Two years in the past, Luke Bailey had what grew to become a controversial app thought — a dating app called Score for people with good to excellent credit.
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 stated 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 accomplice’s debt is a motive to think about divorce,” Bailey instructed TechCrunch. “Monetary compatibility is quietly probably the most essential relationship components, but no relationship platform addresses it straight.”
The app had its justifiable share of critics, and many individuals certainly referred to as it classist due to its deal with those that deal with cash nicely. Nonetheless, the app, which was purported to be accessible for 90 days, grew to become 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 earth of relationship. Till Friday.
Bailey instructed TechCrunch that he’s determined to officially bring Score back — for good, this time.
“We initially launched Rating to combine monetary duty into one thing individuals deeply worth — love,” Bailey stated. “After we shut it down, we assumed the dialog would proceed with out us. It didn’t.”
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June 23, 2026
As a substitute, he stated individuals saved asking him why he shut it down. “Lecturers have even reached out wanting to review conduct impression,” he continued. “It grew to become clear this wasn’t only a viral second. It tapped into one thing unresolved in relationship tradition.”
This time round, Rating will likely be accessible on the iOS App Retailer (final time it was only a cellular app, he stated, as a result of he and his staff constructed it so shortly). Bailey additionally stated this model of the app will likely be extra inclusive, having taken into consideration the suggestions that it was too unique. “So now, everybody can be a part of.”
There will likely be two tiers: the fundamental 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 id and credit score scores, with customers giving consent for the app to take action. It does solely what Bailey described as a gentle pull, so there isn’t any impression to credit score.
“We don’t retailer full credit score reviews or delicate private and monetary information. We merely obtain affirmation that somebody meets the Verified standards,” he stated.
The verified plan contains options that permit individuals 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 reasonably one among consistency. “Banks look for a similar factor in clients that we search for in relationships — consistency and reliability,” he stated. “Relationship apps measure attrition. We measure attrition plus accountability.”
Bailey stated the app doesn’t retailer any delicate information, doesn’t promote private information, and secures all the things utilizing an encrypted infrastructure.
The final iteration of Rating amassed a variety of information on its customers, serving to present how every technology has been affected by socioeconomic components. 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 stated.
The unique Rating was a U.S.-only experiment, he stated, however this time, the corporate plans a worldwide growth, beginning with Canada. Preserve a watch out for some partnerships, too, he stated.
“Monetary conduct is without doubt one of the strongest predictors of life stability,” Bailey stated. “We imagine compatibility algorithms ought to replicate that.”
