Financial Transparency Becomes a Key Online Dating Factor

As the cost of living rises, money is becoming increasingly important when it comes to dating. Not only have some singles started to feel priced out of dating and unable to reliably go on more than a few dates with any consistency, while some are incapable of proper in-person dates entirely. On the other hand, more and more singles who can afford dates are also prioritising those who are more successful than them, and those who aren’t expect full financial transparency regardless.

According to research from Bumble as of two years ago, 37% of Australians now feel comfortable discussing finances early in the dating process, and over half (55%) think it’s appropriate to talk about money within the first six months of a relationship. While this research might have only covered Australian users and is a few years old, these trends have become increasingly more obvious within US singles in recent months, as we reported on last week. There is a good chance that this shift has been slow, but global.

Alongside this is the eye-tracking study that revealed that users are more concerned with the “resources” part of a match, gravitating towards the occupation and income of potential partners if that information is available. This may also be a factor in why existing hobby apps and communities have become hotbeds for dating – both participants are already interested in something they can presumably afford and have access to, with their dates also able to afford it.

While this research is all separate from one another, it definitely highlights that money is much more important than it used to be. Discussing finances is much less of a taboo, and that could mean that dating platforms may need to adapt to a rise in users that want to know income, occupation and social standing above everything else.