LinkedIn InMail: Costs, Credits & Limits Per Plan (2026)
TL;DR - Quick Answer
10 min readComprehensive guide with practical insights you can apply today.
Quick answer: InMail credits depend on your plan. Premium Career gets 5/month, Premium Business gets 15/month, Sales Navigator gets 50/month, and Recruiter Lite gets 30/month. Sponsored InMail (Message Ads) costs $0.25-$1.00 per send, billed through LinkedIn Ads.
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Start your free trialInMail Credits by LinkedIn Plan
Prices reflect 2026 monthly billing. Annual billing saves roughly 20-30%.
What Is InMail?
InMail lets you message anyone on LinkedIn, even people you're not connected with.
Regular members can only message 1st-degree connections. InMail bypasses that. Each message costs one credit. If the recipient responds within 90 days, you get that credit back.
You send 10 InMails this month. 4 people reply within 90 days. How many credits did you actually spend?
💡 Tip: Think carefully before selecting your answer!
Do Credits Roll Over?
Yes, but with limits:
- Roll over for up to 3 months
- Maximum is 3x your monthly allowance
- Expire if you cancel or downgrade
- Credits earned back from responses follow the same rules
Example: Premium Business gives 15/month. Use 5 in month one, carry 10 forward. By month three, you could have up to 45 saved (the cap).
Sponsored InMail (Message Ads) Costs
Sponsored InMail, now called Message Ads, is a paid advertising format. Your message lands directly in a user's inbox.
Message Ads are billed through LinkedIn Campaign Manager, separate from InMail credits.
Message Ads vs InMail Credits
You want to send a product announcement to 5,000 potential buyers. What should you use?
💡 Tip: Think carefully before selecting your answer!
How to Check Your Remaining Credits
- Click Me (top right) → Settings & Privacy
- Go to Account preferences → Subscriptions & payments
- Your InMail credit balance is displayed
You can also see it when composing a new InMail, LinkedIn shows remaining credits at the top of the message window.
Free Alternatives to InMail
You don't always need to pay. These work for free:
The last method takes more time but converts better than cold InMail.
Tips to Improve InMail Response Rates
Short list. Every point matters:
- Subject line: under 5 words, personalized
- First sentence: reference something specific (their recent post, company news, mutual connection)
- Length: under 100 words. Shorter messages get better responses
- Ask: one clear question. Not a wall of information
- Timing: Tuesday through Thursday, 8-10 AM in their timezone
- Follow up: one follow-up after 7 days if no response
Weekday InMails generally get better response rates than weekend messages.
Which InMail subject line is most likely to get a response?
💡 Tip: Think carefully before selecting your answer!
FAQ
How much does one InMail cost?
InMails are included with your Premium subscription (5-150 per month depending on plan). You can't buy individual credits separately. The cheapest plan with InMail is Premium Career at $29.99/month for 5 credits.
Do I get credits back if someone responds?
Yes. If a recipient responds within 90 days, the credit is returned to your account.
What's the difference between InMail and regular messages?
Regular messages only go to 1st-degree connections. InMail lets you message anyone on LinkedIn, regardless of connection status.
Can I send InMail without Premium?
No. InMail requires a Premium subscription. Free accounts can use connection requests, group messages, and Open Profile messaging instead.
How much do Message Ads cost?
Message Ads cost $0.25-$1.00 per send on average, with a minimum daily budget of $10. They're billed through LinkedIn Campaign Manager, separate from InMail credits.
Do unused credits expire?
Credits roll over for up to 3 months, capped at 3x your monthly allowance. If you cancel your Premium plan, all unused credits are lost at the end of your billing cycle.
Related LinkedIn Guides
- LinkedIn Premium Pricing: All Plans Compared
- How to Cancel LinkedIn Premium
- LinkedIn Connection Message Templates
- LinkedIn Introduction Message Guide
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