FAQ: Students and Parents
Here are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about your Tutor.com account. If you don't see the answer to your question here, contact us. We're always happy to help.
General Questions
Tutoring Questions
Pricing Questions
Technical Questions
Account Questions
GENERAL QUESTIONS
Q: How does Tutor.com work?
Our tutors are available 24/7 for help in math, English, science and social studies. There's no need to make an appointment, so you can get a tutor anytime you need one.
All sessions take place in our online classroom, which operates in your internet browser window. The online classroom includes a chat window and a two-way interactive whiteboard where you can draw with your mouse. You can also send files to your tutor or browse the internet together.
Want more information about our online classroom? Visit our
How It Works page, or
practice using the online classroom's tools now.
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Q: Will the tutors give me the answers?
No. Sorry. Our tutors will make sure you can not only solve the problem you're working on, but also answer similar questions in the future—on your own. They'll help you, guide you, and show you how to tackle the problem, but our tutors will never just give you the answer.
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Q: Will I need any special hardware to use Tutor.com?
No. Most Tutor.com students use an ordinary mouse to draw on our two-way interactive whiteboard, but you're welcome to use a digital pen, tablet, trackball, or any other point-and-click device if that's your preference. If it connects to your computer with a USB cord, it'll work in our online classroom.
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Q: How do I get a tutor?
Starting a session with one of our tutors is easy—just click Get a Tutor from anywhere on our website. If you already have an account, enter your username and password; if you don't have one, you can create it. Then we'll connect you with a certified, professional tutor in minutes.
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Q: When is the service available?
Our tutors are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 361 days a year—we're closed on New Year's Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.
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Q: Do I have to schedule an appointment?
No! Tutors are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and you never need to make an appointment—just click Get a Tutor whenever you need help in one of our
available subjects.
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Q: How long will I wait for a tutor?
We know you don't have time to wait, so we connect you to a tutor in your requested subject as fast as we can. This may take seconds or even a few minutes, but don't worry—no minutes are ever deducted from your account until you're matched with a tutor and start working on your problem.
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Q: What if my tutor can't help me?
Our tutors are all screened and certified, but they are human, and nobody knows everything. If you get a tutor who isn't an expert in your specific question, he or she will be happy to transfer you to another tutor right away (and you won't lose any minutes while you wait, of course). And if you ever have a session you're not completely happy with, just request a credit, and we'll investigate it.
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Q: How do I create an account?
To create an account, just click Get a Tutor. We'll need to collect some information and verify that you don't already have an existing account. Here's what we need:
- Your name, email address, mailing address and a password.
- Either a cell phone number or credit card number.
You'll have a chance to review your account information and confirm the details to create your account.
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Q: Why do you need my cell phone or credit card for a free trial?
We want everyone to try Tutor.com and see how great our tutors are, but we can't let you have free sessions forever. That's why our free trial offers are limited to just one per student. Our tutors are real people who get paid for their time, and it costs money to maintain the computers that provide our service.
We limit the number of free trial accounts you can create by requiring either a cell-phone number or a credit-card number when you sign up.
For cell phone authentication: If you use your cell phone number, we'll send you a text message with a Tutor.com activation code. Once you get the code, enter it in the box marked "Activation Code" and then click "Continue."
For credit card authentication: If you use your credit card, you'll need to enter your billing information and then click "Continue." We won't charge your card to authenticate your account—we only use your credit-card number to verify your billing address. We'll never charge your card unless you authorize a purchase.
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Q: Why was my credit card charged one cent?
When you create a new Tutor.com account or use a new Visa, MasterCard or American Express number for the first time, we place a one-cent authorization charge on your account to verify your billing address. This is a temporary charge, and it should disappear in three to four business days. You won't lose the penny.
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Q: Do I have to use a whole hour every time I get a tutor?
No. Sessions can be as long or as short as you need them to be. If you purchase 60 minutes, for example, and only use 25 in your next session, you'll have 35 minutes remaining in your account. Unused minutes roll over every month for up to six months from the day you bought them.
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Q: Who can use Tutor.com?
If you have a US or Canadian billing address (even if you'll be using Tutor.com from outside North America), you can create a Tutor.com account and work with our tutors. They can help you with:
- Math, English, science, and social studies at the 4th to 12th-grade level
- Advanced Placement® and International Baccalaureate® classes
- Introductory undergraduate classes in math, English, science and social studies
- Standardized test prep (state assessments, SAT® and PSAT® exams, GED)
- Term papers, essays, and college admissions statements
- Tests, quizzes, projects, and homework
For college students, here's a good rule of thumb: If your course number starts with a 1 (as in "MATH 101," for example), our tutors can assist you.
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Q: Can I request that same tutor for my next session?
To make sure you get the help you need as quickly as possible, we match you to the first available tutor in your requested subject. However, available tutors will see your pre-session question before entering the online classroom and beginning your session. You can save yourself minutes and allow your tutor to get right down to work when your session begins by putting your problem's instructions into your pre-session question.
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Q: How do I contact customer service?
You can email us anytime at help@tutor.com, or you can talk to a real, live human being by calling (800) 411-1970. We're available Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET, and on Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET.
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Q: Does Tutor.com work?
Yes. More than 90% of students who use Tutor.com tell us they get the help they need, improve their grades, and feel more confident after working with our tutors.
TUTOR QUESTIONS
Q: Who are the tutors?
Our tutors are active and retired teachers, college professors, professionals, and undergraduate and graduate students at accredited universities. Every tutor goes through an extensive certification and screening process, including a third-party background check. Every session is recorded and tutors review their sessions regularly with our team of experienced
tutoring mentors.
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Q: Is Tutor.com safe?
Yes. Every session is anonymous, so our tutors don't have access to your home address, phone number or billing information—they only see your first name. We monitor sessions daily, and all sensitive customer information is stored in a secure server.
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PRICING QUESTIONS
Q: How does Tutor.com pricing work?
Our pricing is simple: $35 for 60 minutes of tutoring or $70 for 120 minutes. Minutes last for six months from the day you buy them, and you can use them for help in any of our available subjects, anytime. Best of all, you use your minutes how and when you need them. There's no maximum or minimum session length, and any unused minutes roll over from one month to the next.
If you're worried about running out of minutes while working with a tutor,
switch to an Automatic Value Plan. You'll save $5 an hour, and we'll refill your account automatically whenever you have fewer than 15 minutes left.
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Q: How do I buy minutes?
You can buy minutes at anytime, even while you're working with a tutor. There are three ways to buy minutes:
- Click the "Buy More Minutes" button in our online classroom.
- Sign into your account and click the "Buy More Minutes" link on your account page.
- Give us a call at (800) 411-1970 to add minutes to your account over the phone.
We accept Visa, MasterCard and American Express, and you must have a U.S. or Canadian billing address to create an account or purchase more minutes.
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Q: Can you make sure I never run out of minutes?
Yes. With our Automatic Value Plan, we'll refill your account and bill your credit card automatically whenever you have fewer than 15 minutes left. You'll even get a $5-an-hour discount over our normal prices.
Switch to an Automatic Value Plan now.
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TECHNICAL QUESTIONS
Q: What are the system requirements for Tutor.com?
To use Tutor.com you'll need one of our three supported web browsers:
- Internet Explorer 6.0 or higher on Vista, XP or 2000
- Safari 3.0 or higher on Mac OS X
- Firefox 2.0 or higher on Vista, XP or Mac OS X
If you'd like to use our new, feature-rich classroom, you'll also need Microsoft Silverlight, a free web browser plugin that installs in seconds. If you don't already have Silverlight, you'll be prompted to install it before your first Tutor.com session. You can also
get it directly from Microsoft.
Technical support is only available to users who meet these minimum system requirements. Other browsers and operating systems may work, but are not supported.
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Q: When I try to get a tutor, I get a message that asks me to install Microsoft Silverlight. What should I do?
The Tutor.com online classroom uses Microsoft Silverlight to give you the best experience possible. Before you start a session, you should install Microsoft Silverlight. To start the installation process:
- Install Microsoft Silverlight
- Click "Run" to begin the Microsoft Silverlight download
- Click "Run" to continue the installation
- Click "Install Now" to finish the installation. Note that you may need to restart your browser. When the installation is complete, you may need to sign into your Tutor.com account again.
Click here to see the steps.
If you don't want to install Silverlight, you can use our Flash-based classroom instead by clicking the "Using our original classroom" link below the "Get Microsoft Silverlight" button—but you won't get access to all the new tools and cool features that will make your session better, faster and even more fun.
Need more help? Call us at (800) 411-1970. Our technical support team is available Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m ET.
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Q: Why can't I install Microsoft Silverlight on my Mac?
Microsoft Silverlight is compatible with most Macs, but some users with older models have had trouble installing the plugin. To see if your Mac is compatible, please click the Apple icon in the top left corner of your OS and select "About This Mac." A new dialog box will open, listing your computer's hardware and software specifications.
If your processor is an Intel, you shouldn't have any problems installing Silverlight. If you have a non-Intel processor, you'll need to use our Flash-based classroom instead—just click the "Using our original classroom" link under "Get Microsoft Silverlight" to get started.
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Q: "Please close your current classroom window"? I don't have one open!
If you're having trouble starting a session with one of our tutors, please follow this checklist:
- Make sure you're using one of our three supported web browsers: Microsoft Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, or Apple Safari.
- Turn off your web browser's pop-up blocker. Our online classroom opens in a new browser window when you click "Get a Tutor," so a pop-up blocker could prevent it from launching correctly.
- Clear your browser's cache.
- Restart your computer.
Following these steps should allow you to open our online classroom and start working with a tutor, but if you're not sure how to clear your cache or need more in-depth assistance, please give us a call at (800) 411-1970. Our technical support team is available Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM Eastern time, and we'd be happy to arrange an appointment for you with a support engineer, if necessary.
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Q: How do I reach technical support?
Our technical support team is available Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM Eastern time. If you experience a technical problem, please call us at (800) 411-1970, or sign in to your account and click "Contact Us" to send us an email. Just describe the nature of your problem and let us know when you're available to speak with our technical support team, and we'd be happy to arrange an appointment for you.
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Q: I forgot my username or password. What do I do?
Your username is the email address you used when you created your account. To retrieve a lost password, click "Forgot your password?" on the Sign In page, enter your email address, and we'll send you your information via email.
Call us at (800) 411-1970 if you need further assistance.
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Q: I remember my user name and password, but I still can't sign in. What do I do?
Call us at (800) 411-1970 or send us an email and we will be glad to help you.
ACCOUNT QUESTIONS
Q: How do I update my account information?
Just sign into your account and scroll down to "Edit My Settings" on your account page to change any of the following:
- Your name
- Your email address or phone number
- Your Tutor.com password
- Your credit-card number and billing address
- Your Automatic Value Plan
- Your email preferences
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Q: How do I review past sessions?
You can review transcripts of all your sessions in the last 90 days (or even replay the sessions in real time) by signing into your account and clicking the "See all previous sessions" link. It's a great way to keep track of your progress or to brush up on an old subject without using any minutes. Clicking the "Ask this question again" link next to a session will allow you to begin a new session by preloading your initial question and whiteboard from that session.
For transcripts of sessions that are older than 90 days, please call us at (800)411-1970.
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Q: How do I request a session credit?
If you're not satisfied with any of your sessions, please request a session credit by signing into your account, clicking the "See all previous sessions" link, and selecting "Request credit" beside the appropriate session. You can also give us a call at (800) 411-1970. Our experienced review team and tutoring mentors will be sure to look your session over, and if it doesn't meet our high standards of quality, we'll credit the minutes you used back to your account.
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