Yes, you can gift LinkedIn Premium directly to colleagues and contacts
LinkedIn allows you to purchase a Premium subscription as a gift for another person by sending them a redeemable code. The recipient receives access to LinkedIn Premium’s paid features for the duration of the plan you select—typically one, three, six, or twelve months. This is distinct from simply recommending the service; you’re covering the actual cost of their subscription.
What LinkedIn Premium actually includes
LinkedIn Premium gives subscribers access to profile view notifications (showing exactly who viewed their profile in the last 90 days), InMail messaging to send direct messages to people outside your network without a connection request, and advanced search filters to narrow job and candidate searches by specific criteria like company, seniority level, and skills.
The subscription also includes LinkedIn Learning, which offers over 18,000 video courses on technical skills, leadership, and software tools. Premium members can see salary data for specific roles and companies in their region, helping them benchmark compensation before job interviews. They gain access to LinkedIn’s job application insights feature, which shows how their qualifications compare to other applicants for a specific role.
The actual value depends on what the recipient needs. Someone actively job hunting benefits most from advanced search filters and salary insights. A business development professional uses InMail and profile views more heavily. A career changer finds LinkedIn Learning courses particularly useful.
How to send a Premium gift
The process takes five minutes. Log into your LinkedIn account, navigate to your account settings, and select “Gifts” from the menu. Choose the Premium plan duration and the recipient’s email address. LinkedIn generates a unique gift code that you can share via email, message, or link.
The recipient doesn’t need to be a current Premium member. They can have a free LinkedIn account, and once they accept and redeem the gift code, their account automatically upgrades for the duration of the plan you purchased.
You can send gifts to people outside your immediate network, though it works best when there’s a professional relationship—manager to employee, mentor to mentee, or colleague to colleague. LinkedIn doesn’t allow you to send Premium gifts to random accounts.
When gifting Premium makes practical sense
Gifting works best in specific professional contexts. A manager might gift Premium to a direct report who’s preparing for a promotion or managing a job search within the company. A mentor can gift Premium to help a junior professional build their network more strategically. Career coaches sometimes gift Premium to clients during a job search transition.
The timing matters. Gifting Premium a week before someone starts a job search is more useful than gifting it randomly. Someone actively seeking roles can immediately use the salary comparison tool and advanced job alerts. Someone already established in a role might find InMail and profile views more immediately valuable for business development.
One practical limitation: you’re purchasing a time-limited subscription, not a permanent upgrade. A six-month gift is useful for someone in active transition; a twelve-month gift works for someone building long-term professional development habits.
Alternative ways to support someone’s LinkedIn presence
Beyond paying for Premium, you can strengthen someone’s LinkedIn profile through endorsements—confirming their listed skills directly on their profile. You can write detailed recommendations that validate their experience and appear on their profile for anyone to see. Both of these are free and often more impactful than Premium access because they come from your credibility.
You can also share their content, recommend them for specific roles, or introduce them to relevant connections through a personalized message. These actions cost nothing but signal genuine professional support.
If you’re writing about career development or professional growth, consider submitting guest posts on linkedindaily.com, which reaches professionals looking for actionable career advice. Publishing your insights on gifting strategy or professional development reaches people who actively seek this information.
Start with a specific recipient in mind
Rather than purchasing Premium as a generic gesture, identify someone currently facing a career challenge—someone interviewing, transitioning roles, or expanding their network. Send them a message explaining exactly why you’re gifting it: “You’re interviewing for senior roles, and the salary comparison tool will help you negotiate confidently.” Specificity makes the gift feel intentional rather than obligatory.
