Score, the dating app for people with good credit, is back

Source: TechCrunch

Original Launch

Two years ago, Luke Bailey launched a controversial dating app called Score, which required users to have a credit score of at least 675 to register. He created the app to encourage partners to discuss personal finance—a topic many find uncomfortable.

“Fifty‑four percent of people say a partner’s debt is a reason to consider divorce,” Bailey told TechCrunch. “Financial compatibility is quietly one of the most important relationship factors, yet no dating platform addresses it directly.”

The app attracted criticism for being classist, but it quickly gained traction, amassing 50,000 users and staying live for six months instead of the planned 90 days. It then shut down, only to be revived this week.

Relaunch Announcement

Bailey told TechCrunch that he is officially bringing Score back—for good. He explained that the original launch aimed to integrate financial responsibility into something people deeply value—love. When the app was taken offline, the conversation about financial compatibility didn’t continue as expected, prompting the decision to return.

“Academics have even reached out wanting to study behavior impact,” he said. “It became clear this wasn’t just a viral moment. It tapped into something unresolved in relationship culture.”

The new version will be available on the iOS App Store (the previous release was a mobile‑only web app). Bailey emphasized that the redesign will be more inclusive, offering two membership tiers:

• Basic tier – No ID or credit verification required; users can browse and connect.
• Verified tier – Members must verify their ID and credit score (via a soft pull from Equifax) to unlock premium features.

“We don’t store full credit reports or sensitive personal and financial data. We simply receive confirmation that someone meets the Verified criteria,” Bailey explained.

Features of the Verified Tier

• See nearby members.
• View who has saved your profile.
• Send video introductions to potential matches.
• Message users before they’ve swiped back.

Bailey reiterated his belief in credit scores as a measure of consistency and reliability, not wealth:

“Banks look for the same thing in customers that we look for in relationships—consistency and reliability. Dating apps measure attrition. We measure attrition plus accountability.”

Data, Security, and Privacy

• The app does not store sensitive data or sell personal information.
• All data is secured with encrypted infrastructure.
• Previous iterations collected demographic data showing generational shifts in credit‑score gaps (e.g., millennial men’s scores were ~11 % higher than women’s, while Gen Z men’s scores were only ~3 % higher).

Bailey said the team will continue monitoring how these trends evolve.

Future Plans

• The original Score was a U.S.-only experiment; the relaunch aims for global expansion, starting with Canada.
• Potential partnerships are in the works to broaden the app’s reach.

“Financial behavior is one of the strongest predictors of life stability. We believe compatibility algorithms should reflect that,” Bailey concluded.