LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional networking platform with over 675 million users worldwide. Many users choose to upgrade to LinkedIn Premium subscriptions to access additional features like InMail messages, unlimited profile views, advanced search filters and more. But what happens if you change your mind and want to cancel your paid subscription? Does LinkedIn offer refunds?
Can you get a refund on LinkedIn Premium?
Yes, LinkedIn does allow refunds on Premium subscriptions within certain limits. When you purchase a Premium subscription on LinkedIn, you have up to 14 days to request a full refund if you are unsatisfied. This 14 day period serves as a “free trial” where you can evaluate the Premium features and decide if you want to keep the subscription.
To request a refund, you need to go to your LinkedIn account settings and navigate to the “Purchase history” section. There you will see options to cancel future auto-renewals as well as request refunds on previous payments. As long as it is within 14 days of purchase, you can request the refund which will be credited back to your original payment method.
Requirements for LinkedIn refunds
Here are the key requirements for obtaining a LinkedIn Premium refund:
- You must request the refund within 14 days of purchase.
- Only the most recent payment is eligible for refund, not prior subscription periods.
- Refunds are only available for monthly Premium subscriptions, not annual subscriptions.
- The refund can only be credited back to the original payment method used.
As long as you meet these criteria, LinkedIn will process the refund request with no questions asked. They do not require you to provide any reasons or justification for wanting the refund.
What if you miss the 14 day refund window?
If you fail to request a refund within 14 days of purchase, LinkedIn will not provide refunds on Premium subscriptions. This is because you had adequate time to evaluate the service and you are assumed to be satisfied with the subscription after that initial period.
The only potential exception is if you intended to purchase a monthly subscription but were wrongly charged for an annual plan. In that specific case, you may be able to get a prorated refund even after 14 days. You would need to contact LinkedIn customer support and provide proof that the annual charge was an error.
Options if you miss the refund deadline
If you missed the 14 day cut-off, here are some options to consider:
- Cancel the auto-renewal so you are not charged again at renewal.
- Continue using Premium until the end of the current billing period.
- Request the unused amount be credited towards a future Premium purchase.
- Purchase Premium as a gift for someone else to transfer the value.
While not ideal, this can allow you to salvage some value if you missed the refund deadline for your LinkedIn Premium subscription.
How to cancel your LinkedIn Premium subscription
If you’ve determined that you do not want to continue with a LinkedIn Premium subscription, here are simple steps to cancel it:
- Login to your LinkedIn account on the website (not the mobile app).
- Click on the “Me” icon at the top and select “Settings & Privacy”.
- Go to the “Account preferences” section and click on “Purchase history”.
- Locate the Premium subscription and click “Cancel subscription”.
- Follow the prompts to confirm the cancellation.
This will immediately cancel any future automatic renewals of your subscription. However, your access will continue until the end of the current billing period.
Downgrading from an Annual to Monthly plan
If you purchased an annual Premium subscription, you cannot directly downgrade to a monthly plan. However, you can follow these steps instead:
- Cancel the annual auto-renewal so you are not charged again next year.
- Wait for the current annual period to expire.
- Sign up for a 1 month Premium subscription at the monthly rate.
This allows you to effectively switch to a monthly subscription once your current annual term completes.
Getting a refund for an unused Premium gift
LinkedIn allows users to purchase Premium subscriptions as gifts for other members. But what if the recipient already has Premium or doesn’t want the gift?
In this case, the gift giver can request a refund by contacting LinkedIn customer service within 60 days of purchase. You will need to provide the order number and gift recipient information. Unredeemed gifts are eligible for a full refund.
However, once the gift has been redeemed by the recipient, it is no longer eligible for a refund per LinkedIn’s policies. The recipient would need to request a refund just as with a regular Premium purchase.
Steps to request refund on gifted Premium subscription
To obtain a refund on an unused gifted Premium subscription:
- Contact LinkedIn customer service by phone or chat.
- Provide order number and details of original gift purchase.
- Confirm that gift has not yet been redeemed.
- Request a refund for the unused gift subscription.
- Refund will be credited back to original purchase method.
Getting a refund for LinkedIn Learning
LinkedIn Learning (formerly Lynda) is LinkedIn’s e-learning platform for online video courses. It can be purchased as a stand-alone subscription or bundled with Premium.
Refund policies for LinkedIn Learning purchased through LinkedIn follow the same 14 day rules as Premium. You have 14 days from purchase to request a refund and cancel future renewals.
However, if you purchased LinkedIn Learning directly from their website rather than through LinkedIn, you have 30 days to request a full refund per Lynda’s refund policy. This provides a longer evaluation period versus buying it as an add-on through LinkedIn.
Steps to obtain LinkedIn Learning refund
To get a refund on LinkedIn Learning, follow these steps:
- Request refund within 14 days if purchased via LinkedIn.
- Request refund within 30 days if purchased directly through LinkedIn Learning website.
- Navigate to account settings to cancel renewal.
- Refund will be credited to original payment method.
Getting a refund for LinkedIn job postings
LinkedIn allows recruiters and employers to post job listings on their platform. These job postings can be purchased individually or as bundled packages.
According to LinkedIn’s policy, individual job postings are non-refundable once published. However, any unused job postings in bundled packages can be refunded within 60 days of purchase. You will need to contact LinkedIn customer service to process the refund on remaining credits.
Key notes about refunds for LinkedIn job postings
- Individual job postings are non-refundable once published.
- Unused credits in bundled packages are refundable within 60 days.
- Contact customer service to request refund for unused job posting credits.
- Refund will be prorated based on credits remaining.
Getting a refund for other LinkedIn purchases
Beyond Premium subscriptions, LinkedIn Learning and job postings, there are a few other LinkedIn products that may be eligible for refunds:
- Ad campaigns – Refunds are generally not provided on LinkedIn ads after they have been activated and started serving. However, refunds may be considered for any remaining ad credits if campaigns are canceled before end date.
- Recruiter seats – You have 30 days after purchase to request a refund on unused Recruiter licenses purchased through LinkedIn. Each seat must be entirely unused to be eligible.
- Event tickets – Tickets for LinkedIn hosted events are refundable up to 7 days prior to the event date.
- Course bundles – LinkedIn Learning course bundles are refundable within 14 days if purchased directly through LinkedIn Learning.
For any other LinkedIn-related purchases, it is best to check with LinkedIn customer support regarding refund eligibility and policies.
Can you get a refund after account cancellation?
LinkedIn will not issue refunds after an account has been cancelled either by the user or by LinkedIn. This applies regardless of how much usage you had remaining in a subscription.
Some reasons LinkedIn may cancel accounts include:
- Violations of LinkedIn’s User Agreement
- Fake or inaccurate account information
- Abusive behavior towards other members
- Spam or illegal activities
Before cancelling your own LinkedIn account, make sure to request any eligible refunds first. Once the account is terminated, no further refunds can be provided.
What happens when LinkedIn closes an account
If LinkedIn closes your account, the following occurs:
- You lose access to the account and all data is deleted.
- No refunds are provided for any existing Premium or Learning subscriptions.
- The account cannot be reactivated – you would need to open a new account.
- LinkedIn reserves the right to close accounts at their discretion.
Appealing declined LinkedIn refund requests
In some cases, LinkedIn may decline a refund request even if it falls within the standard policy window. Some common reasons for declined refunds include:
- Alleged Terms of Service violations.
- Suspicious activity on the account.
- Refund already issued on the purchase.
If you feel your refund request was incorrectly or unfairly denied, here are some steps to appeal the decision:
- Contact LinkedIn customer service by phone and explain your reasoning.
- Provide screenshots or documentation supporting your eligibility.
- Ask for a supervisor to escalate your case.
- Highlight fair use and good standing of your account.
- If issue is unresolved, file a complaint with the BBB or your state AG.
Continued patience and politeness goes a long way when appealing denied refunds. Make your case clearly and calmly for the best chance of success.
When refund appeals make sense
It is worth the time to appeal refund denials when:
- You clearly meet the standard policy terms.
- LinkedIn cannot provide evidence of TOS violations.
- The purchase was made very recently.
- It is a large amount of money at stake.
On the other hand, limited time invested in appeals makes sense if:
- It was an old purchase made long ago.
- It is a relatively small dollar amount.
- LinkedIn has solid proof of TOS or policy violations.
Summary and conclusions
Here are some key conclusions regarding LinkedIn subscription refunds:
- Monthly Premium refunds are available within 14 days of purchase.
- Annual Premium subscriptions cannot be refunded after 14 days.
- Unused job postings and Learning credits can be partially refunded.
- Gifted subscriptions can get refunds if unredeemed.
- Appeals may yield success if denial seems incorrect.
Always be sure to act quickly and document communications when seeking a LinkedIn refund. Understand the policies that govern subscriptions, job postings, events, courses and ads. And if your request gets denied, politely appeal if you have a valid case for the refund.