(Online Dating Industry Journal) A new online dating service is hoping that its concept of buying a date (or as they call it "pay to play") will catch on with online daters. BuyUCoffee allows online daters to set a price someone will have to pay to go out with them. Users can only set the price between $10 and $50, however.
The dating service feels that the idea will weed out people not serious about dating.
"Our approach using this nominal fee filters out people who are not serious or who are just flirting," said Steve Casper, BuyUCoffee VP of Marketing. "We've found if you're willing to pay the person this fee, you're serious about meeting and pursuing a relationship."
The Online Dating Industry Journal contacted Casper to inquire about how the payment between dates works. Casper says the price for the date is listed on users profiles, however members are on the honor system to pay their date when they meet in person.
BuyUCoffee charges $29.99 for a one month membership, but allows unpaid members to respond for free to an email from a paid member.
Joe's Comments
One of the stigmas associated with online dating is that it is for "desperate" people (a stigma Hannah Montana recently reinforced when asked if she had found a boyfriend online and responded "I'm no that desperate yet"). The concept of paying someone in order to go on a date with them plays right into that stigma.
I should also note that this is a serious business effort. BuyUCoffee is owned by SuccessfulMatch, a company that owns more than 30 online dating services, including MillionaireMatch and AgeMatch.
wow! that's too much.. chatting is enough, why buy a date online!? for me its only for too desperate people.. i think that its better to meet someone the old fashioned way.. anyways thanks for sharing this stuff.. =)
Posted by: online dating service | April 11, 2008 at 11:22 PM