Frequently Asked Questions

What is Friendswin?
Friendswin is a social networking company providing cutting-edge video-enabled communications products which allow friends to communicate in an entirely new way. Friendswin is the ultimate web destination where friends can meet, hangout, socialize, have fun and make money online.
In addition to standard social networking features, Friendswin also offers premium services such as:

• Video Resumes – A “state-of-the-art” feature that allows a job-seeking person to create a video profile which is included as part of their resume stored on Friendswin. The job-seeker then sends a link (or includes a link in their standard resume) to prospective employers allowing the employer to view both their standard resume plus view the video.
• Video Dating – This service allows members to post a “video” dating profile on Friendswin. Instead of just looking at pictures (which may be 10 years old) and reading about someone, you can view their video and quickly get a much better feel of who that person is.
• Video Social Networking – Why settle for static information when you can create dynamic videos that friends can view and enjoy. Savvy business people will use this feature to create different profiles for a business or service they want to promote.
• Video Conferencing – This is a service that enhances all of the above services. Imagine being able to have a “live” video conference with the following:
  • A potential “employer” who has viewed your video resume
  • A “prospective “date” who has viewed your video dating profile
  • Your “team” in a business venture
  • A group of “friends” just hanging out

How can I get involved with Friendswin?
Friendswin is a membership based company which offers three (3) levels of association with the company:

• Free Member – A person or entity that joins Friendswin to enjoy free social networking features.
• Subscriber – A member who spends $9.97 per month for our premium services (Video Dating, Video Conferencing, Video Resumes, etc).
• Independent Marketing Representative (IMR) – A member who elects to promote Friendswin to other people. For IMRs, there is a yearly fee of $49.95 to cover sales and marketing tools such as a backoffice that tracks activity in your organization and promotions to help you build your IMR and subscriber base.

For features such as Video Dating, will I be able to localize my search criteria?
Absolutely. Our site will offer localization for many of our features.
Is your site secure?
Yes. Our website is extremely secure. It is SSL compliant and all personal data is encrypted for storage in our database with 128-bit encryption.

What is the difference between a free member, a subscriber and an IMR?
Anyone who joins Friendswin is a member.
A Free Member is simply a member who has not yet paid to subscribe for our premium products such as Video Resumes, Video Dating, Video Social Networking and Video Conferencing.
A Subscriber is simply a member who pays $9.97 per month and enjoys unlimited access to all of our premium products.
An Independent Marketing Representative or “IMR” is simply a member who has elected to join as a business builder and possibly earn money with Friendswin. An IMR can also be a subscriber.

How does an IMR make money?
IMRs earn commissions two (2) ways:

• They introduce Friendswin to their friends and sell them subscriptions for our premium products. The total dollar volume for all subscriptions personally sold is called your Personal Sales Volume or PSV. IMRs earn 8% multiplied times their PSV.
• They introduce our business opportunity to other business-minded people. IMRs earn money on the subscriptions sold by the other IMRs they have recruited. The total dollar volume for all subscriptions sold by the other IMRs in your group is called Group Sales Volume or GSV.
• IMRs earn 2% multiplied by the GSV for level 1.
• IMRs earn 3% multiplied by the GSV for level 2.
• IMRs earn 4% multiplied by the GSV for level 3.
• IMRs earn 5% multiplied by the GSV for level 4.
• IMRs earn 6% multiplied by the GSV for level 5.
• IMRs earn 7% multiplied by the GSV for level 6.
• IMRs earn 8% multiplied by the GSV for level 7.
• IMRs earn 9% multiplied by the GSV for level 8.

Are there any qualifications for an IMR to earn commissions?
Yes. In order for an IMR to earn commissions in the matrix, they MUST generate a minimum of $9.97 (sell one subscription) a month in PSV. This qualifies the IMR to earn commissions on the first 4 levels of the matrix.

• They can elect to become their first subscriber by purchasing our premium services for $9.97 and fulfill that initial requirement OR
• They can simply have a friend (who is not also an IMR) purchase our premium services.

In order to earn commissions on levels 5 through 8, IMRs must generate additional PSV.

• A PSV of $19.94 or more qualifies IMRs to earn commissions for level 5.
• A PSV of $29.91 or more qualifies IMRs to earn commissions for level 6.
• A PSV of $39.88 or more qualifies IMRs to earn commissions for level 7.
• A PSV of $49.85 or more qualifies IMRs to earn commissions for level 8.

As an IMR, does buying my own subscription qualify me for commissions?
Absolutely.  You'll qualify for commissions on Levels 1 through 4 with your own paid subscription.  Typically, it is difficult to sell others on something you are not using yourself. Click HERE to order your own subscription now!
If I sign up an IMR and he or she become a subscriber, does that count toward my PSV?
No. Your PSV is your own personal sales. When an IMR becomes a subscriber, the subscription cost of $9.97 will show up in his or her own PSV, however, that same $9.97 shows up in your GSV and increases your commissions!

What happens if one of my subscribers becomes an IMR?
You will lose the $9.97 from your PSV, but gain it in your GSV as that subscriber will now be in your downline as an IMR. Essentially, you lose a personal subscriber but gain a business partner and you still get a commission on the subscription based upon the level on which the person entered your IMR matrix.

Can I lose my position in the Matrix ( IMR)
Yes. You can lose your position in the matrix three (3) different ways.

• If you do not pay your $49.95 annual IMR fee when it’s up for renewal.
• If 60 days elapse without your generating at least $9.97 in PSV per month. This rule will take effect after January 1, 2008.

NOTE: You can guarantee your position in the matrix by subscribing yourself.

• You will lose your position in the matrix if you violate the terms outlined in our “Policies and Procedures” unless you correct the violation.

Does Friendswin provide tools to help IMRs recruit other IMRs or find subscribers?
Yes. Friendswin has created marketing campaigns to help IMRs build both their subscriber-base as well as recruit other IMRs. Each campaign type provides banners, links and sample e-mails geared toward the specific campaign.

• The Recruiting campaign features a landing page that educates prospective IMRs about the Friendswin Business Opportunity.
• The Video Resumes campaign features a landing page that educates prospective subscribers about the benefits of joining Friendswin and posting a video resume.
• The “Video Dating” campaign features a landing page that educates prospective subscribers about the benefits of joining Friendswin and posting a video dating profile.
• The Social Networking campaign features a landing page that educates prospective subscribers about the benefits of joining Friendswin and posting a video profile to entertain their friends (social networking is about having fun on the Internet). Business-savvy members may chose to post a video profile explaining the benefits of a business they are promoting.
• The Video Conferencing campaign features a landing page that educates prospective subscribers about the benefits of joining Friendswin and joining one or more of their friends in an interactive video conference.
  • A wife or husband “video conferencing“ with a spouse who may be serving in the military
  • Parents or grandparents “video conferencing“ with their kids or grandkids who may be located in different parts of the country or world.
  • Friends “video conferencing” with friends who have moved away.
  • A group of friends “video conferencing” in an environment where they can actually see each other verses simply instant messaging.

Will my commissions be taxed as they are accrued or paid?
No. If you are a U.S. resident or business, you MUST enter your SSN or EIN before being eligible to receive commissions. You will receive a Form 1099 at the end of the year showing the total commissions paid.
Residents of other countries must follow their country’s laws and regulations.

On what days are commissions paid?
We currently calculate all commissions as of the last day of the month and cue up payment on the 15th of the following month. We may elect to change the pay cycle from monthly to bi-weekly or weekly in the future.

What payment methods does Friendswin use to pay commissions?
For all U.S.-based members, Friendswin will pay commissions and bonuses via the following methods:

• ACH transfers directly to a member’s bank account
• PayPal
• Company check mailed to IMR’s address on record

For foreign members, Friendswin will pay commissions and bonuses via the following methods:

• PayPal
• Company check mailed to IMR’s address on record

NOTE: There are different fees associated with the various options.

What payment methods does Friendswin accept for subscriptions?
For all US-based members, Friendswin will accept subscription payments via the following methods:

• ACH transfers directly from a member’s bank account.
• Visa or MasterCard

For foreign members, Friendswin will accept subscription payments via the following methods:

• Visa or MasterCard

How many hours per week must I work to earn commissions?
You are not paid per hour of work. You are an independent contractor, so you set your own hours based upon what you feel is required to build your business.
Can “Free Members” or “Subscribers” earn commissions?
NO. Only IMRs are eligible to earn commissions.
Will I be able to make money by referring other members to Friendswin?
Yes. You would be required to join as an IMR. IMRs get paid in a 5 by 8 forced matrix. Please see the compensation plan for details.

What does “Forced Matrix” mean?
Forced Matrix simply means that IMRs can only have 5 other IMRs on their first level. Once that level is "full,” additional sponsored IMRs are “forced” to take positions in the first open slots present in their personal matrix. The process of placing IMRs under other IMRs in your downline is called “spillover.” See the Compensation Plan for details.

How old do I have to be to participate in Friendswin?
IMR - You must be 18 years or older to join as an IMR
Subscriber – You must be 16 years or older to join as a subscriber.

Can I have more than one account?
No. You are only allowed one member account per person.

Can I sponsor my children as an IMR?
Yes, as long as your children are at least 18 years old.

Is there a limit or requirement on how many IMRs I can sponsor?
No. We suggest you should find 5 people who share the same vision you do in building a business. Obviously, some people will sponsor more, some fewer.

Can I earn more money by finding more than 1 subscriber?
Absolutely. You get paid 8% of the subscription price for each subscription you personally sell. In addition, the more subscriptions you sell, the more levels you are qualified to earn commissions on.

Am I required to work with everyone in my downline?
There is no “magic” involved in building this business. Those who do not help new IMRs develop their businesses will meet with limited success. Therefore, a responsibility of sponsorship is to work with everyone on your team, helping them learn the business and encouraging them during the critical early months.

Can companies be sponsored? If you own a company, can you sponsor your company or can your company sponsor you?
Yes and no... If your company has a tax EIN number and separate bank account, then it's allowed. If you use your SSN for the company, then it is NOT allowed. You cannot use the same SSN for two entities.
As an IMR, am I an employee of Friendswin?
No. You are an independent contractor responsible for your own business.

Can I cancel my membership as a subscriber or IMR at any time?
Yes, but if you cancel your IMR membership, you will be dropped from the matrix and you will not be eligible to earn future commissions.

When will I be billed for my monthly subscription fees?
You will be billed monthly on the day you first became a subscriber. For example, if you subscribed (or upgraded) on the 17th of the month, you will be billed monthly on the 17th.

 Are we required to pay a monthly membership fee?
No. We do not pay a monthly membership fee. As an IMR, you are however required to generate a minimum of $9.97 per month (in subscription fees) to earn commissions on levels 1 through 4. You can choose to become your first subscriber and immediately qualify to start earning commissions.

Is there a limit on the number of subscriptions I can sell?
No. You are paid commissions on subscriptions you personally sell and you also earn commissions on all subscriptions sold by IMRs in your matrix. The more subscriptions everyone sells, the more everyone will earn.

As a subscriber, am I required to pay $9.97 a month or can I pay as I use the services?
You can make that decision based upon what is best for you. Many of the features of our site are FREE to all members. We do, however, charge for our premium services such as Video Dating, Video Conferencing, Video Resumes, etc. Paying a fee of $9.97 provides you with UNLIMITED use of the site. For video conferencing, if you chose to pay a la cart, you will be billed at the rate of 50 cents per hour.
As a free member, you can “view” videos created by others but you cannot “save” a video you create until you become a subscriber.