FAQ

Basic & Albatross

• What is the difference between Basic and Albatross membership?

  At InterNations, we offer two types of membership: Basic Membership, which is free of charge, and Albatross Membership.

  As a Basic Member you can:

  • attend official events
  • use our member search to connect with like-minded people
  • send and receive unlimited private messages
  • exchange valuable tips in local and global forums

  By upgrading to Albatross you can:

  • enjoy free or reduced entrance to all official events
  • join groups and attend their activities
  • read articles about your destination and expat life
  • browse profiles anonymously and see your profile visitors

Free trial

• What is the free trial?

  Explore all the benefits of our premium Albatross Membership for 30 days, free of charge. As an Albatross Member, you can:

  • enjoy free or reduced entry to all official events
  • join interest-based groups and attend their activities
  • read articles about your destination and expat life
  • browse profiles anonymously and see your profile visitors

   

• Why do I need to enter my payment details?

  If you’ve enjoyed your free trial and would like to continue to be an Albatross Member, your card will be charged at the end of the 30 days. If you decide it’s not for you, you can cancel at any time and will not be charged.

• Why do I see a pending charge on my credit card account?

  Like many other services, InterNations uses an authorization hold to confirm that your credit card is active and has the funds available to purchase Albatross Membership. For example, in the United States, you might see a 1.00 USD authorization hold. If you live in another country or region, you might see a different amount in the currency of your location. Authorization holds are removed by your card issuer after a short time. The exact time it takes to remove authorization requests varies by financial institution.

  If you have questions about the way your card handles authorization requests, contact your financial institution.
   

• How can I cancel the free trial?

  You can cancel at any time during the trial by downgrading your account. Just visit the Login & Basic Data section of your account, scroll down and click or tap “Change membership”. Select your reason for downgrading, then enter your InterNations password. Press “Downgrade” to confirm. You’ll continue to be an Albatross Member until the end of your free trial, and your account will then be automatically downgraded to our Basic Membership.   

  Android:

  After logging in, tap “more” — the three little dashes on the top left. Next, select “Membership” and tap “Change membership”. Select your reason for downgrading and enter your InterNations password. Press “Downgrade” to confirm. You’ll continue to be an Albatross Member until the end of your free trial, and your account will then be automatically downgraded to our Basic Membership.

• Can I sign up for the free trial on the iOS app too?

  Unfortunately, it’s not currently possible to sign up for a free trial on the iOS app. However, you can sign up through the main InterNations website; you’ll then be able to access all your Albatross benefits wherever you’re signed in.

• Will I be automatically charged at the end of the free trial?

  Yes, however you can change this by visiting the Membership section of your account and downgrading at any point during your free trial.

• What about my free activity trials that I still want to use?

  The new 30-day trial replaces the previous activity trials, giving members the opportunity to try out an unlimited number of activities over a full month. We think this gives members a much more accurate, in-depth idea of what it’s like to be an Albatross Member.   

• Why can’t I select the 30-day free trial but others can?

  If you have been an Albatross Member in the past or have signed up for a 30-day free trial previously, you are not eligible for another free trial.

Upgrading

• How do I upgrade?

  Click or tap here to upgrade to our Albatross Membership. Choose your subscription period and payment method, fill in your details, and press “Submit order” to complete the process. 

  Android:

  After logging in, tap “more” — the three little dashes on the top left. Next, select “Upgrade to Albatross”. Choose your subscription period and payment method, fill in your details, and press “Submit order” to complete the process.

  iPhone:

  After logging in, tap “more” on the bottom right of the screen. Next, select “Upgrade to Albatross”. Choose your subscription period and payment method, fill in your details, and press “Submit order” to complete the process. 

• What is the cost of Albatross membership?

  Prices are based on the length of your subscription. You can find prices for all plans here.

  Please note, subscription fees are taken as one single payment, not charged monthly. Average monthly costs are displayed to help you compare the value of the different subscription periods.

• Which payment methods do you accept?

  We accept payments via PayPal and credit card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, CB, and JCB). Only cards with a three- or four-digit security code can be used. We do not accept payments via cash, check, or bank transfer.

  Please note, you can only pay in Euros with Carte Bancaire, and you cannot pay in Chinese Yuan or the United Arab Emirates Dirham when using PayPal. 

• Where can I find my invoices?

  You can download all your invoices from the membership page.

• Will my membership be automatically renewed?

  Your Albatross Membership will automatically be renewed at the end of your subscription period. If you would prefer to opt out of auto-renewal, just visit the Login & Basic Data section of your account and downgrade before your current subscription period expires. Members are notified about autorenewal both on their invoices and in the Membership area of their account. 

Downgrading

• How do I downgrade?

  In the Login & Basic Data section of your account, scroll down and click or tap “Change membership”. Select your reason for downgrading and enter your InterNations password. Press “Downgrade” to confirm. You’ll continue to be an Albatross Member until the end of your subscription period, and your account will then be automatically downgraded to our Basic Membership.    

  Android:

  After logging in, tap “more” — the three little dashes on the top left. Next, select “Login & Basic data” and tap “Change membership”. Select your reason for downgrading and enter your InterNations password. Press “Downgrade” to confirm. You’ll continue to be an Albatross Member until the end of your subscription period, and your account will then be automatically downgraded to our Basic Membership.   

  iPhone:

  For iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch:

  1. Go to settings, then select “iTunes & App Store”.

  2. Tap your Apple ID at the top of the screen and select “View Apple ID”.

  3. Under Subscriptions, tap “manage” and select “InterNations”.

  4. Turn off automatic renewal to cancel your subscription.

   

  For Mac or PC:

  1. Open iTunes and make sure you’re signed in with your Apple ID.

  2. At the top of the iTunes window, choose “Account > View My Account”.

  3. On the “Account Information” page, scroll to the “Settings” section.

  4. To the right of “Subscriptions”, click on the “Manage”’ button.

  5. In the InterNations section, select “Edit” and turn off automatic renewal.

  You’ll continue to be an Albatross Member until the end of your subscription period, and your account will then be automatically downgraded to our Basic Membership.    

• If I downgrade before my membership expires, will I still be able to make full use of my Albatross Membership?

  After downgrading, you’ll continue to be an Albatross Member until the end of your subscription period. At the end of your subscription, your account will automatically be downgraded to our Basic Membership.