Online Dating-Pay vs. Free Sites
By Erick Shipmon

With over 100 free online dating sites, it's easy to choose to log on or post your profile for free, but there are some unique differences between pay and free sites that you should take into consideration before signing up.

Online dating services have grown since 1998, when the first ones hit the internet. There a sites especially for every type of person now, from teen online dating to senior online dating, with everyone else in between.

The bottom line is you get what you pay for. Joining a paying online dating service where there is a monthly or yearly fee says that you are willing to abide by the rules, etiquette, and supervision that the pay site tend to have. There are also no pop ups or little other advertising on pay sites, as this is how free online dating sites pay for their space.

Adult dating online through a paying membership site also usually means that you will have some hurdles to go over in order to get in. This is for your safety, so when they ask for a minimum length answer to profile questions, they are trying to weed out the people who are not serious. Another online dating tip for choosing sites is to choose one that requires a photo, even though a lot of sites don't, because they fear minimal participation (no one thinks they look good in a photo.)

The best online dating service will require two things that a free site can not usually afford to have-payment through credit card only and software in 24 hour use which detects phrases that are considered inappropriate for the site. Credit cards can be traced, which deters potential threats from using the site, knowing that they can be traced, and 24 hour software will censure crass material, or block the user altogether.

Online Dating via Pay Sites

While online dating through paying membership sites may seem like the safer way for adult dating online, it is important that you get what you pay for.

With over 100 free online dating sites, you may have to weed through many inappropriate sites until you get hooked into a good one, but if you're not getting your money's worth through your current membership in your online dating service, free may be the way to go.

How much is too much?

The going rate for joining an online dating service is $20 to $30 a month membership fee. Typically this is done through a credit card (on the reputable sites, since a credit card is traceable, weeding out the weirdo's) and monthly payments are simply deducted. There are also sites which use token systems, wherein you purchase a certain number of tokens and one is used each time you make a contact. There is a chance that you will end up wasting your tokens if you do not get replies, though. However, it is a good system if you are out of town a lot and may not be able to use the contacts allotted in your monthly membership fee, which usually do not roll over if unused.

Single online dating can take months, even years before you meet someone. So do not cancel your membership just because you meet some one. If you meet someone right away, great. Give it the same amount of time you've given your other relationships. But read the small print. If you find you need to cancel your membership, don't put it off. Forgetting that you are being auto-debited every month can lead to charges way after you've forgotten you ever joined an online dating service in the first place. (How will you explain that one?!)

Erick Shipmon has been an online marketer since 1997. He currently is the President and CEO of http://www.eDatingPlanet.com which is quickly becoming the hottest and most desirable online dating community on the planet.

eDatingPlanet.com online dating services include: E-mail, Live Chat, Live Video Cam, FREE VoIP Broadband Long Distance, and more!