Subscription FAQ

General Questions

How much do subscriptions cost?
Merriam-WebsterCollegiate.com offers an annual subscription plan (amount in U.S. dollars):
  • Annual subscription — $14.95 per year

Which credit cards can be used for payment?
VISA, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover cards are accepted forms of payment.

How safe is it to give credit card information on this site?
Merriam-WebsterCollegiate.com is committed to safeguarding the personal and financial information shared with us during the subscription process and the use of the site. We employ a number of technologies to ensure that credit card information is appropriately safeguarded and that the subscription process for the site meets the highest security standards currently available on the Internet. All transactions are secured by Entrust and Verisign (two of the Web's foremost security authorities), and their innovative verification, privacy, and security management systems ensure trustworthy on-line transactions. We feel that credit card purchases of Merriam-WebsterCollegiate.com subscriptions are extremely safe.

How do I subscribe?
To begin the subscription process, go to the Subscription Page: https://member.collegiate.com/subscribe.php. You will be asked to fill out an online form that will provide us with the information required to process your subscription request. On the first subscription screen, you will be asked to fill in contact information for the subscriber and the cardholder. (NOTE: If the two are the same, you can simply check a box on the form so you do not have to type in the information twice.) You will be given a chance to indicate whether you would like to receive e-mail updates about the site and/or its affiliates. In addition, you will be asked to select a User Name and a Password, which you'll use to log in to the site.

After you have completely filled out the first subscription page, you will click the Proceed to Checkout button, and the information you have provided will be sent to our secure subscription server and you will be taken to the Subscription Checkout form. On that page, enter your credit card type, number, and expiration date. Then click the Submit Subscription button to submit and finalize your subscription.

How do I register my complimentary subscription?
If you own the book Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Eleventh Edition, click here to register for your complimentary subscription to Merriam-WebsterCollegiate.com.

If you own Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary and Thesaurus 3.0 on CD-ROM, click here to use your coupon for a complimentary subscription to Merriam-WebsterCollegiate.com.

How will I know if my subscription has been processed correctly?
After you have clicked Submit Subscription, you will immediately see an on-line confirmation in your Web browser. It will list your contact information, the term and price of your subscription, and your ordering information. In addition, you will receive an e-mail confirmation that your subscription has been processed.

How soon can I start using the site after I subscribe?
You can start using the site immediately. Simply open your Web browser, go to the page http://www.Merriam-WebsterCollegiate.com, fill in your user name and password, and start exploring!

Can I modify my personal information after I subscribe?
Yes. You can revise your contact or payment information, change your e-mail preferences, or pick a new user name and password at any time by clicking on My Account links on the site or by going to the page https://member.collegiate.com/user/login.php.

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Note to AOL Users

If your AOL Mail Controls are set to allow mail only from other AOL accounts, you will not receive our e-mail confirming that your subscription has been processed nor will you receive any e-mail from our technical support staff should you request it.

To restore the default configuration to your Mail Controls and allow e-mail from all non-AOL addresses and domains, follow these instructions:

  1. Type "Mail Controls" into the AOL address bar or click the "Keyword" button and type "Mail Controls."
  2. On the "AOL Mail Controls" screen, click on "General Controls."
  3. In the drop-down menu, select the screen name you want to set the mail controls for. (Only those with primary screen names can change Mail Controls.)
  4. Select the button for "Allow all e-mail to be delivered to this Screen Name." (See below.)
  5. Click the "Next" arrow.
  6. Review the settings and click "Save."
  7. Click the "Close" button.
Mail Controls -- Allow All

To retain your current Mail Controls but allow mail from Merriam-Webster:

  1. Type "Mail Controls" into the AOL address bar or click the "Keyword" button and type "Mail Controls."
  2. On the "AOL Mail Controls" screen, click on "General Controls."
  3. In the drop-down menu, select the screen name you want to set the mail controls for. (Only those with primary screen names can change Mail Controls.)
  4. Select the button for "Customize Mail Controls for this Screen Name."
  5. Click the "Next" arrow.
  6. Choose the button "Allow e-mail from all AOL members, and from the listed domains and e-mail addresses. Block e-mail from all others."
  7. In the small text box next to the "Add" button, type or paste in "member.m-w.com."
  8. Click on the "Add" button.
  9. Click on the "Next" arrow.
  10. On the next screen, "Controls for Pictures and Files," select the button "Allow this screen name to send and receive mail with pictures and files."
  11. Click on the "next" arrow.
  12. Review the settings, making sure "merriam-webster.com" is listed.
  13. Then, follow the same steps, making sure "member.collegiate.com" is listed.
  14. Click "Save."
  15. Click the "Close" button.

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Note to Hotmail Users

MSN/Hotmail Mail may not allow you to receive e-mails regarding your Merriam-Webster Collegiate subscription. MSN/Hotmail automatically moves certain messages into a Junk E-mail folder as a way to reduce spam. These messages are held in the folder for several days and then deleted.

You can keep messages about your Merriam-Webster Collegiate subscription (including technical support messages) from being filtered into this folder by following these instructions:

  1. Access your MSN/Hotmail mail box.
  2. Click on Contacts tab.
  3. In the list of links on the left-hand side, click on Safe List.
  4. In the field under "Type an address or domain," enter the following domain:
    member.m-w.com
  5. Click Add.
Hotmail Safe List

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User Name and Password

What are the requirements for user names?
Your user name (also called your user ID) for Merriam-WebsterCollegiate.com is always a current e-mail address. If you have more than one e-mail address, you can use whichever one you prefer, but you must use your full address (i.e., an e-mail address in this form: wordorname@somedomain.com).

What are the requirements for passwords?
You can select any password that is easy for you to remember, but it must contain from 6 to 20 characters. You may use letters and/or numbers in your password, but you should not use punctuation or characters with accents or other diacritics.

For maximum security, we recommend that you choose a password that includes both letters and numbers and that you avoid using real words or names as passwords.

What if I forget my user name or password?
If you have forgotten your password, go to the My Account log-in page and click the Retrieve Lost Password link. If you have forgotten your user name, e-mail Member Support for assistance: support@member.collegiate.com.

NOTE: You can bypass having to type in your user name and password at each visit by checking the "save log-in information" box when you log in.

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Logging in to and out of the Site

How do I log in to the site?
Open your Web browser and go to the page http://www.Merriam-WebsterCollegiate.com. If you are not already logged in, the Member Log-in Assistant (shown below) will prompt you for your user name and password. Type in your entire e-mail address for your user name and the password you chose when you subscribed.

REMINDER: User names and passwords are case sensitive, so you must enter them exactly as you did when you subscribed.

To skip the log-in page on future visits, check the "save log-in information" box. This will set a cookie in your browser that will "remember" your log-in information so you don't have to type it in each visit. For more information, see Cookie Settings and Details.

If you cannot get to the log-in page shown above, please contact support@member.collegiate.com and provide us with your system information (operating system and browser) and a description of the problem.

How do I log out of the site?
Once you log in to Merriam-WebsterCollegiate.com, you should remain logged in until you close your Web browser. If you wish to remove the log-in information stored in a cookie from your computer, use the Log Out link found at the bottom of the home page and other pages throughout the site.

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14-day Free Trial

Are there limits on my use of the site during the 14-day free trial?
No. All of the excellent language resources and entertaining games and articles will be available to you during your trial period.

Will I automatically be signed up as a subscriber at the end of the 14-day free trial?
Yes. For your convenience, you will automatically be signed up for a one-year subscription at the end of your free trial period, unless you cancel within the first 14 days of using the site.

What if I want to cancel after the trial period?
Simply cancel within the first 14 days of service and you will owe nothing. Cancellation instructions appear below.

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Subscriptions for Institutions

Do you offer subscriptions for educational institutions, businesses, and other organizations?
Site license subscriptions to Merriam-WebsterCollegiate.com are not available; however, multi-user organizations, including colleges and universities, libraries, primary through secondary schools, and corporations can purchase a subscription to Merriam-Webster Unabridged by contacting: licensing@merriam-webster.com. Pricing varies by size of organization.

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Customer Service Questions

What is the "My Account" page and how do I use it?
After you have subscribed, you can access the My Account page at any time by clicking on the My Account link in the drop-down menu at the top of every page of the site or the My Account link at the bottom of each page. The My Account page is a password-protected area that gives you access to all of your account-specific information at any time, and it allows you to revise contact or payment information, change your e-mail preferences, or pick a new user name and password. You can also use the My Account section to cancel your subscription.

To log in to the My Account page, use the same user name and password you use to log in to http://www.Merriam-WebsterCollegiate.com.

How do I renew my subscription?
For your convenience, subscriptions are automatically renewed unless a cancellation is requested.

How do I cancel my subscription?
You can cancel your subscription by logging in to the My Account page and selecting the Cancel My Subscription option or by writing to Member Support at support@member.collegiate.com.

What is Merriam-Webster's Privacy Policy?
We encourage you to review Merriam-Webster's Privacy Policy:
http://www.Merriam-WebsterCollegiate.com/info/privacy.htm.

What are the Terms of Use for http://www.Merriam-WebsterCollegiate.com?
We encourage you to review Merriam-Webster's Terms of Use:
http://www.Merriam-WebsterCollegiate.com/info/termsofuse.htm.

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Technical Support

If you are experiencing technical difficulties when you attempt to subscribe to Merriam-WebsterCollegiate.com, or if you have questions about subscribing that are not answered here, please e-mail us at: support@member.collegiate.com.

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