Yes, You Can Cancel LinkedIn Premium After Your Free Trial Ends
You have a one-month window to explore LinkedIn Premium’s paid features—InMail messaging, advanced search filters, and LinkedIn Learning courses—before your first charge hits. The cancellation process takes under two minutes: navigate to your account settings, find “Subscriptions,” and select “Cancel Plan.” Do this before your trial expiration date, or you’ll be charged the monthly fee (currently $39.99 USD for Premium Career).
What LinkedIn Premium Actually Gives You
LinkedIn Premium unlocks three distinct advantages over the free version:
- Direct messaging to anyone: Send InMail to professionals outside your network without a prior connection. Most users report a 40% response rate on InMail versus 20% on regular messages to first-degree connections.
- Profile visitor insights: See the names of people who’ve viewed your profile in the last 90 days, along with their job titles and companies. Free users only see aggregate view counts.
- Advanced search filters: Narrow candidate or contact searches by seniority level, years at current company, skills, and salary range. This reduces search results by up to 85%, saving you browsing time.
LinkedIn Learning access comes with Premium too—a library of 15,000+ video courses covering software, leadership, and technical skills. Completion certificates can be added to your profile.
When Cancellation Actually Makes Sense
Premium delivers value only if you actively use these features. Ask yourself:
- Do you regularly reach out to people outside your network? If not, InMail sits unused.
- Are you actively job searching or recruiting? Profile insights matter more during transition periods than maintenance years.
- Will you complete courses on LinkedIn Learning, or will they collect dust? The platform works best for structured learners, not passive browsing.
If you’re casually maintaining a profile and rarely initiate outreach, the free tier handles that perfectly. Your connections, recommendations, and headline visibility remain identical regardless of paid status.
How to Cancel Before You’re Charged
Set a phone reminder for three days before your trial ends. Then follow this exact path:
- Open LinkedIn and click your profile photo in the top right
- Select “Settings & privacy” → “Settings”
- Click “Subscriptions” in the left sidebar
- Next to your active plan, click “Cancel plan”
- Choose your cancellation reason (optional) and confirm
LinkedIn will send a confirmation email. Your Premium access ends on the date originally scheduled, even after cancellation. You won’t lose anything mid-month.
If you’re charged by mistake—which happens occasionally—contact LinkedIn Support with your receipt. They typically issue refunds within 5-7 business days if you cancel within 48 hours of the charge.
Alternatives to Consider Before Canceling
If you found Premium somewhat useful but hesitate on the $39.99 monthly cost, try the mid-tier option first. LinkedIn Premium Plus ($99.99/month) adds features like Sales Navigator data and recruiter-grade filters. For most professionals, regular Premium is enough—the upgrade usually targets high-volume recruiters.
Another option: cancel now, then reactivate during a specific project. If you’re launching a job search, running a hiring campaign, or planning outreach to a specific industry, activate Premium for that two-month window, then cancel. This costs less than a yearly subscription.
Many professionals find value sharing LinkedIn Premium by referring colleagues through sponsored discounts. LinkedIn occasionally offers 50% off for the first month if a current member refers you, reducing the trial period risk.
If you’re exploring LinkedIn strategies that work for different account types, consider contributing your insights to platforms like linkedindaily.com, where guest posts help professionals understand which LinkedIn features genuinely drive results versus vanity metrics.
What You Should Do Right Now
Don’t wait until day 30 of your trial to think about cancellation. Open LinkedIn today, check your subscription status, and add the cancellation deadline to your calendar as a recurring reminder. If you decide Premium delivers value—measurable profile views, responses from outreach, or completed courses—you can always resubscribe later. If not, canceling takes 60 seconds and prevents an unwanted charge.
