Two years in the past, Luke Bailey had what turned a controversial app concept — a relationship app known as Rating for folks with good to glorious credit score.
Launched simply days earlier than Valentine’s Day, the app required customers to have a credit score rating of not less than 675 to register. On the time, Bailey mentioned he created the app to encourage companions to speak extra about private finance since doing so is usually uncomfortable for many individuals.
“Fifty-four % of individuals say a companion’s debt is a motive to contemplate divorce,” Bailey informed TechCrunch. “Monetary compatibility is quietly some of the necessary relationship elements, but no relationship platform addresses it straight.”
The app had its fair proportion of critics, and many individuals certainly known as it classist due to its give attention to those that deal with cash properly. Nonetheless, the app, which was speculated to be out there for 90 days, turned so common that Bailey saved it round for six months. It amassed 50,000 customers and made headlines worldwide for its premise.
Then, it went away, and all went again to regular on the planet of relationship. Till Friday.
Bailey informed TechCrunch that he’s determined to officially bring Score back — for good, this time.
“We initially launched Rating to combine monetary accountability into one thing folks deeply worth — love,” Bailey mentioned. “Once we shut it down, we assumed the dialog would proceed with out us. It didn’t.”
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June 23, 2026
As an alternative, he mentioned folks saved asking him why he shut it down. “Lecturers have even reached out wanting to review habits impression,” he continued. “It turned clear this wasn’t only a viral second. It tapped into one thing unresolved in relationship tradition.”
This time round, Rating shall be out there on the iOS App Retailer (final time it was only a cellular app, he mentioned, as a result of he and his group constructed it so rapidly). Bailey additionally mentioned this model of the app shall be extra inclusive, having taken into consideration the suggestions that it was too unique. “So now, everybody can be part of.”
There shall be two tiers: the essential tier, the place no ID or credit score verification is required, and anybody can browse and join. After which the verified tier, the place members should confirm their ID and credit score rating to unlock premium options. The app makes use of Equifax to confirm each identification and credit score scores, with customers giving consent for the app to take action. It does solely what Bailey described as a mushy pull, so there isn’t any impression to credit score.
“We don’t retailer full credit score stories or delicate private and monetary information. We merely obtain affirmation that somebody meets the Verified standards,” he mentioned.
The verified plan consists of options that allow folks see different members close by, see who has saved their profile, ship video intros to potential matches, and ship messages to customers earlier than they’ve swiped again.
He’s nonetheless bullish on utilizing credit score scores, saying that it’s not a measure of wealth however fairly considered one of consistency. “Banks look for a similar factor in clients that we search for in relationships — consistency and reliability,” he mentioned. “Relationship apps measure attrition. We measure attrition plus accountability.”
Bailey mentioned the app doesn’t retailer any delicate information, doesn’t promote private information, and secures every part utilizing an encrypted infrastructure.
The final iteration of Rating amassed lots of information on its customers, serving to present how every era has been affected by socioeconomic elements. For instance, it discovered that millennial males had credit score scores about 11% greater than these of girls. However for Gen Zers, that hole was a lot smaller, with males having a credit score rating solely 3% greater.
“We’ll be watching how that information [has] developed,” he mentioned.
The unique Rating was a U.S.-only experiment, he mentioned, however this time, the corporate plans a worldwide enlargement, beginning with Canada. Maintain a watch out for some partnerships, too, he mentioned.
“Monetary habits is among the strongest predictors of life stability,” Bailey mentioned. “We imagine compatibility algorithms ought to replicate that.”
