Two methods involving the observed amplitudes of radial velocity and UBVR light variations for classical Cepheids have been analysed, both being implicitly known: their principle is trivial but these methods had not yet been used systematically as indicators of duplicity.

The slope method is based on the alteration of the wavelength dependence of the light variation amplitude if either a blue or a red companion is added to the light of the Cepheid. The amplitude ratio (AR) method makes use of the fact that the companion reduces the amplitude of the light variation without observable effect on the pulsational radial velocity amplitude. This means that the ratio of these two amplitudes (Arad.vel./AB) has a larger value for binary Cepheids as compared with the single pulsators.

Each method has been applied to more than 100 Cepheids, thus allowing to study how the uncontaminated parameters (amplitude ratio and slope) depend on the pulsation period. Binary Cepheids deviate from the regular pattern in these diagrams, and a number of new binaries can be discovered in this way. The effect of duplicity is revealed by both methods independently for VZ CMa, FM Cas, CR Cep, V402 Cyg, VI154 Cyg, V440 Per and DR Vel.