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How the Messaging System Works on AuPair.com

If you are new to our website and want to contact Host Families and candidates, this article explains how our messaging system works.
 

The AuPair.com messaging system makes it simple to connect with potential matches. This article will show you how to find profiles, send messages, and manage your inbox and outbox, helping you start conversations quickly and effectively.

Quick Video Guide to the Messaging System


Watch this short video guide to the AuPair.com messaging system! Learn how to contact Host Families or Au Pairs, send messages efficiently, and begin your Au Pair experience. Prefer reading? Follow our step-by-step instructions below.


How to find profiles

To send a message to families and candidates you first need to visit their profile. You have several options on how to see profiles: you can either set up your search criteria and click on the “find” button at the bottom of the page. We will forward you to a full list of potential candidates who meet your criteria! You can also click on “My Account” at the top bar and select “Find your Au Pair” or “Find your Host Family”. The easiest and fastest step is to click on the number of recommended candidates/ families that you see when you log in. You find it in the center of the page. When you see the list of profiles you just need to click on “View profile” to see the whole page. 

How to leave a message

Once you visit a profile you will see the name and the picture above and some introductory information. Below you will see a message field. Depending on your status you will see different versions:

Basic Host Families

As a basic Host Family you cannot write a message but send a free request. In the request field you will see a text like this:
 
Dear candidate,
 
Great news! XY’s family, from Spain, has visited your profile and would like to know you better.
 
Please, let the family know whether you would like to accept or deny the request. 
 
Kind regards,
AuPair.com Team
 
This is the content of the notification the candidate will receive from us. Subsequently, the candidate can accept or deny your request. This way, you can find out if there are enough interested applicants before purchasing the Premium membership. Basic Host Families cannot read personal messages from candidates however we will send a notification that a message was received. This is another way to find out if a Premium membership is a right option for you.

Premium Host Families

Premium Host Families have the option to either send a free request (described above) or write a personal message. They need to click on “request” or “message” to change the message field. In their personal message, families can open up the conversation, present their family, and exchange contact details to arrange a video interview later on in the process. Premium families will always be able to read messages from candidates and write a message to an applicant. The only exception is when they do not fit the candidate’s search criteria. In this case, the candidate will still see that the family has visited her or his profile but the family cannot contact directly through the profile. However, the candidate can decide if she or he wants to get in touch.

Basic candidates

Basic candidates can send personal messages for free. This is the text that you will see in the messaging field: 
 
Insert a message to the Host Family here and address the family personally, e.g. 
Hello XY or Dear XY 
 
Read the family profile carefully and make sure you ask personal questions. This will increase your chances of getting a positive answer.
 
We advise you to follow this instruction to achieve a successful search. Short and impersonal messages like “Interested” or “I need a job” show the family that you did not read their profile carefully. So be smart, read the profile, and send a personalized message. As a basic member, only Premium families will be able to read your messages. However, basic families will not. 

Premium candidates

Premium candidates can send personal messages both to basic and Premium families and be sure that they can read it. We highly recommend following the steps described above to find a Host Family soon.

Inbox / Outbox

In your AuPair.com account, you see your inbox and outbox under “Communication”. Here you will see a clear list of which candidates/ Host Families you have already contacted and who contacted you. You will also discover some icons and their explanation below. We differentiate between read and unread messages, if you have replied or not, if the candidate is one of your favourites and if you have taken any notes in the profile of the candidate. 
 
If you click on one of the messages the system will forward you to the profile of the candidate/ the family where you will see your messages and be able to reply if one of both sides is Premium.

Do I need to become Premium?

We advise families to first have a look at our website, browse through profiles, and send some requests to see if people are interested. This way they can decide if our platform fits their needs. Once they want to get in touch with an Au Pair they need a Premium membership to send messages. 
 
It is possible for candidates to find a suitable Host Family on our website without purchasing a Premium membership. Usually, it is the Host Family who purchases the Premium membership so that the candidate does not have to pay for anything. However, the candidate has the option to become Premium to speed up the process.
 
In the beginning, candidates should send 10-15 messages per day to get in touch with as many Host Families as possible. This way, they will probably already meet a suitable Premium Host Family within a few weeks.
 
Did you know? When a candidate’s activity rate is 100%, they can see if a family is Premium by visiting their profile!
 
So, in short: one of you, either the Host Family or the candidate, needs to be Premium to go on with further communication.
 
We hope this guide will help you to find a match on AuPair.com soon! If you want to learn more feel free to browse our Au Pair Wiki and read our FAQ

Safe Communication on AuPair.com

To protect yourself, always use the AuPair.com messaging system for initial communication. Our chat is monitored for fraud and abuse, ensuring a secure environment. Keep all messages within the platform and avoid third-party systems until mutual interest is established.
Once you feel confident, you can move to a video call. We recommend having at least three video calls before signing any agreement to ensure a safe and reliable match.






I submitted a wrong email address. What should I do?
The email address is the only detail in your profile that you can’t change on your own. Send us a message through our contact form with your account ID number and your valid email address. We will help you as soon as we receive your message.
Why can’t I include my contact details in the letters?
There are two main reasons. Firstly, it is for your security. AuPair.com checks all registered users on a daily basis. Fake accounts are usually blocked within minutes, but even a small delay allows scammers to proceed further. If your contact details are visible in your profile, they could fall into the wrong hands. Be careful when you are sharing contact and personal details. The second reason is our payment policy.
How long does it take for the Premium Membership to be activated?
It depends on the payment method. If you use credit card or PayPal, the account will be upgraded right away. Sometimes you might need to log in once again to your profile to get the access to all advanced features of the Au Pair service. If you send money through a bank transfer, your account will be upgraded within 1-2 days after the payment receipt. You can always contact us after making the payment. We will upgrade your account for few days in advance! Western Union payments are the most troublesome ones. You need to provide us with all the details required to pick up your payment. We need a transfer control number, your name, surname, country, email address and possibly your account ID number. In such cases, the account will be upgraded within one week after the payment receipt. 
Do I need to cancel my Premium Membership?
No. Our Premium Membership is a one-off payment and after reaching the end date it expires on its own. You won't need to do any cancellations. If you don’t make another payment to extend your membership, we will never charge your account automatically.
Do you check your users?
Yes! Although we can’t interview them personally as an online matching agency, we do our best to check as many details as possible. Nonetheless, AuPair.com follows the same rules as many other Internet communities. To ensure that you are in touch with a real, reliable person, arrange a video-call and ask about all the important details in person. If you ever feel uneasy, contact us! We will be glad to share our feedback about any user if you find him/her suspicious.    
How to avoid scammers?
If you are contacted by someone who seems to be unreliable, pay attention to the following:
  • If there is an email address in the profile picture
  • You have been asked to make a transfer through MoneyGram, Western Union, or to set up some deposit account.
  • You have been contacted by some agency or a lawyer. They might have sent you a visa application or sample contract.
  • Someone advises you to pay rent for a flat. 
  • The Au Pair just asked you to pay for the flight ticket. Although some Au Pairs expect Host Families to help them with travel costs, there are certain rules of cost refund. 
  • The Host Family contacts you on Facebook. 
These are some of the most popular scam situations. If you encounter any of these before our administrators, or if you ever feel uneasy, please get in touch with us so we can take measures against scammers. Learn more about Au Pair scam schemes that might happen.


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