As if the typical dating app experience couldn\u2019t get worse, a controversial app is coming back and bringing finances into the mix.<\/p>\n
Score, a dating app that previously required users to have a credit score of 675 or higher, is coming back with a few changes.<\/p>\n
The app first launched in 2024 as a pop-up project from the now-defunct financial services company Neon Money Club. The idea at the time was to encourage people to be more open about their personal finances. During its initial six-month run, the app grew to roughly 50,000 users.<\/p>\n
Now, the app\u2019s founder, Luke Bailey, told TechCrunch<\/a> on Friday that he\u2019s bringing the app back on a permanent basis.<\/p>\n Score\u2019s website<\/a> currently directs to a landing page where users can sign up for their waitlist with the tagline, \u201cDating For People With Good Credit.\u201d<\/p>\n Bailey told TechCrunch that the new version of the app will be more inclusive but will have two tiers. He apparently listened to the previous critiques of the app and told the outlet that everyone can join the new iteration.<\/p>\n The basic tier will be open to all users and won\u2019t require ID or credit verification. People on this tier can browse and connect with potential matches as usual.<\/p>\n But users willing to verify their credit score can access a premium tier with additional features. These gated tools include seeing who\u2019s nearby, viewing who has saved their profile, sending video introductions, and messaging people who haven\u2019t swiped back yet.<\/p>\n \u201cWe look at credit not as a measure of wealth, but as a reflection of consistency and reliability,\u201d Bailey said in a press release. \u201cMost dating platforms measure attrition. We measure reliability alongside compatibility.\u201d<\/p>\n Bailey says Equifax will handle both identity and credit verification through a soft pull that won\u2019t impact a user\u2019s credit score.<\/p>\n Bringing a major credit bureau into the dating process raises obvious privacy questions, especially at a time when consumers are already wary about data breaches.<\/p>\n That said, Bailey claims the app won\u2019t store or share sensitive personal information and that all data will be secured within an encrypted infrastructure.<\/p>\n While the concept of the app comes across as pretty classist, some research suggests younger users are interested in more financial transparency when it comes to dating.<\/p>\n