This is the most overlooked saving on LinkedIn — and it requires zero eligibility, zero applications, and zero complexity. Switching from monthly to annual billing reduces Premium Career from $29.99 to approximately $19.99 per month, saving $120 every year. Premium Business drops from $59.99 to approximately $39.99 per month annually, saving $240 per year. It is a single setting change that immediately cuts your LinkedIn bill by a fifth to a third — permanently, for as long as you stay subscribed.

The only consideration is upfront commitment — you pay the full year at once. For anyone planning to use LinkedIn Premium for six months or more, annual billing breaks even before the halfway point and delivers pure savings after that.

• 1
  Log into LinkedIn and click your profile picture → Settings & Privacy → Subscriptions & payments → Manage Subscription.
• 2
  Look for the billing frequency option — select Annual billing. The page will show your new effective monthly rate and the total annual charge.
• 3
  For Premium Career: annual billing is approximately $239.88/year ($19.99/month effective) vs $359.88/year monthly. That is $120 saved immediately.
• 4
  Confirm the switch. LinkedIn prorates any remaining monthly subscription credit toward your annual plan.
• 5
  Pro tip: If you are on a free trial right now — switch to annual billing before the trial ends. This locks in the annual rate starting from your first paid month rather than starting monthly and switching later.

LinkedIn offers a standard 1-month free trial for most Premium plans — Career, Business, and Sales Navigator. The trial gives you full, unrestricted access to every Premium feature for 30 days at no charge. This is officially available to users who have not used a LinkedIn free trial in the past 12 months. The key is using those 30 days deliberately — not just browsing around and forgetting about it.

The free trial is also your best evaluation tool. LinkedIn Premium is genuinely useful for some professionals and genuinely unnecessary for others. The trial lets you discover which category you fall into before committing hundreds of dollars per year.

• 1
  Visit linkedin.com/premium and click “Start my free month.” Choose your plan, enter payment details. You will not be charged for 30 days.
• 2
  Day 1–5: Immediately use the profile viewer feature — see who has viewed your profile in the past 365 days and reach out to relevant connections.
• 3
  Day 1–10: Use all 5 InMail credits on your highest priority contacts. Run advanced searches and save the results. Test every feature you think you might use.
• 4
  Day 25: Decide whether to continue. LinkedIn sends a reminder email 7 days before the trial ends — but set your own calendar alert too, especially if you subscribed on mobile (mobile subscribers do not always receive email reminders).
• 5
  If continuing — switch to annual billing now (before the trial ends) to start at the lower annual rate from your first paid month.
• 6
  If cancelling — go to Settings & Privacy → Subscriptions & payments → Cancel at least 24 hours before your trial expires. You retain access until the trial period ends even after cancelling.

This is LinkedIn’s most generous official program and one of the least known. LinkedIn for Veterans offers US military veterans and active service members a full 12-month LinkedIn Premium Career subscription at absolutely no cost — including complete access to LinkedIn Learning’s entire course library. Military spouses who are moving due to a permanent change of station or within six months of separation are also eligible.

The program exists because LinkedIn recognises the genuine challenge of transitioning from military to civilian professional life. The free year gives veterans the full suite of tools — InMail, profile viewer insights, salary data, Top Applicant status, and thousands of learning courses — during the period when those tools have the highest impact on career outcomes.

• 1
  If you currently have a LinkedIn Premium subscription or active free trial, cancel it first and let it expire. You must not have an active paid subscription before applying.
• 2
  Before applying, update your LinkedIn profile to reference your military service in your experience section. This helps the verification process.
• 3
  Visit socialimpact.linkedin.com/programs/veterans and complete the verification form. You will need your name, branch of service, and service dates.
• 4
  Verification is handled through SheerID and typically completes quickly — often without needing to upload documents, just confirming your service details.
• 5
  Once confirmed, LinkedIn sends a promotional link to upgrade your account to Premium Career at no charge for 12 months. The subscription does not auto-renew — after 12 months, your account simply returns to the free tier unless you choose to subscribe.
• 6
  Military spouses: Access the program through the US Department of Defense’s Spouse Education and Career Opportunities (SECO) partnership with LinkedIn. Eligibility applies within 6 months of separation or during a permanent change of station.

A significant number of companies — particularly in sales, recruitment, marketing, consulting, and professional services — provide LinkedIn Premium or Sales Navigator as part of employee benefits or professional development budgets. This benefit is frequently available but rarely advertised. Most employees who are eligible simply never ask. The worst that can happen is your employer says no. The best that can happen is you pay $0/month for a tool that would otherwise cost you $360–$1,200 per year.

Beyond direct employer provision, Microsoft alumni networks and certain professional associations sometimes offer significant LinkedIn Premium discounts to their members — worth checking if you qualify.

• 1
  Start with a direct conversation — ask your manager or HR department if LinkedIn Premium or Sales Navigator is available as a professional development benefit or as part of your role’s toolset.
• 2
  Frame it in terms of business value: “I’d use LinkedIn Premium to find more clients / source candidates faster / stay informed about industry trends.” A clear use case makes the yes much easier.
• 3
  If your employer does not currently offer it, ask whether they have a professional development budget that could cover it. Many companies have annual learning and tools budgets that employees rarely tap into fully.
• 4
  Freelancers and self-employed: LinkedIn Premium used for business development and client prospecting is typically a legitimate business expense — consult your accountant or tax advisor about deducting the subscription cost.
• 5
  Check any alumni networks you belong to — Microsoft alumni in particular have offered significant Premium discounts historically. Professional associations in your industry sometimes negotiate group rates as member benefits.

Although LinkedIn discontinued its official student pricing plan in early 2025, a separate avenue still exists through institutional partnerships. Some universities have agreements with LinkedIn that provide students free or subsidised access to LinkedIn Premium features or LinkedIn Learning during their enrolment. These partnerships are not widely advertised — they are typically managed through the university’s career centre or IT department.

Additionally, public library cards in many countries provide free access to LinkedIn Learning’s full course library — over 22,000 courses covering business, technology, design, and creative skills. This does not include LinkedIn Premium features like InMail or profile insights, but for anyone whose primary interest in Premium is the learning content, a library card may be all you need at zero cost.

• 1
  For students: Contact your university’s career centre directly and ask whether the institution has a LinkedIn Premium partnership. Many universities do not publicise this even when it exists.
• 2
  Also check your university’s IT portal or student benefits page — LinkedIn access is sometimes listed under digital tools or software licenses available to students.
• 3
  If your university does not currently have a partnership, ask them to explore one — LinkedIn actively partners with educational institutions and many partnerships are established through institutional requests.
• 4
  For LinkedIn Learning via library card: Visit your public library’s website and look for digital resources or online learning. Many libraries offer LinkedIn Learning access through platforms like Libby or directly through the library’s digital member portal.
• 5
  Access LinkedIn Learning at linkedin.com/learning and select “Sign in with your library card” if your library participates. You will get full access to all 22,000+ courses at no personal cost.