ElitePartner review: what to know in French-speaking Switzerland

ElitePartner has a Swiss version, elitepartner.ch, with terms and conditions specific to Switzerland and governed by Swiss law. But this version is written in German, and the site only offers Swiss, Austrian and German versions, all in German. Its regional magazine talks about Basel, Zurich, Lucerne, St. Gallen or Chur, not Geneva, Lausanne or Valais.

If you live in French-speaking Switzerland, expect to use German for the test, your profile and your conversations. The site gives no indication of its presence in French-speaking Switzerland.

ElitePartner presents itself as a site for "cultured, educated singles" who want a lasting relationship. Its FAQ makes clear that a university degree is not required: what matters, according to the site, is a respectful, thoughtful exchange.

The process runs in six steps:

• Sign-up with an email address and a password. ElitePartner says it checks every sign-up and only publishes serious profiles.
• Personality test of around 20 minutes on what you expect from a relationship, your goals and your values. It cannot be retaken.
• Partner suggestions calculated by an algorithm from the test.
• Filters: where you live, age, whether you want children. According to the plan comparison table, only Premium members can set search criteria.
• Profile completed with your photos.
• Getting in touch, for Premium members only.

Without a subscription, you can see your suggestions, view profiles, see who has visited yours, and send smiles. With Premium, you can write without limits, see other members' photos, set your search criteria, search in your region and receive personalised advice. An app is available for iPhone and Android.

ElitePartner offers three Premium durations: 6 months (Premium basic), 12 months (Premium plus) and 24 months (Premium comfort). The amounts are not shown on the Swiss site's public pages: they appear after you sign up. So we do not quote any prices.

Premium includes a contact guarantee: at least 5 contacts over 6 months, 7 over 12 months and 10 over 24 months; otherwise, the subscription is extended at no cost. According to the terms and conditions, the Premium subscription renews automatically unless it is cancelled within the notice period stated when you order. Make a careful note of that period.

Velvet is our own site, and we say so before making any comparison. ElitePartner and Velvet are both aimed at discerning singles, but not in the same region: ElitePartner serves Switzerland in German, Velvet serves French-speaking Switzerland only, in French.

Worth noting too: on Velvet, no search engine shows your profile. Only logged-in members can see it, and you can hide it at any time.

ElitePartner is a sensible option if you speak German, are looking for a lasting relationship and are happy to commit for at least six months. Its personality test and its contact guarantee are clear points in its favour.

In French-speaking Switzerland, the lack of a French version and of local pages is a real limitation. If you want a serious approach, in French, with a few profiles chosen every day and contact only when it is mutual, Velvet was designed for exactly that.