▼ Summary
– Luke Bailey launched a controversial dating app called Score, requiring a 675+ credit score to encourage financial compatibility discussions.
– The initial 90-day trial became a six-month success with 50,000 users, despite criticism for being classist, before being shut down.
– Bailey is now relaunching Score permanently, citing ongoing user and academic interest in its premise of addressing financial compatibility.
– The new version is more inclusive, offering a basic free tier and a verified tier with premium features, using a soft credit check via Equifax.
– The app plans global expansion, uses encrypted infrastructure, and believes financial behavior data is a key predictor of relationship stability.
Finding a partner who shares your values around money can be a significant factor in long-term relationship success. A unique dating platform is making a comeback with a renewed focus on fostering conversations about financial compatibility, aiming to connect singles who prioritize fiscal responsibility. The app, which initially gained notoriety for its credit score requirement, is returning with a more inclusive structure after its brief but popular first run.
Two years back, entrepreneur Luke Bailey introduced a provocative concept: a dating service named Score that required a minimum credit score of 675 to join. His goal was to encourage open dialogue about personal finance, a topic many couples find difficult to discuss. He pointed to statistics showing that a partner’s debt is a major consideration in divorce, arguing that financial harmony is a critical, yet often overlooked, component of a healthy partnership.
While the app faced criticism for being exclusionary, its initial 90-day trial period stretched to six months due to overwhelming interest, attracting 50,000 users and global media attention. After shutting down, Bailey noticed the conversation about financial compatibility in dating didn’t continue without his platform. Persistent inquiries from users and even academics convinced him there was a genuine, unmet need. He has now decided to relaunch Score permanently, believing it addresses an unresolved issue within modern relationship culture.
The new version aims to be more accessible. Everyone can now join the app, which will operate on a two-tier system. A basic, free tier allows any user to browse profiles and make connections without any identity or credit verification. The premium, verified tier requires users to confirm their ID and credit score through Equifax, unlocking special features. This process involves only a soft credit inquiry, so it does not affect the user’s score. The company states it does not store full credit reports or sensitive financial data, merely receiving confirmation that a user meets the verified criteria.
Premium features include seeing nearby members, viewing who has saved your profile, sending video introductions, and messaging potential matches before a mutual swipe. Bailey remains a strong advocate for using credit scores as a filter, describing them not as a measure of wealth but as an indicator of consistency and reliability. He draws a parallel to banking, suggesting that the traits lenders seek are similar to those that foster stable relationships.
Data security is a stated priority, with the company claiming it uses encrypted infrastructure and does not sell personal data. The first iteration of Score collected interesting demographic insights, such as a notable credit score gap between millennial men and women that appears to be narrowing with Generation Z. The team plans to observe how these trends evolve with the new platform.
Originally a U.S.-only experiment, the revived Score has ambitions for global growth, beginning with an expansion into Canada. Bailey also hinted at future partnerships. His core philosophy is straightforward: financial behavior is a powerful predictor of life stability, and modern dating algorithms should, in his view, account for that fundamental truth.
(Source: TechCrunch)
