Types of membership

There are several types of membership available in Second Life:

• Basic memberships, the standard free membership level with no recurring subscription fees
• Plus memberships, which add some entry-level perks and benefits to the standard free membership
• Premium memberships, which add a number of additional capabilities and benefits like Linden Homes
• Premium Plus memberships, offering the benefits of a Premium membership plus additional expanded capabilities and perks

Residents are free to upgrade to a Plus, Premium or Premium Plus membership whenever they wish and may choose to return to a Basic account when their subscription time ends by downgrading on the Account Dashboard at secondlife.com. Premium subscriptions can be set to bill on a monthly, quarterly, or annual basis. Plus and Premium Plus membership subscriptions can be set to bill on a monthly or annual basis (quarterly is not available at this time).

Basic membership

Basic memberships offer several benefits and perks that are available to all Second Life accounts:

• A fully customizable avatar with many starter outfits and looks
• Thousands of 3D environments, fun events, and great people
• The ability to build, script, and create on your own or with others
• And much, much more!

Plus membership

Plus memberships offer several benefits and perks that are not included with a Basic membership:

• The right to own mainland parcels in popular areas (512m² included with membership) 
• Linden dollar rewards (L$150 weekly stipend)
• Maximum number of group memberships increased from 42 to 50
• Additional ticketed technical support options available

Premium membership

Premium membership provides the following benefits:

• Your own private Linden Home
• Linden dollar rewards
• Exclusive virtual goods
• Premium-only sandboxes
• Live chat support
• The right to own mainland parcels in popular areas (1024m² included with membership)
• Immediate access to adult-only areas
• Maximum number of group memberships increased from 42 to 70
• Preferred access to highly populated regions, utilizing increased region capacity
• Access to premium-only events and experiences
• Voice morphing
• Cap on missed instant messages increased from 15 (Basic) to 80 (Premium)
• L$ transaction history increased from 32 days to 90 days

Premium Plus membership

In addition to the Premium membership features listed above, Premium Plus membership includes:

• The ability to belong to up to 140 groups
• An increased number of instant messages saved while you're offline (up to 160)
• A larger starting allowance of mainland included with your membership (2048m² included with membership)
• Discounts on L$ fees for uploading assets like textures, animations, and sounds
• Discounts on L$ fees for creating recurring events and creating groups
• Discounts on changing your username
• Direct phone access to assistance from customer support
• The ability to acquire an additional land-based experience in Second Life
• Selecting a specific Linden Home location by contacting customer support
• And more to come!

Upgrading to a Plus or Premium account

To upgrade to a Plus or Premium membership:

1. Log into the Second Life website.
2. On the left side of the screen, click Change Membership.
3. Click  Plan to display a chart of Membership plans and prices.
4. Select Plus (choose from Monthly or Annual billing) or Premium (choose from Monthly, Quarterly, or Annual billing options).
5. Review the upgrade fees and other changes to your account to confirm your choice.
6. Click Continue to checkout and check out via the Tilia Second Life Cashier.
7. Once you've completed check out, be sure to log out of the Second Life viewer and log back in again to enjoy your new benefits!

Upgrading to a Premium Plus account

To upgrade from a Basic, Plus or Premium membership to Premium Plus:

1. Log into the Second Life website.
2. On the left side of the screen, click Change Membership.
3. Review the chart of Membership plans and prices and select Premium Plus (choose from Monthly or Annual billing options). 
4. Review the upgrade fees, including discounts based on any existing Premium memberships.
5. Click Continue to checkout and check out via the Tilia Second Life Cashier.
6. Once you've completed check out, be sure to log out of the Second Life viewer and log back in again to enjoy your new benefits!

Existing Premium members who wish to upgrade to a Premium Plus account may do so, and will receive a discounted initial subscription for their new Plus membership based on how much time is remaining on their current paid Premium membership. For example, if you are an Annual subscriber with several months left on your Premium subscription and you wish to upgrade to Premium Plus, you will only pay the difference between your current membership and your requested Premium Plus membership.

Annual Premium subscribers who wish to change to a monthly Premium Plus subscription may receive additional Premium Plus subscription time based on how much of their existing Annual Premium subscription remains. That is, if you have ten months of Premium membership remaining on your Annual membership, and choose to upgrade to monthly Premium Plus billing, you will receive extra Premium Plus time in exchange on a pro-rated basis. Please note that the day of the month that your membership renewal happens on may change as a result.

The upgrade page will display the charge (including discounts) in the Today's Charge section before completing the upgrade process, allowing Residents to check what their potential cost to upgrade might be before making any commitments.

Gifting a Premium membership to a friend

If you'd like to gift a Plus, Premium or Premium Plus membership to a friend, our Support team can help. Check out our Support Portal for the steps to gift a membership to another Resident.

Linden Homes

Linden Homes are ready-to-move-in homes that belong to a themed community and are available only to Premium and Premium Plus account members.

For more information on Linden Homes, see Overview of Linden Homes.

Linden dollar rewards

As a Premium or Premium Plus member, you receive a sign-up bonus and a weekly stipend of Linden dollars.

Sign-up bonus

Weekly Linden dollar rewards (stipend)

Eligible accounts receive stipends each week whether they log in or not. Stipends are paid every week on Tuesdays. To be eligible to receive a stipend, an account must have Plus, Premium, or Premium Plus status as of approximately 9pm Pacific on Monday (the day before stipends are sent out for the week). Delinquent accounts will not receive their stipend until their balance due is paid (up to 24-48 hours after the balance due is fully cleared).

• Plus members receive a weekly stipend of L$150
• Premium members receive a weekly stipend of $L300
• Premium Plus members receive a weekly stipend of L$650

Payments are based on information gathered from the database as of the preceding Monday. For example:

• If you begin an eligible membership subscription on Monday, April 14, you will receive your first stipend on Tuesday, April 15.
• If you begin an eligible membership subscription on Tuesday, April 15, you will receive your first stipend on Tuesday, April 22.

Due to technical issues, stipend payments may sometimes appear late in the day on Tuesdays or very occasionally on Wednesday; if you believe your stipend is late, it's worth checking the Status Blog to see if stipend payments for the week have been delayed.

Stipends for old accounts

The stipend amount for older accounts depends on what type of account you have and its age. Plus and Premium Plus accounts receive the standard stipend amount for their membership regardless of account age.

Premium accounts created or upgraded:

• On or after November 1, 2006 receive L$300 per week.
• Between July 21, 2006 and November 1, 2006 receive L$400 per week.
• Before July 21, 2006 receive L$500 per week.

Certain old Basic members get a stipend; Basic memberships created

• Before May 29, 2006 receive a stipend of L$50 per week, if they log in that week.
• After May 29, 2006 do not receive a weekly stipend.

Premium virtual goods (gifts)

As a Premium or Premium Plus member, you will periodically be offered exclusive premium virtual goods as a gift. These premium virtual goods are designed by Residents commissioned by Linden Lab and can be received at special inworld vending kiosks within Second Life. 

How to receive your premium virtual gift

To receive your premium virtual good, go to one of the inworld vending kiosks listed in the Second Life Destination Guide: http://secondlife.com/destinations/premium/gifts. If you are logged in to the website, go to https://secondlife.com/destinations/premium/gifts instead.

To use one of the kiosks:

1. Right-click the kiosk.
2. Choose Buy. (You won't be charged—the item is free for premium account holders.)
3. The item is transferred to your inventory.

The inworld vending kiosks only provide the latest Premium virtual good. Previous gifts become unavailable once a new gift is released, so check back regularly to ensure you don't miss out.

Object permissions on premium virtual gifts

Premium virtual goods are no modify, no transfer, copy, meaning you can make copies but cannot modify or transfer the items.

For general information on object permissions, see Object permissions.

How to get help for premium virtual gifts

Premium virtual gifts are commissioned by Linden Lab and designed by Residents. Please do not contact the creator for support. Each premium virtual good comes with an FAQ notecard to help you get started and answer common questions.

If you still have an unanswered question, email premium_feedback@lindenlab.com. We will update the notecard as needed, but cannot provide individual responses.

Frequently asked questions

I didn't receive the previous virtual gift, and the kiosk only provides the most recent one. Can I get the one I missed?

Sorry! The premium gift vending kiosks only provide the current premium virtual gifts. Previous offerings become unavailable once a new gift is released.

Can I take multiple copies of a gift from the kiosk?

Yes! As a Premium or Premium Plus member, you can take as many copies of the premium virtual gift as you like.

I accidentally deleted my premium virtual gift. Can I get it back?

Yes. As long as the next premium virtual gift has not been distributed, you can get it from an inworld kiosk.

Premium sandboxes

A sandbox is an area put aside for building practice. Much like real sandboxes and conceptual sandbox games, these are spaces of creativity and chaos. For more information on sandboxes, see Building tips.

Several sandboxes exist for specific purposes—such as the Weapons Testing Sandbox—but the majority are simply for regular building.  Signs within each sandbox area make it clear what kind of activities are allowed there.

Sandboxes usually have auto-return enabled to clean themselves several times a day; look for auto-clean information before building, so you aren't caught by surprise. Since sandboxes are experimental, they may also be unstable—be sure to take regular inventory backups of anything that's important.

Premium sandboxes are accessible only to Residents with Premium or Premium Plus memberships. Each sandbox is made up of four regions. Generally, there is one sandbox per Linden Home continent.

Find the premium sandboxes through the Second Life Destination Guide: http://secondlife.com/destinations/premium/sandboxes.

Other premium benefits

Premium and Premium Plus memberships also provide additional benefits:

Live chat support

Residents with Premium or Premium Plus memberships may initiate a live chat for support issues via the support portal. While Basic and Plus accounts do not qualify for live chat access, they are welcome to submit a ticket for assistance from the customer support team. Plus members have access to a wider variety of support topics for their ticket submission.

Right to own land in popular mainland areas

Certain membership levels permit Residents to own land on the mainland, which features large connected continents with roads, trains, and community spaces. The mainland is operated directly by Linden Lab, and only eligible membership levels may own land there.

Residents with a Plus, Premium or Premium Plus membership can buy mainland parcels. A certain amount of land maintenance fees are included with each level of maintenance, and Residents only need to pay an additional monthly fee if their land holdings exceed that included land allowance.

Plus members receive a land allowance of 512m² included in their membership fees. Premium members receive a land allowance of 1024m². And Premium Plus members receive an initial land allowance of 2048m², allowing them to own twice as much mainland as a Premium account before becoming subject to additional land use fees. For more information, please see Land Use Fees.

Immediate access to adult-only areas

Linden homes and some adult areas are accessible only to those 18 years and older. If you are 18 years or older when you sign-up for a Premium or Premium Plus membership you will automatically have access to these areas. For more information, see Age-restricted content and Accessing Adult land and content.

Increased number of group memberships

The number of groups a Resident can belong to simultaneously is limited by their membership type:

If you choose to downgrade to a different account membership, you can keep your existing number of active group memberships. However, if you wish to join any new groups and currently belong to more than your new membership level allows, you will have to leave some of your active groups in order to join a new one.

Preferred access to highly populated regions

Regions in Second Life have a bonus capacity to allow region owners, estate managers, and Residents with Premium and Premium Plus accounts to enter an otherwise full Region. The default limit on the number of avatars allowed in a region is as follows:

• Full Regions support an extra 10% (100 to 110)
• Homesteads support an extra 25% (20 to 25)
• Open Spaces support an extra 20% (10 to 12)

For full details on access to bonus region capacity, see Improved Region Capacity and Access on the Second Life Blog.

Downgrading or canceling your Premium membership

Downgrading from Premium or Premium Plus to a different membership

To downgrade your membership, follow these steps:

1. Log into the Second Life website.
2. On the left side of the screen, click Account and select Premium Membership.
3. Click Change Membership Plan to display a chart of available Membership plans and prices.
   • If you prefer to downgrade to a Premium or Plus subscription, select your preferred plan and click Change Membership.
   • Review the changes on the following screen and click Continue to Checkout to proceed.
4. If you prefer to downgrade to a Basic membership, click the Choose Basic Account link beneath your current membership plan
5. Review the changes on the next page and click Continue to Checkout. Your new plan becomes effective on your next billing date.

Halting a premium downgrade

If you change your mind about downgrading, you can cancel your upcoming downgrade at your account dashboard at the Second Life website.

To cancel your account downgrade:

1. Log into the Second Life website.
2. On the left side of the screen, click Account and select Change Membership.
3. A yellow box at the top of the screen will read Downgrade Requested. This box contains information about when your account will downgrade to a new level of membership.
4. At the bottom of this box, click Cancel Request.
5. The box will update to show that your downgrade has been cancelled successfully, and you can confirm your current account status and when you will bill next on your Account Summary page.

Once you've canceled your downgrade request, your membership will renew as usual on your next billing date.

Canceling your account

When you cancel your account, it is deactivated and you will lose access to it at your next billing review date. If you're thinking about canceling your account entirely, consider leaving it active with a Basic membership, which costs nothing to maintain. If at some point in the future you should choose to revisit Second Life, your avatar and your inventory will be here waiting for you.

You can cancel your account by going to the Delete Account page after logging in with your Second Life username and password. This link is also accessible through the Account section on the left of your Dashboard.

Once logged in, select the reason why you have chosen to delete your account and then find the Cancel Account button at the bottom of the page. Your account will remain open until your billing review date, as account maintenance fees are paid in advance.

Land charges after downgrading or canceling your account

If you cancel or downgrade your account from Plus, Premium, or Premium Plus, you may still be charged for your most recent month's land holdings, depending on your billing cycle. Land allowance fees are calculated based on your previous month's usage – for example, the amount of mainland that you own during the month of January will determine how much your land bill is in February.

As stated on the Land Pricing & Use Fees page:

Land use fees are billed based on the peak amount of land held during your previous 30-day billing cycle. This includes land parcels owned directly in your name as well as land allowance donated to groups. Peak usage is measured by the maximum amount of land you held or donated — for any length of time — during your billing cycle.

As a result, every account is charged for their maximum amount of land allowance used (by owning land directly or donating to a group) during the current billing cycle, regardless of whether they cancelled their account before the end of the month.

For example:

• You own 2048 meters of mainland on your premium account, Jane Pumpernickel. You decide to downgrade to a Basic (free) account on your next renewal date, July 1st, so you sell your 2048 meters of mainland to your neighbor, Marcel Baguette, on June 30th.
• Your monthly land allowance fee for your land is usually $7 (in addition to your premium membership) based on the amount of land you own.
• On July 1st, your account converts to a basic (free) account as you've requested, and will no longer be charged for membership fees.
• Because you owned your mainland from June 1st-June 30th, your account will be charged $7 for the land allowance used during that time.