Cupid.com Help - Free Personals, Free Online Dating, Free Personal Ads, Singles site

Place a FREE personal ad with photo.
Use quick and expanded search to read personal ads.
Send and receive Eye Contacts which let others know you're interested in them and provides a link to your profile.
Reply to Gold Member's messages.
Maintain a list of people you are interested in.
Send profile links to your friends.
Block members from contacting you.
Search only for members with photos.

Gold Member

^{(What's This?)}
For less than the cost of a date to the movies, you can become a Gold Member. With access to all Cupid.com features, you can perform targeted searches and send messages to anyone you choose. Memberships are available in 1, 3, and 12-month increments, with multi-month membership discounts. Why not join Cupid.com today!

Platinum Member

^{(What's This?)}
Add Platinum Membership to invite men or women (even Basic Members) to make the first move. Be a real flirt (even if you're a bit shy). Encourage anyone on Cupid.com to contact you by Email or Instant Message.

Why should I become a Gold Member?

^{(What's This?)}
By becoming a Gold Member, you get to enjoy all of the benefits that Cupid.com has to offer! You can post a profile and photo, look at other people's profiles, contact members through Eye Contacts or messages, INSTANT MESSAGE anyone who is "Online Now!" and access all other areas of the site. You can start relationships on your own by sending a message to any member on the site. There's no reason not to become a Gold Member, so why not do it today?

What payment methods do you accept?
Gold Memberships:
You may pay by credit card or through PayPal. Simply enter the information on the membership sign-up page to renew a membership. Cupid.com uses state-of-the-art confidentiality software to ensure that this sensitive information is protected.

We also have a pay by mail option under specific subscription periods. We will accept a Money Order, Certified or Bank check under these conditions:

Subscribe for 1 year. current prices
Write your Email Address and Online Name on the check.
Mail it to:
Attention: Gold Membership
Cupid.com, Inc.
P.O. Box 728
Poughkeepsie, NY 12602
IMPORTANT: Personal Checks cannot be accepted. Once your payment is received, we will upgrade your account to GOLD Status.

Platinum and Highlight Upgrades:
You may pay by credit card only. Sorry, we do not yet support PayPal for Platinum and Highlight purchases.

What credit cards do you accept?
Cupid.com accepts Visa, Mastercard, Amex, and Discover.

How do I change my credit card information?
You can change your credit card information, securely and safely, by clicking on the Credit Card Info link in the My Account section.

How do I purchase/renew my membership?
If you currently have a Gold Membership, will be automatically renewed monthly unless you cancel your subscription. To become a Gold Member, click on the "Upgrade Now!" link on the top or left navigation.

How do I turn my autorenew on/off?
Autorenew controls can be accessed from the "My Account" header (top left corner of the page when you're logged in, next to your Inbox). You'll find links to auto-renew on your Account Summary and Account Statement pages.

How do I cancel my membership?
You may cancel your Cupid.com free or paid subscription at any time. Click here to go to the close account form. You must sign into your account using the email address and the password you established when you created your account. You may also send us an email for assistance. If you cancel your subscription term, you may use your subscription until the end of your term or choose to deactivate your account immediately. However, you will not be eligible for a refund, or any prorated refund of any portion of unused time. Once you cancel, upon expiration, your subscription will not be renewed.

Signing In / My Identity

How do I choose an Online Name?
Your Online Name is your own unique name by which other Cupid.com members will recognize you. Online Names may not be used by more than one member. Your Online Name should be somewhat descriptive, while not too revealing. Never use your last name as part of your Online Name. Remember, this will be the first impression you give other Cupid.com members. Your Online Name may be comprised of any combination of 25 letters and numbers, however, please do not use spaces or odd characters.

How do I choose a password?
Your password may be comprised of any combination of letters and numbers - up to 20 characters. Make this password something you'll remember, however, don't make it too obvious. Take the same consideration creating this password as you would when creating a password for your bank account.

What if I forget my Online Name or password?
At the sign in page, we've included a section for "Forgot your Online Name/password?" Simply enter the e-mail address you used when creating your Cupid.com account. We'll e-mail your password to that address within seconds.

How do I change my Online Name or Password?
In the My Account section, click on "Change Online Name". Follow the instructions from here to choose a new name. Also in My Account click on "Change Password". You will need your old password to complete this change.

How do I Change My Personal Information?
To change any of your Personal Information like your:

Birthdate (age)
Gender
Address
Phone Number
Email address
Cool Stuff Opt-Ins

Sign in to Cupid.com
Under My Account, Click on the "My Personal Info" link
Enter password
Make your changes
Click "Submit"

What is your privacy policy?
See our Privacy Statement.

My Profile

Can I see how my profile will look when other members find me?
Sure! What you see when you view your profile is nearly identical to how others see it, except for the links to edit your profile of course, and the section on how many people have viewed your profile.

I'm looking, but I don't want other members to find me; can I do that?
Of course you can. Go to Hide/Show My Profile located in your Privacy Settings section.

My profile is hidden. Can I give specific members permission to view it?
Yes you can. If your profile is hidden, then whenever you send a message you'll have the option of granting the recipient permission to view your profile. Also, when you send an Eye Contact, you must make your profile visible to the recipient (otherwise they wouldn't be able to respond to you!). Your Profile Permits page is a handy way to keep track of who you've allowed to view your hidden profile, and to add and remove permissions.

Can I change my information?
Your information is never set in stone. You may change it at any time! Simply sign in, and you'll be brought to your Profile page where there are links to change everything we display on your profile. Changes will be available to others within 24 hours. You may also edit your personal information from the My Account section, located in the left navigation.

What should I put in my profile?
Make your profile stand out. Show the world what you're made of!

DO be honest. Some people don't like surprises.
DO fill out as much as you can. The more information you give, the more there is to like!
DO have fun! Be candid! Be creative! Most of all, be yourself!

DON'T include any personal information such as phone number, address, personal email, etc. We want to protect your anonymity and keep you feeling safe.
DON'T use offensive language or discuss questionable topics. What one person laughs at, another might find distasteful. We want everyone to feel comfortable. We may edit or reject any profile that doesn't follow the rules.

Fill out your free profile now!

Can I tell who has looked at my profile?
Yes! When viewing your profile, near the top you'll find a message saying how many people have viewed your profile. Next to that, click on Who? You can also click the "Who's Viewed Me" link found in the right navigation of My Profile and Search pages.

How can I get more attention to my profile?
There are several ways to make your profile more attention getting. The first piece of advice is to post a photo. Profiles with photos get browsed up to 8 times more than profiles without photos. Adding a flattering picture puts some depth and character into your profile. Click here to learn how to post your photo. You can also change your title periodically. This may catch the eye of someone who may have passed you by before.

What is your policy on inappropriate language?
Cupid.com wants to make everyone visiting the site feel welcome and comfortable. Thus, we regularly scan all user material for inappropriate or offensive language. If found, Cupid.com reserves the right to cancel the ad. Additionally, we ask that when communicating, our members use common sense and remember that something you find amusing may be offensive to someone else.

My Photo

Is a photo necessary?
You are not required to post a photograph with your ad, but we've found that ads including a photograph receive eight times as many responses as text-only ads. When searching ads, you are given the option to search only those ads that contain a photo or those who are currently online. We've found that a large majority of users make these selections. Why wait any longer? Click here to post your photo now!

How do I choose the right photo?
Making your photo noticeable is very easy. There are just a few simple guidelines you should follow. Be sure to choose a recent picture that closely resembles your current appearance. This picture should be of you alone. Bring out your best qualities by choosing a photo that allows people to see your best features.

How do I add photos to my profile?
There are 3 ways to get your photo to us. Once we have it, we'll review it for appropriateness within 2 business days and add it to your profile.

1) Upload your photo. When you upload your photo, you'll be able to trim and rotate your picture so it's just right. This, by far, is the fastest way to get your picture added to your profile.

2) Email your photo. If you've tried to upload your photo and can't get it done, the second best option is attach it to an email and send it to us. The attached photo has to be a .gif, .jpeg .jpg, .bmp or a .tif file and must be smaller than 200k in size. Sign in to your account to get the email address of where to send it.

3) The good old-fashioned way -- Mail it!
Sign in to see instructions for mailing your photo to us. (pop-up)

Does it have to be a color picture?
Some like the artistic aspect of black and whites. You're welcome to use a B&W if you'd prefer.

How long until it's added to my profile?
Once we get it, it typically takes about 2 BUSINESS days to approve and add your photo to your profile. It will get added to a LOT sooner if you upload your photo.

Can I change my photo(s)?
Sure! On your Profile page, there is a link to Edit Photo(s). From there, you can delete photos or choose which one you'd like to be your main photo.

Can I post several photos?
Yes! You can have up to 10 photos! Once we've had a chance to approve them (you wouldn't believe the stuff some people try to post!), go to Photo Manager to select your main photo.

Can I post a photo of someone else?
Sure, as long as your main photo is a picture of just you. Choose the right photo for your profile.

I sent in a photo; why don't I see it on my profile?
Remember, we look at all the photos to make sure they are appropriate; it may take 2-3 business days before it appears on your profile.

After that, if it still isn't up, we may have rejected it. Here are the top reasons we reject photos:

It wasn't a format we accept. We only take .jpg, .gif, .tif, or .bmp files.
You sent us a group photo, and didn't tell us which one was you (we can post you but not other people because they haven't given us permission to).
Your photo was too small. It kinda defeats the purpose if people can't see what you look like.
Your photo was too big. We have a big Inbox, but some files are just ridiculously huge.
It was unclear/blurry. We're not extremely picky here, but if your using Photoshop filters to blur yourself out, don't bother sending it.
We figured out which person was you, but were unable to crop out the other people in the photo because of the layout (we won't include children's faces).
No matter how good you look, we won't post naked pictures of you. Thanks, though!
The photo was of a celebrity, a cartoon, a drawing of yourself, some graphic you found on a web page...
You're using WebTV. Email attachments just don't work for WebTV, we've found.
Your photo had a virus attached to it. If your photo was a .tif, and none of the above seem to apply, you might want to scan for viruses.

What are private photos?
With private photos YOU have control over who sees your pictures.

Want to add private photos? On your Profile page click "Edit Photo(s)" to add photos. As you upload your photos you'll be able to select them as private photos. They'll be hidden from general view. Only people you grant permission to will be able to view your private photos.

As you browse profiles you'll see some members have a link to their private photos. Click on the private photos link and you'll be able to request permission to view their private photos.

It's OK to upload your sexy photos as private photos. Sexy and artsy photos are OK.

How do I grant members permission to view my private photos?
There are two ways you can give a member permission to view your private photos. First, when you're viewing someone's profile and decide that you'd like to let him/her see your private photos, simply click the button "send this member a private photo invite." We've also added a Grant Access button on the Read Message page, for when someone writes to you and asks to see your photos.

Or, when a member sends you a private photo request, simply approve it. Wanna see if anyone has asked to view your private photos? Check out your Private Photo Requests page.

Where can I see who has permission to view my private photos?
You can keep track of who is allowed to view your private photos on your Private Photo Permits page. You can get to this page from the Photo Manager -- just click on "View permissions" in the Private Photos section.

Cupid AutoMatch

What is Cupid AutoMatch?
Cupid AutoMatch Service Mark

is an ongoing automatic process that helps you find the right people.

How does it find matches?
When you created your profile, you answered several questions about yourself. You also specified what you were looking for in someone else. You also specified how important each of those questions were to you. Cupid AutoMatch Service Mark

searches the member database, comparing these answers. When it finds two members who match each others criteria, it makes a match.

What happens when Cupid AutoMatch finds a match?
A couple things happen when Cupid AutoMatch Service Mark

finds a match:

You're notified by e-mail when a match is found. For convenience, this e-mail will provide a link to the Cupid.com sign in page.
You can also view your top ten current matches on the "My Matches" page. A link to "My Matches" is located in the left side navigation.

How do I turn off Cupid AutoMatch?
You can disable this function on your "My Matches" page. Follow the instructions here to turn off Cupid AutoMatch.

What's the difference between matching and searching?
When you perform a search on Cupid.com, you are provided with a list of profiles that match what you have specified as criteria at that time. Cupid AutoMatch Service Mark

, however, furnishes you with a list that is more detailed and will mean more to you than just a broad search. The results here will be tailored to the criteria you were looking when you filled out your profile. You may change those criteria at any time by editing your profile.

How do I view My Auto Matches?
You can view your Auto Matches by signing into your account and under the Communication Center follow the red links, clicking on My Matches. Here you can view your list. You can view profiles by clicking on the name, then choose to contact through Eye Contacts or Messages (GOLD members only).

Searching

What is the difference between a Quick, Expanded, and Reverse search? How do I perform these searches?
Quick and Expanded searches find people who match what you are looking for. A Reverse search, on the other hand, finds members who are looking for someone like you.

Quick search boxes are found on many of our pages, including the homepage and Search pages. You may perform an Expanded search by clicking the "Search" link on the top navigation. Or, if you feel like trying a Reverse search, that link is found on the right navigation of Search pages (under "More Search Options"). Note: you must be logged into your account to perform Expanded and Reverse searches.

Why am I getting very few search results (or none at all)?
Try widening your search criteria a little. Make your age or height ranges bigger. Re-evaluate some of the questions for which you selected only one or two acceptable answers. For an Expanded search, it might be easiest to "start over" and reset your multiple choice criteria; click the "Reset My Search" link to do this.

Contacting other Members

Who can contact me?
Only Gold Members

^{(What's This?)} may send a message to you from your profile page. Basic members may show interest using Eye Contacts.

How do I read my messages?
You can view your Messages by signing into your account. Then, under the Inbox section found in the left navigation, click on Messages. Here you will view your list. You can view their profiles by clicking on their name. You can read the message by clicking on the subject header, then choose to reply to the message, if you would like.

How do I view My Eye Contacts?
You can view your Eye Contacts by signing into your account and, under the Communication Center, follow the red links, clicking on My Eye Contacts. Here you will view your list. You can view their profiles by clicking on their name, then choose to contact through Eye Contacts or Messages (GOLD members only).

How do I contact other members?
We offer two ways to contact other members from profile pages. When you find a profile you'd like to respond to, choose one of two ways to contact that member:

1) Click on "Send Message" to send a message to another member
2) Click on "Make Eye Contact" to catch their eye and let them know you're interested

How do I contact a Basic member if I am Basic?
Basic members cannot send a message or initiate an Instant Message to someone "Online Now" (we have to make a buck somehow!); Upgrade to Gold today!

How can I see the messages I have sent?
All of your sent messages remain in your message box until you delete them. Go to Messages on the Inbox secton. You will automatically see your received messages. Click the "Sent" tab to view all the messages you have sent.

I received a message from another member. Can I reply if I haven't subscribed yet?
Yes; anyone can reply to a message they have received. Remember, only Gold Members

^{(What's This?)} can send messages to anyone they want.

What is an Eye Contact?
An Eye Contact is a quick way to let other Cupid.com members know that you're interested in them - without sending a formal response. When you send an Eye Contact, other members will be notified by e-mail. Perhaps they will send you a message back or they may return an eye contact. (Only Gold Members can send messages). Eye contacts are a quick, easy, fun way to say "I'm interested in you, are you interested in me?" You can attach one of a variety messages along with one of a variety of emoticons to the eye contact (i.e.: 'Blowing you a kiss'

to which they might respond... 'Kiss Caught!'

). From there you can decide if you want to send a personal message! Any member can send any other member an Eye Contact - Flirt! Have fun!

You can view a list of members you have received Eye Contacts from, and a list of members you have sent Eye Contacts to, by clicking on "Eye Contacts" in your Inbox, found in the left navigation.

Do I have to be a member to search?
No. There are so many advantages to becoming a member, click here to register.

Nobody is contacting me; why?
If no one is contacting you, there are several things that may remedy the situation. Check to make sure your profile isn't hidden. It's a good idea to reshape your profile every so often. Try changing your title or your essays to make them catchier. If you didn't post your photo, you should! Profiles with photos get looked at up to eight times more than profiles without one. Also, don't wait around for someone to contact you; you should contact members, too! If you aren't ready to compose a message to someone, send an Eye Contact; it's an easy way to get the ball rolling.

I sent a message to another member; why haven't I received a response?
If you have sent a message to someone and have not received a reply, a few things may have happened. Perhaps, the member has chosen not to respond. The most effective way to get people to respond to your profile is to post a photo. Cupid.com makes it easy even if you don't have a scanner or digital camera; find out how to post your photo today! If someone still fails to respond, move on. There are thousands of Cupid.com members in the database, many of whom are responsible and ready to meet you.

Why aren't I receiving responses to the Instant Messages (IMs) I send?
It's likely that the member you're trying to IM is blocking popups. In order to hold an IM conversation, both sender and recipient must have their Popup Blockers disabled (or configured to allow popups from Cupid.com). It's also possible that the person you were trying to reach had signed off before your IM was sent.

I received a new message email notification but found nothing new when I signed in. What happened?
Cupid.com recently became the target of scam artists who have been sending messages to our members in an attempt to solicit money. At this time our only course of action is to delete these messages before our members have a chance to read them. This is done to protect our members.

Another possiblity is that our email notification reached you after you had already viewed the new message. This may happen occasionally, when our email queue is very busy.

I would like a member's email address. How do I get it?
It is against our policy to give out ANY personal information about one of our members to anyone or any company. Check out our Privacy Policy. We have taken great care to provide an environment where you feel safe to meet others. We've provided lots of ways to communicate with members.

Where can I see which members have let me view their private photos?
You'll find a list of members who have let you view their private photos on your Private Photo Permits page. You can get to this page by clicking the "Private Photo Permits" link on your Privacy Settings section.

Where can I see which members have allowed me to view their hidden profiles?
You can see which members have let you view their hidden profiles on your Hidden Profile Permits page. You can get to this page by clicking the "Hidden Profile Permits" link on your Privacy Settings section.

What is a "rose?"
A rose added to a message says "I think you're special." It's a special touch that only Gold Members can give. A limited number are given to each Gold Member. Roses are replenished monthly, when the Gold Member's subscription renews.

How do I get more roses?
Your roses will be replenished automatically each month of your subscription.

Does a rose I receive increase the number of roses I can send?
No.

System Abuse/Blocking a Member

I've been looking over profiles, and sometimes I see [CENSORED!!]. What does that mean?
Sometimes people try to sneak something into their profile that is against Cupid.com's Terms of Use, which all members agree to when they sign up. This could be their email address, phone number, or even offensive content (bad words for example). When this happens, Cupid.com places [CENSORED!!] over the unallowed content, preventing our other members from seeing it.

How do I report system abuse?
If you come in contact with a member or ad which you feel is offensive or if you feel has abused the Cupid.com system in any way, please feel free to contact us for investigation. At the bottom of the profile page you'll find a link: "Let us know if this personal ad doesn't follow our guidelines." A similar link appears on the Read Message screen. For problems outside of those areas, such as in the chat room, please email as much information as possible (i.e.,date/time of incident, Online Name, and any other pertinent information, transcript) to helpdesk.

How do I block/unblock a member?
You may block a member when viewing his or her profile. Below the Send Message and Send Eye Contact links, click 'Block Profile'. You can view a list of people you have blocked by going into your Privacy Settings section and clicking on 'Blocked Members'. Once you access your list, you will have the option of removing the block on a specific member.

Will someone know if I block him or her?
No. When a member you have blocked tries to send you an Eye Contact or a message, we won't display any message that he or she has been blocked (the message will never appear as "Read" by you). However, you will never receive that Eye Contact or message.

Cupid.com Help: Q & A

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