Why Matrimony.fr Uses a Matrimonial Contract — and What Happens in the First Seven Days

Many members are surprised to find a contract on a matrimonial website. It is not a subscription and it costs nothing to sign. It exists because, in France, putting people in touch with a view to marriage or a stable relationship is a regulated activity, and the law expects a written contract with clear terms before any payment is involved. This guide explains what that means on Matrimony.fr, step by step.

Why a contract at all?

The French Consumer Code (Code de la consommation) contains a short section on matrimonial brokerage contracts (contrats de courtage matrimonial), articles L224-90 to L224-95. In summary, and as published on Légifrance, these rules expect:

• a written contract that names the professional and describes the services and prices;
• a fixed duration of no more than one year, with no automatic (tacit) renewal;
• an annex describing the person you are looking for — age range, region of residence, family and professional situation, and the other qualities you consider essential;
• a seven-day period after signing during which you can withdraw without penalty, and during which no payment may be received.

Matrimony.fr has chosen a conservative reading of these rules: rather than asking only paying members to sign, every member signs the same free contract before any contact details are revealed. It keeps the service simple and predictable for everyone.

What is in your Matrimony.fr contract?

The contract is generated from your own profile and preferences, in the language you are using on the site. It contains:

• Who we are and what we provide: the operator's details, the services included, and a clear statement that signing is free.
• Its duration: a fixed period of at most 12 months, with no automatic renewal.
• Your annex: the partner preferences you entered — age range, region or country, family situations you accept, professional situation and the qualities that matter to you. Our guide to writing useful partner preferences explains how to fill it in.
• Your rights: the seven-day renunciation, a separate withdrawal request for distance contracts, termination for a legitimate reason, and how to complain — including free consumer mediation.
• How optional Matrimony Points work: points are never required to sign, and any purchase is governed by the Terms of Sale.

After signing you can view, download or print your copy at any time from your dashboard, and you receive a confirmation email.

How to sign, in four steps

1. Complete your profile. When it is ready you receive a "contract ready" email, and a notice appears at the top of the site until you sign.
2. Enter your partner preferences in Dashboard → Partner preferences. They are required, because they form the annex.
3. Read the contract in Dashboard → Matrimonial contract.
4. Tick the confirmation box, type your full name and sign. Signing is free.

What changes after you sign

Before signing, you can already create your profile, appear in search once your profile is approved, browse profiles, see your suggested matches and check horoscope compatibility. What a signature adds is access to contact details:

• an administrator can give you free Contact Access to a member;
• where the feature is switched on, you can unlock one profile's phone or WhatsApp with Matrimony Points, including points you were given;
• any referral points you have earned are credited to your account when you sign.

Contact details you have already unlocked stay visible to you. The detailed rules are in Matrimony Points explained.

The first seven days after signing

The seven days that follow your signature are a protected period. Here is exactly what it means on Matrimony.fr:

• You can change your mind. From the Matrimonial contract page you can renounce at any time during the seven days, without giving a reason and without paying anything. You receive a confirmation email. Your account and profile are not deleted — you stay in control of them.
• No money payment is possible. Buying Matrimony Points opens only after the seven days, and only when purchases are open on the site. Even an old checkout page cannot be used to pay during this period.
• Contact access already works. Points you were given (referral or administration) and Contact Access granted by an administrator can be used straight away.
• Everything free stays free. Search, matches, compatibility, photos, blocking and reporting work as before.

The seven days are counted conservatively from the moment you sign, using French time. Your contract page shows the exact end date.

After the seven days

If you wish, you can then buy Matrimony Points. Before each purchase, the order summary asks you to accept the Terms of Sale and to tick two separate confirmations about immediate performance and your right of withdrawal. Buying points is always optional: many members use only the free features, or only points they were given.

Your contract page also shows a separate 14-day period calculated for distance contracts. If you send a withdrawal request, it is recorded with its date and examined by our team. You can also ask to end the contract for a legitimate reason; explain the reason and keep any supporting documents.

When the contract ends

At the end of its duration, the contract simply stops — it is never renewed automatically. New contact reveals are no longer possible, but the contacts you unlocked earlier remain visible. If you are still searching, you can sign a new contract from your dashboard.

If you change your preferences after signing, your signed contract keeps the annex it was signed with. The new preferences are used for your matches straight away and will appear in your next contract.

In short

The contract is free, it takes a few minutes, and it is the only step between your profile and access to contact details. It gives you a written record of what Matrimony.fr provides, a clear duration and seven days to reconsider — with no payment possible during those days.

Next step: read how Matrimony.fr works for the whole journey, or go straight to your dashboard to enter your partner preferences.