LinkedIn Premium is LinkedIn’s subscription service that unlocks additional features beyond the free basic account. With LinkedIn Premium, users gain access to features like InMail messaging, unlimited profile views, expanded search filters, professional learning courses, and more. Many LinkedIn users wonder if LinkedIn offers a free trial to test out these premium features before committing to a paid subscription.
Does LinkedIn Offer a Free Trial for Premium?
Yes, LinkedIn does offer free trials for LinkedIn Premium. However, the length and availability of free trials varies depending on the LinkedIn Premium product.
LinkedIn Premium Free Trials
Here is an overview of the free trial options for LinkedIn’s premium products:
LinkedIn Premium Product | Free Trial Length |
---|---|
LinkedIn Premium Career | 1 month |
LinkedIn Premium Business | 30 days |
LinkedIn Premium Sales | 30 days |
LinkedIn Premium Hiring | 30 days |
LinkedIn Premium Learning | 1 month |
As you can see, most LinkedIn Premium options come with a 30 day free trial period. The exception is LinkedIn Premium Career, which has a slightly longer 1 month (approximately 30 days) free trial.
Who is Eligible for the Free Trials?
The free trials are available to new LinkedIn Premium subscribers only. You cannot get a free trial if you have subscribed to the same Premium product previously. The free trials are intended to let new users try out Premium for the first time.
How Do You Sign Up for the Free Trial?
Signing up for the free Premium trials is simple. Here are the steps:
- Go to the LinkedIn Premium upgrade page
- Select the Premium product you want to try from the options
- Click on the “Start your free trial” button
- Enter your payment information (required for the eventual paid subscription)
- Agree to the Premium Terms of Service
- Your free trial will begin immediately after signing up
After signing up, you can immediately start using the Premium features for the length of the free trial. LinkedIn will notify you as your trial end date approaches. You can cancel anytime before the trial ends to avoid being charged.
What Features Are Included in the Free Trial?
The LinkedIn Premium free trials provide full access to all the features of the Premium product you selected. This allows you to thoroughly test out the Premium offerings to decide if the paid subscription is worthwhile for you.
Key Features by Product
Here are some of the key features available during each product’s free trial:
LinkedIn Premium Career Free Trial
- Unlimited profile views of other members
- See full profiles of members who viewed your profile
- InMail messages
- Advanced profile filtering and search
- Salary data and insights
LinkedIn Premium Business Free Trial
- InMail messages
- Advanced search filters
- Expanded company profiles and analytics
- Premium branding for company and Showcase pages
- Unlimited profile views
LinkedIn Premium Sales Free Trial
- InMail messages
- Lead and company recommendations
- Expanded search filters
- Unlimited profile views
- Premium branding and customized emails
LinkedIn Premium Hiring Free Trial
- InMail messages
- Candidate recommendations
- Advanced search filters and candidate insights
- Unlimited profile views
- Customized hiring emails
LinkedIn Premium Learning Free Trial
- Unlimited access to over 15,000 expert-led courses
- Learning paths tailored to your goals
- Offline viewing and practice tests
- New courses added weekly
This allows you to test all the main benefits of each Premium product during the trial period.
What Happens After the Free Trial Ends?
Once your LinkedIn Premium free trial period ends, your subscription will automatically convert to a paid monthly or annual plan based on the option you selected when signing up. You will begin being charged the regular fee for the Premium product on your next billing cycle unless you cancel ahead of time.
Here is what to expect if your free trial runs out:
- You will be sent reminders as your trial end date approaches.
- You can cancel anytime before the trial ends to avoid being charged.
- If you do not cancel, you will be automatically charged the paid subscription fee.
- You can still cancel the paid subscription at any time if you change your mind.
- Your Premium access will continue as a paid member until you cancel.
Essentially, the free trial converts to a regular paid subscription plan unless you opt-out before the trial period expires. You will retain access to all the Premium features, but now on a paid membership basis.
Can You Extend the Free Trial?
Unfortunately, there is no way to officially extend the LinkedIn Premium free trials beyond the initial trial length. The trials are a set period intended to let you evaluate the products.
However, there are a couple of workarounds that may allow you to prolong your access to Premium features beyond the standard free trial:
- Cancel just before your trial ends, wait a period of time, then sign up for the free trial again with a different email address.
- Some credit cards offer free extended trials as a cardholder benefit for services like LinkedIn Premium. Check with your credit card company.
But there is no officially supported way to directly extend the LinkedIn Premium trials offered on LinkedIn’s website itself. The company limits it to one free trial per product to avoid abuse.
What are the Payment Options if You Keep Premium?
If you decide to continue with a paid LinkedIn Premium subscription after the free trial, you have different payment options to choose from:
Monthly Billing
- Pay month-to-month
- Cancel anytime
- Higher monthly cost
Annual Billing
- Pay upfront annually
- Lower overall yearly cost
- Minimum 12 month commitment
Monthly billing offers more flexibility, while annual billing offers better overall value. You can select which option fits your needs when signing up, and can always switch between them later.
LinkedIn Premium accepts all major credit cards and PayPal. Payment will be automatically charged monthly or annually based on your billing plan until you cancel your subscription.
What are Some Key Tips for the Free Trial?
Here are some important tips to make the most of your LinkedIn Premium free trial:
- Turn on notifications – LinkedIn will alert you when your free trial is ending, so you can decide whether to continue or cancel.
- Add a calendar reminder – Schedule an appointment for the end date of your trial so you don’t forget.
- Take notes – Document your experience using the Premium features to look back on.
- Try all the features – Don’t be shy about testing everything out during your trial to see the full value.
- Compare to free version – Run side-by-side tests of Premium vs. free to assess the difference.
- Ask for feedback – Reach out to connections using new Premium features to get their input.
Leveraging techniques like this will ensure you make the most of the short free trial window to properly evaluate LinkedIn Premium.
Conclusion
In summary, LinkedIn does provide free trials across all their Premium subscription products, but the trial lengths are limited. The free trials allow full access to all Premium features to let you experience the benefits firsthand before paying. You can avoid being charged after the trial ends by simply canceling before that time. But if you forget, your subscription will seamlessly convert to a paid membership plan. To get the most value, be sure to thoroughly test out all the Premium features during your free trial period. This will allow you to make an informed decision about whether the paid upgrade is worthwhile for you to invest in long-term.