the maximum number of free InMails you can get with LinkedIn Recruiter?
With some premium Recruiter packages, it is possible to get up to 100 free InMails per month. However, the higher volumes are generally reserved for enterprise-level recruiter contracts.
Who will see if I message them with an InMail?
When you message someone via InMail who is not in your network, it will show up in their LinkedIn inbox like any other message. They will see it came from you even without a connection.
Can I respond to an InMail without using a credit?
Yes, if someone uses an InMail to message you first, you can respond for free without using any of your own credits. Only the sender of the initial message has to use a credit.
What are the alternatives if I can’t InMail someone for free?
You can send invite them to connect on LinkedIn. You can also try to find and contact them through other channels like their company email or website. Public comments on content can also sometimes lead to a connection.
How quickly do InMail credits expire if I don’t use them?
Purchased InMail credit balances remain valid for 12 months after your latest credit purchase. So you have 1 year to use any credits you buy before they would expire.
In summary, InMail is a valuable LinkedIn feature, but requires premium privileges to use for free. Regular members can still purchase credits on an as-needed basis. So plan out your professional networking approach accordingly based on the type of LinkedIn account you have.
