LinkedIn Premium is LinkedIn’s paid subscription service that unlocks additional features and benefits not available with a free LinkedIn account. One common question people have is whether their LinkedIn Premium status is visible to others who view their profile.
Is the LinkedIn Premium Badge Visible?
Yes, when you upgrade to a paid LinkedIn Premium account, a badge will appear on your profile picture and in the “Open to” section of your profile indicating that you are a Premium member. This serves as a visible sign to other LinkedIn members that you have a paid Premium account.
The LinkedIn Premium badge appears as a small gold medal icon next to your profile photo. When people view your profile, they will see this badge, allowing them to instantly know that you have a Premium account.
In addition to the badge by your photo, Premium members also get a “Open to” subtitle under their name that reads “Open to job inquiries, consulting offers, expertise requests…” This lets people know that you are open and responsive to outreach thanks to your Premium account features.
So in short, yes – your LinkedIn Premium status and membership level are clearly visible to others through the profile badge and “Open to” line. There is no way to hide your Premium status from being seen.
What LinkedIn Premium Tiers Get the Badge?
The visible LinkedIn Premium badge and “Open to” line are shown on all paid Premium account types, including:
– LinkedIn Premium Career – lowest cost Premium tier
– LinkedIn Premium Business – mid-tier Premium offering
– LinkedIn Premium Hiring – most expensive Premium level
No matter which of the three Premium levels you subscribe to, your profile will display the Premium status indicator to signal to others that you have a paid account.
The only exception is a free one-month Premium trial – during the trial period, you do not get the badge or “Open to” subtitle until you fully commit to paying by subscribing.
Who Can See Your Premium Badge?
Your LinkedIn Premium badge and status are visible to any LinkedIn member who views your profile. This includes:
– 1st-degree connections in your network
– 2nd and 3rd-degree connections
– LinkedIn members outside your network who come across your profile
– Non-members who are not logged in to LinkedIn
Essentially, anyone who lands on your LinkedIn profile page will be able to see the Premium badge on your photo and “Open to” line, signalling that you are a paying Premium subscriber.
The visibility is the same across all LinkedIn apps and platforms – mobile, desktop, etc. There is no profile viewing scenario where your Premium status is hidden or not displayed if you are logged in.
Can You Hide Your Premium Status?
There is no setting or option to hide or remove the LinkedIn Premium badge or “Open to” subtitle from your profile. Your Premium status will remain visible for as long as your paid membership is active.
The only way to remove the visible Premium indicators is to cancel or downgrade from your Premium subscription. Once you are no longer on a paid account, the badge and “Open to” line will be removed from public view.
Some Premium members wish they could keep their membership benefits but hide the visibility from others. Unfortunately, LinkedIn does not allow this – Premium members must display the badge since it is considered a value-signalling status.
Overall, while you cannot hide your Premium status, the visibility can actually be beneficial for networking, recruiting, and business opportunities by signalling your professionalism and seriousness.
Pros of Displaying Your Premium Status
While some Premium users want to hide their status, there are actually some advantages to having the visible badge and subtitle:
Shows You Invest in Your Career
The Premium badge signals that you care about your professional brand enough to pay for Premium features. This can impress recruiters, hiring managers, and clients.
Conveys Openness and Responsiveness
The “Open to” line tells people you are open to discussions and opportunities thanks to Premium messaging capabilities.
Strengthens Credibility
Premium can add a level of credibility and trustworthiness to your profile as someone willing to pay for a premium service.
Expands Your Visibility
Premium members get extra profile recommendations and visibility in search, giving more impressions.
Sparks Curiosity
The badge may spark curiosity in what benefits Premium offers, driving more upgrades.
Builds Your Network
Premium features like unlimited InMail messages help facilitate new professional connections and relationships.
Cons of Displaying Your Premium Status
While Premium visibility has some upside, there are also a few potential downsides to consider:
Appears Like Bragging or Flaunting
To some, the Premium badge may seem like boastful flaunting of paid status to look important.
Premium Perceptions Are Mixed
Not everyone perceives Premium as valuable or prestigious, so it will not impress every viewer.
Draws Unwanted Attention
Scammers or unqualified solicitors may target Premium members thinking they have money.
Creates Assumptions
People may make inaccurate assumptions about your job or income level based on Premium status alone.
Pressures Non-Subscribers
Constant Premium visibility can create social pressure or envy for those unable or unwilling to pay.
Causes Upsell Fatigue
Repeated exposure to Premium badges may breed annoyance and upsell fatigue from LinkedIn’s persistent marketing.
Conclusion
In summary, it is not possible to hide your LinkedIn Premium status, as the Premium badge and “Open to” line will be clearly visible on your profile to signal that you are a paying member. While some subscribers may prefer to keep this private, the visibility can also have benefits like conveying professional investment, openness, and building your branding and network. There are pros and cons to displaying Premium status, but ultimately it remains a public part of your profile that cannot be removed unless you cancel your paid subscription.
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
Shows you invest in your career | Appears like bragging or flaunting |
Conveys openness and responsiveness | Premium perceptions are mixed |
Strengthens credibility | Draws unwanted attention |
Expands your visibility | Creates assumptions |
Sparks curiosity | Pressures non-subscribers |
Builds your network | Causes upsell fatigue |
Key Takeaways
- LinkedIn Premium memberships display a visible badge and “Open to” line.
- The Premium status is viewable by anyone visiting your profile.
- There is no option to hide your Premium badge or subtitle.
- Premium visibility has some benefits but also potential drawbacks.
- You must cancel Premium to remove the status indicators from public view.
So while you cannot make your Premium membership invisible on your profile, overall the visibility can positively showcase your professional dedication and openness to new opportunities and connections on LinkedIn.
LinkedIn Premium provides users with a variety of additional features and benefits not available to regular members with free accounts. Some of the key Premium features that help justify the paid monthly or annual subscription fee include:
Expanded Profile Views
Premium members get expanded visibility, with up to 5 times more profile views compared to free members. Your profile and activity is shown more prominently in search results and recommendations to others.
Unlimited InMail Messages
Paying members can send unlimited direct InMail messages to connect with any LinkedIn member without needing a pre-existing connection. Free members are very limited.
Premium Website Demographics
Premium provides powerful demographic data on who is visiting your company or personal website via LinkedIn tracking.
Ad-Free Experience
Premium removes all advertisements from LinkedIn’s interface for a clean, uncluttered experience. Free members still see ads.
Premium Badges & Status
Visible profile badges and an “Open to” tagline showcase your Premium status to all who view your profile.
Extended Profile Highlights
Premium allows profile highlights of skills, accomplishments, and background to be expanded beyond the free version limits.
Premium Career Coaching & Resume Review
Exclusive access to LinkedIn’s network of professional career coaches and resume experts to get 1:1 career or resume advice.
Unlimited Search History
Premium members can view their full search history with no limits, unlike free members. Useful for recruiters and sales prospects research.
Premium Customer Support
Paying members get faster direct access to LinkedIn customer support agents by phone or online chat. Free members have no customer support.
LinkedIn Learning Courses
Some Premium packages include free access to thousands of professional development and skills training courses via LinkedIn Learning.
As you can see, LinkedIn Premium provides a robust set of extra capabilities and perks beyond the free version that appeal to serious business professionals, recruiters, job seekers, and anyone who uses LinkedIn extensively for their career or business needs. However, the Premium badge visibility cannot be disabled if you want to maintain a private membership status.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are answers to some common questions about LinkedIn Premium visibility:
Does a Premium trial show the badge?
No, you only get the Premium badge and subtitle after fully committing to a paid subscription, not during a free trial period.
Can I unlink the badge from my profile?
No, there is no way to unlink or hide the Premium badge or “Open to” line on your profile while maintaining Premium benefits.
Is there a setting to toggle the badge visibility?
Unfortunately, no. Unlike some other profile sections, the Premium status visibility cannot be toggled on or off.
Who exactly sees my Premium tagline?
Your Premium details are visible to any LinkedIn member or non-logged in visitor who views your profile. It is publicly visible.
Does Premium visibility expire when my subscription ends?
Yes, the Premium badge and tagline are automatically removed from your profile once your paid subscription lapses or is cancelled.
Can Premium members hide their account type?
No, all Premium members must display their Premium badge and cannot opt to hide their account status.
Is my name highlighted if I’m a Premium member?
No, only the Premium badge and tagline are added. Your name does not get highlighted or formatted differently with a Premium account.
In closing, LinkedIn Premium badges provide a clear, unambiguous indicator to all LinkedIn visitors that a member has invested in Premium access. There is currently no way to remove this visible identifier while still enjoying Premium benefits. The visibility can have advantages, but also potential drawbacks to consider when deciding if Premium is right for your needs.