What is LinkedIn InMail?
InMail is a message you can send to a LinkedIn member without being connected to them. LinkedIn's InMail page calls it a premium feature: on a free account you can only message your connections directly, and you must upgrade to send InMail. Free accounts can still receive it, and LinkedIn's plan comparison lists unlimited InMail messages among what a basic account can receive.
Each message spends one credit. It has an optional subject of up to 200 characters and a body of up to 2,000 (Send an InMail Message). You can't reach everyone, because members can turn off InMail in their message preferences.
Who gets InMail credits, and how many?
Credits come with paid plans, and LinkedIn says no plan gives unlimited credits. These figures are from its credits page and InMail FAQ.
| Plan | New credits a month | Most you can hold |
|---|---|---|
| Premium Career | 5 | 15 |
| Premium Business | 15 | 45 |
| Premium All-in-One | 30 | 90 |
| Sales Navigator (all plans) | 50 | 150 |
| Recruiter Lite | 30 | 120 |
Renewal dates differ. Premium credits arrive on the first day of your billing cycle, based on your sign-up date. Sales Navigator credits arrive on the first of each month in UTC, whenever you bought your licence. Premium credits can't be spent on Sales Navigator or Recruiter.
What does an InMail cost?
LinkedIn doesn't publish a price per InMail, and its Sales Navigator page says you can't buy additional credits. You pay through the plan, so the only per-credit figure is one you work out yourself. This table divides each plan's starting US price by its monthly credits. Prices are from LinkedIn's Premium Business, All-in-One and Sales Navigator pages; the first two show pricing last updated on 20 April 2026.
| Plan | Paying monthly | Per credit | Paying yearly, per month | Per credit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Premium Business | $69.99 | $4.67 | $44.99 | $3.00 |
| Premium All-in-One | $89.99 | $3.00 | $74.99 | $2.50 |
| Sales Navigator Core | $119.99 | $2.40 | $89.99 | $1.80 |
Treat these as ceilings, because each plan includes other features too. Prices vary by location. We couldn't confirm a current Premium Career price from a LinkedIn page, so it isn't listed. Our Sales Navigator pricing guide and our look at LinkedIn Premium for small business cover what else you get.
Worked example. Say you pay $69.99 for Premium Business and get 15 credits. If 6 of those 15 InMails get a response, you get 6 credits back and can send 21 that month, or about $3.33 each. If nobody responds, it stays at $4.67. The 6 is an illustration of the arithmetic, not a reply rate you should expect.
When does LinkedIn give an InMail credit back?
You get a credit back when the recipient responds within 90 days, and a decline counts. The rules differ slightly between Premium and Sales Navigator:
| Situation | Premium | Sales Navigator |
|---|---|---|
| Accepted, declined or answered within 90 days | Credit back | Credit back |
| Quick reply or auto reply | Quick Replies count as a response | "Interested", "Maybe later" and "Not interested" all earn a credit back |
| No response | Stays pending; no credit back | No credit back |
| Second InMail to the same person | Can't send until they respond | Allowed; uses another credit |
| You delete an unanswered InMail | Not stated | No credit back; editing or deleting is only possible within 60 minutes |
| You cancel or change plan | Balance goes to zero; credits don't transfer | Credits don't transfer |
Sources: LinkedIn's Premium credits page and Sales Navigator credits page. LinkedIn also sends the recipient an automatic reminder within three days of the InMail being sent.
LinkedIn's pages don't quite agree in two places. The main InMail page mentions a credit back only if the recipient accepts, while the credits page includes declines and direct responses; we would go with the more detailed credits page. On rollover, the FAQ says credits expire after 90 days, the Sales Navigator page says unused credits carry over and must be used within 90 days, and the Premium credits page only gives the maximum you can hold. Plan to use each credit within 90 days.
Can you message someone outside your network for free?
Sometimes. If a member has Open Profile turned on, LinkedIn says you can message them for free. It's a setting Premium subscribers can turn on, according to its Open Profile page. LinkedIn limits how many Open Profile messages you can send in a given period, and says basic accounts can send only a limited number each month. It doesn't give the number on those pages. Check the person's profile before you spend a credit.
When is a connection request better than InMail?
A connection request is usually better when you have no credits to spare, or when you want more than one conversation. It costs nothing, and once accepted you can message the person without credits. It has its own limits: LinkedIn says all members are subject to invitation limits, and the note is short. We compare the two in detail in InMail vs connection request, so here is just a quick way to decide:
| Your situation | Send |
|---|---|
| You have a reason to stay in touch and can wait for an acceptance | Connection request |
| You hold no credits, and don't want to pay for a plan | Connection request |
| They have Open Profile on | Free message |
| The reason expires this week and they matter | InMail |
| You need more room than a short note gives | InMail |
When you do spend a credit, our InMail templates are a good place to start. Since a response earns the credit back, write something that is easy to answer.
Frequently asked questions
Can a free LinkedIn account send InMail?
No. LinkedIn says that on a basic account you can only message people you're connected to directly, and you must upgrade to a Premium account to send InMail. Free accounts can receive InMail, and can send a limited number of messages to Premium members who have Open Profile turned on.
How many InMail credits does Sales Navigator include?
50 a month on Core, Advanced and Advanced Plus, up to a maximum of 150 held at once. LinkedIn says you can't buy additional credits. New credits arrive on the first of each month in UTC, and unused credits carry over but must be used within 90 days.
Do you get an InMail credit back if someone declines?
Yes, as long as they respond within 90 days. LinkedIn's credits page says an InMail that is accepted, declined or responded to directly within 90 days is credited back. On Sales Navigator, a "Not interested" auto reply earns the credit back as well. A message with no response does not.
Do InMail credits expire?
LinkedIn's pages say credits need using within 90 days. Its FAQ says they expire after 90 days, and its Sales Navigator page says unused credits carry over and must be used within 90 days. Each plan also has a maximum you can hold, and a cancelled Premium subscription takes your balance to zero.
How much does one InMail cost?
LinkedIn doesn't sell them individually. Dividing plan prices by monthly credits gives a ceiling of $4.67 on Premium Business and $2.40 on Sales Navigator Core when paying monthly, using LinkedIn's listed US prices. Credits returned after a response lower that figure, and each plan includes other features too.
Sources
- LinkedIn Help: InMail Messages (shown as updated 4 weeks ago; checked 1 Nov 2026)
- LinkedIn Help: InMail message credits and renewal process (shown as updated 3 months ago; checked 1 Nov 2026)
- LinkedIn Help: InMail Messages FAQ (shown as updated 2 months ago; checked 1 Nov 2026)
- LinkedIn Help: Understand InMail credits in Sales Navigator (shown as updated 11 months ago; checked 1 Nov 2026)
- LinkedIn Help: Send an InMail Message (shown as updated 7 months ago; checked 1 Nov 2026)
- LinkedIn Help: Difference between free LinkedIn and LinkedIn Premium accounts (shown as updated 4 weeks ago; checked 1 Nov 2026)
- LinkedIn Help: Manage your Open Profile settings (shown as updated 1 year ago; checked 1 Nov 2026)
- LinkedIn Help: Send an Open Profile message (shown as updated 1 year ago; checked 1 Nov 2026)
- LinkedIn Help: Types of restrictions for sending invitations (shown as updated 11 months ago; checked 1 Nov 2026)
- LinkedIn Premium: Premium Business (pricing last updated 20 Apr 2026; checked 1 Nov 2026)
- LinkedIn Premium: Premium All-in-One (pricing last updated 20 Apr 2026; checked 1 Nov 2026)
- LinkedIn Sales Navigator: compare plans and pricing (checked 1 Nov 2026)