How to get LinkedIn Premium free: the two routes LinkedIn offers

Most "free Premium" advice online is really about a trial that becomes a paid plan. There's also a genuinely free year, but only for a specific group.

Short answer: you can get LinkedIn Premium free in two documented ways: a one-month free trial for eligible members, or a free 12-month Premium Career subscription for eligible U.S. veterans, military spouses and transitioning service members through LinkedIn's nonprofit partners. The catch: the trial needs a credit card and turns into a paid subscription unless you cancel before it ends.

Below: how to redeem the trial, the eligibility rules, the military program and how to avoid a surprise charge.

"Free Premium" usually means a free trial

The common belief is that LinkedIn hands out free Premium accounts if you know where to look.

It doesn't, apart from one program for the military community.

What most people mean by free Premium is the trial. LinkedIn's Premium free trial page describes it as a paid subscription whose first month costs nothing.

That difference matters. A trial starts a subscription, and a subscription bills you unless you stop it.

Treat the free month as the start of a paid plan you're testing, not as a gift with no strings.

The good news is that the trial is a full Premium experience while it lasts. You get to see whether the features are worth paying for before any money leaves your account.

How to start the LinkedIn Premium free trial

LinkedIn's page on redeeming a Premium trial gives this path on desktop:

1. Click the Me icon at the top of your homepage, then Settings & Privacy.
2. Open Account preferences.
3. Under Subscriptions & payments, click Upgrade for Free.
4. Follow the prompts to choose a plan and add your payment details.

You may also see banners around LinkedIn that read "Try Premium for free. For eligible users only." Those lead to the same offer.

If you don't see a free option at all, your account probably isn't eligible right now. The next section explains why.

Who is eligible for a free Premium trial?

LinkedIn offers the trial to eligible members, and its trial eligibility page doesn't promise it to everyone.

A few things decide it:

• Recent trials. You can't have another free trial within 12 months of the last one.
• Region and promotions. LinkedIn says trial eligibility and duration may vary based on regional availability or promotional terms.
• Past cancellations. Cancelling a trial also starts the 12-month wait.

That's why two people on the same day can see different offers. One sees a free month; the other sees only paid plans.

The one-month length is the standard LinkedIn describes. A longer or shorter trial can appear under promotional terms, so read the offer on your screen before you accept it.

Why LinkedIn asks for a credit card

A valid credit card is required to start the trial. There's no card-free version.

The reason is simple. The trial is the first month of a subscription, and LinkedIn needs a way to bill you when that month ends.

This is also where most unexpected charges come from. People add a card, enjoy the month, forget the date and see a Premium charge on their statement.

Put a reminder in your calendar the day you start the trial. Set it a few days before the end date, so you have time to decide calmly rather than in a rush.

What happens when the free trial ends

At the end of the free month, the trial converts into a paid Premium subscription automatically. You aren't asked again.

For trials bought on desktop, LinkedIn sends an email reminder before the trial ends.

Don't rely on it alone. Emails get filtered, and the reminder only covers desktop purchases.

If you're happy with Premium, you don't need to do anything. Billing starts and your features carry on.

If you're not, cancel before the end date. For paid plans, LinkedIn advises cancelling at least one day before the next scheduled billing date to avoid the charge, and that margin is sensible for a trial too.

How to cancel the trial before you're charged

On desktop, cancelling starts from Me, then Premium features, then Manage subscription. LinkedIn sends you to its Admin Center, where you open Purchases, select the active subscription and click Cancel subscription, then confirm.

In the app, tap your profile photo, then Premium features, then Manage your subscription, and cancel from the account settings page that opens.

One detail surprises people. Cancelling a trial ends it immediately. You don't keep Premium until the original end date, as you would with a paid month.

So if you want the full free month, cancel near the end rather than on day one. Just leave yourself the one-day buffer.

The 12-month rule between free trials

This is the rule that stops people from chaining trials together. After a free trial, you can't start another one for 12 months.

It applies whether the trial converted into a paid plan or you cancelled it. Cancelling a trial means no new trial for at least 12 months.

Plan the timing around that. If you're about to start a job search, a free month used now on a whim may leave you without one when you actually need it.

A good moment for a trial is when you have a specific task in mind: a batch of applications, a round of outreach or a stretch of courses you intend to finish.

Switching plans during a trial forfeits it

Premium comes in several plans. If you start a trial on one and switch to another before it ends, you lose the trial.

That sounds minor, but it catches people who pick a plan quickly and change their mind a week later. The switch moves you onto the new plan without the free month.

Before you redeem, spend a few minutes on the plan descriptions. Choose the one that matches why you want Premium, whether that's job hunting, sales or hiring.

If you're genuinely unsure, pick the plan closest to your immediate need. You can review the choice after the trial, when you're paying anyway.

Premium Perks aren't available during a free trial

Some Premium plans include Premium Perks, which are partner offers such as trials of Headspace or Notion. They look like part of the package, and they are, eventually.

LinkedIn says those perks become available only after your first paid payment. During a free trial, they aren't available.

So a free month gets you the core Premium features, not the partner extras. If a perk is the main reason you want Premium, factor that into your decision before you start.

It also means the trial isn't a way to collect several partner trials for free. That door opens only once you're a paying member.

Free Premium for veterans and military spouses

This is the one route that is genuinely free for a full year. LinkedIn's veterans Premium page describes a free 12-month Premium Career subscription.

It runs through authorized nonprofit partners rather than a sign-up form on LinkedIn. The partners named on the page are:

• Student Veterans of America.
• Hire Heroes USA.
• Hire Our Heroes.

To qualify, you need to be actively participating in career services with one of those organizations. The partner provides the code you redeem on LinkedIn.

It's a one-time offer, and LinkedIn says it terminates automatically after 12 months. Put the end date in your calendar so the change back to a free account doesn't catch you mid-search.

Who qualifies for the military offer

LinkedIn's eligibility list covers more than veterans alone. The program is open to:

• U.S. veterans.
• Military spouses.
• Active Duty service members in near-term transition.

The program is U.S. only. You also must not already have a Premium subscription when you redeem the code.

If you're a veteran who pays for Premium today, that last rule is worth checking before you apply through a partner. The offer is built for people moving into civilian careers, not as a discount on an existing plan.

Why older guides mention SheerID

Many articles still say military members verify their status through SheerID to get free Premium. That was an earlier route.

LinkedIn's current help page describes the partner route instead: you work with one of the named nonprofits, take part in their career services and receive a code from them.

If you follow an old guide and hit a dead end, this is usually why. Go straight to the partner organizations listed on LinkedIn's page.

Getting this right early saves time. The partner route also ties the free year to the partners' career services, which is useful support in its own right during a transition.

Military codes are first-come, first-served

The veterans offer isn't unlimited. LinkedIn says codes are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis and that the program may reach capacity periodically.

In practice, that means timing can matter. If a partner tells you codes are temporarily unavailable, it's the program's capacity at work, not a problem with your eligibility.

Ask the partner organization when new codes are expected. Staying active in their career services keeps you eligible while you wait.

Once you have a code, redeem it promptly. A code sitting in your inbox doesn't start your 12 months, and it doesn't help your job search either.

Is there any other way to get LinkedIn Premium for free?

Not one that LinkedIn documents. The free trial and the military program are the two routes on LinkedIn's own help pages.

You'll find other claims online: codes shared on forums, promised hacks, workarounds that involve new accounts. LinkedIn doesn't describe any of them, and several depend on breaking rules that apply to every account.

If you only need one feature, check whether the free Basic account already covers it before chasing Premium at all.

Getting the most from a free Premium month

A free month goes quickly. The members who get value from it usually plan it the way they'd plan a project.

Before you redeem, write down the two or three things you want Premium for. Then use the month for exactly those, starting on day one.

Check your calendar reminder a few days before the end. By then you'll know whether the features changed your results enough to pay for them.

If you haven't used a feature by week three, you probably won't pay for it later. That's a clear signal to cancel with a day to spare.

Which free Premium route fits you

Follow the branch that matches your situation:

• You're a U.S. veteran, military spouse or transitioning service member without Premium: contact one of LinkedIn's nonprofit partners and join their career services. That route gives you 12 free months.
• You haven't had a trial in the last 12 months: go to Account preferences and look for Upgrade for Free. Add a card, set a reminder, and decide before the month ends.
• You had a trial within the last 12 months: you'll need to wait, or pay for Premium if you need it now.
• You don't see any free offer: eligibility varies by region and promotion, so check again later, and consider whether Basic already does what you need.

Pick your branch, and do the first step today.

Free Premium FAQ

Does the veterans Premium offer renew after 12 months?

No. LinkedIn describes it as a one-time offer that terminates automatically after 12 months.

Can I get the veterans offer if I already pay for Premium?

No. LinkedIn's eligibility rules say members must not already have a Premium subscription.

Does the LinkedIn Premium free trial always last one month?

One month is the standard LinkedIn describes. It also says trial eligibility and duration may vary based on regional availability or promotional terms.