How Global Penfriends keeps you safe

Safety is our top priority. Global Penfriends has been connecting penpals for 30+ years, and every part of the club is built so you can make friends around the world without giving away more than you want to.

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

Join free Warning signs to look for

Is Global Penfriends safe?

Yes — we believe it is the safest penpal club in the world. Every profile is checked before it goes live, our team reviews anything unusual, and non-genuine profiles are removed. Children and adults are kept completely apart, messages in new conversations are checked, and your contact details stay private until you decide to share them.

Global Penfriends is an international friendship club, not a dating site. Anyone reported for being flirtatious or suggestive is removed.

How we protect members

Every profile is checkedBefore it goes live. Our team reviews anything unusual and removes fake or suspicious profiles.
Messages are checkedIn new conversations, messages are checked automatically for contact details, links and unsuitable content. Anything flagged is held for our team.
Trust comes firstEmail, phone and social media details can’t be shared until the Trust Progress box says trust is established. How trust works
Addresses stay privatePostal addresses are never shown on profiles. They are swapped with the Address button, and only once your penpal accepts.
Adults and children apartChildren can only connect with children close to their own age, and cannot search for or contact adults. Visitors who aren’t signed in can only search adult profiles. Children are protected under COPPA regulations.
Careful with photosPhotos can only be sent between adults once trust is established, and every photo has a “Stop photos” link. Children under 13 can’t post photos of themselves.
No scams or spamAsking for money and advertising are against our rules. Our checks look for fake and scam accounts, and they are removed.
Members help tooReports are read by our team, and members who are blocked by several people are reviewed.

Tools that put you in control

Choose who can writePick the ages and genders of members who can contact you.
Block or reportFrom the three-dot menu at the top of any conversation. How to block or report
Pause your profileTake a break and hide from search whenever you like. How to pause
Delete your accountYou can delete your profile at any time from My Profile.

Your privacy

We never sell your information or share it for marketing. Payments are handled securely by PayPal and Stripe — we never see your card number. The site uses a secure (HTTPS) connection and AES-256 encryption, a military-grade standard trusted worldwide to secure sensitive data, and your postal address is never shown on your profile. Read our privacy policy.

Warning signs to look out for

Most members are exactly who they say they are. Be careful, and report the profile, if a penpal:

Asks for money or giftsFor a ticket, a fee, “customs charges” or an emergency. Never send money to a penpal.
Rushes you off the siteWants your email, phone or another app straight away.
Talks about love earlyFlirting and romance don’t belong here — this is a friendship club.
Avoids simple questionsWon’t say much about their own life, or their story keeps changing.

Parents: see how we keep children safe.

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