About Global Penfriends

1995

Global Penfriends is a friendship club for snail mail and online penpals. We started in 1995 and are still a family based club in Western Australia. Members of all ages write to each other from all over the world — online, by post, or both.

1 million+ members · 195+ countries · 30+ years connecting penpals

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What is Global Penfriends?

A place to find genuine penpals — people who want to write properly, share their lives and learn about each other’s countries. It isn’t social media and it isn’t a dating site: we are an international friendship club, and conversations here tend to be longer and more thoughtful.

You choose how you like to write. Some members only write online, some only by post, and many start with messages and move on to real letters once they know each other. Read how our remote corner of Western Australia inspired the club.

How does Global Penfriends work?

  1. 1Create a free profile. Tell members about yourself, your interests, the languages you speak and whether you like to write online, by post or both.
  2. 2Your profile is checked. Every profile is checked before it goes live, usually within 2–8 hours.
  3. 3Find penpals. Search by country and age, send a free smile to say hello, or switch on Match Finder and we’ll email you new members who match what you’re looking for.
  4. 4Start writing — your way. Every friendship starts with a message through the club’s own messaging. From there, some penpals stay online as e-pals, some swap postal addresses with the Address button and write only by snail mail, and many do both.
Read the full guide: how our club works →

Is Global Penfriends safe?

Safety is our top priority — it’s why the club has lasted 30+ years.

Every profile is checkedBefore it goes live. Our team reviews anything unusual, and non-genuine profiles are removed.
Adults and children kept apartChildren can only connect with other children close to their own age, and cannot search for or contact adults.
Contact details stay privateEmail, phone and social media details can’t be shared until trust is built, and postal addresses are only swapped with the Address button when both of you agree.
Messages are checkedMessages are checked automatically, and anything unsafe is held back for our team to review.
You choose who can writePick the ages and genders of members who can contact you, and block or report anyone from the conversation menu.
No dating, scams or spamFlirting, asking for money and advertising are against our rules, and profiles that break them are removed.
More about staying safe →
Rated 4.7 out of 5 in 9,751 reviews from our members. Read what they say

What makes us different

Family run for 30+ yearsA family based club in Western Australia, connecting penpals since 1995.
Snail mail and onlineBuilt for both: messaging for online friends, and safe address swaps for letter writers.
Members in 195+ countriesFind a penpal almost anywhere, and learn about their culture first-hand.
Letters, not likesNo feeds or followers — just one-to-one friendships. Why that matters
Free to joinFind and write to penpals for free. Premium adds extras for members who want more.
Help when you need itAnswers in our FAQ, or contact our support team.

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