It is true that you can now get paid to flirt online or even get paid to date online. But what about the friendship service? What if I say you can now make money just by becoming someone’s friend?
RentAFriend is a website that promises just that! So, I took it as a personal challenge to review RentAFriend to check if it is legit or yet another scam!
Making money as a friend is a great thing, especially if there is no physical intimacy involved or there are no friends-with-benefits things.
But is it really possible? Why should someone or some company pay you to do that?
I started trying this website and its services with all these doubts! Is it safe? Is it real? And after trying RentAFriend personally, it is now time to debunk some myths and know some real facts.
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RentAFriend – Summary & Ratings
RentAFriend is a trusted site that has been in operation since 2009. It first created a sensation in the media after it got featured on Fox News.
They then got featured in global media houses, like The Guardian, The Telegraph, and The Toronto Star.
But before I tell you about my own experience with it, here are some quick facts and ratings of RentAFriend.
Criteria | Features |
Name | RentAFriend |
Known for | Virtual Friendship |
Developed By | Scott Rosenbaum |
In The Business | 14+ Years |
Niche | Friend Hiring / Platonic Relationship |
Age requirement | 18 and above |
Userbase | 620,000+ members |
Available In | Open Worldwide |
Platforms available | Website only. No Android or iOS apps yet |
Average Income | $30+ per Hour |
BBB Rating | A+ (Not Accredited) |
Trustpilot Ratings | N/A (No Profile) |
Final Verdict | 100% safe, secure, and worthy. |
Website Link | RentAFriend.com |
Note: If you are looking for dirty ways to make money, such as an escort service, it is not the place. It is mainly focused on platonic friendships, although you can still find some RentAFriend horror stories on the internet regarding unfriendly approaches.
My Rating: 4.5/5 in terms of the legitimacy and trustworthiness of this site, as it is a genuine site offering genuine online/offline friendship services. And 4/5 in terms of earning opportunity, as you can make at least $10/hour as an online friend.
What Is RentAFriend?
RentAFriend is a social website where anyone can hire online or offline friends. But you shouldn’t consider it a dating site like Tinder, as it focuses on platonic support rather than physical intimacy.
Scott Rosenbaum launched RentAFriend way back in October 2009 in New Jersey. He ideates this online marketplace for friends after he got heavily influenced by the friend-renting culture in Japan.
If you want to offer friendship services, you can open an account for free on RentAFriend. And if you are willing to take a friendship service, you need to take a subscription for $24.95/month or $69.95/year.
You need to pay the hourly rate to the “Friend” on top of that.
As a friendship service provider, you can consider this a platform where you can get paid to chat online with unknown people looking for friendship and comfort.
Is There Any RentAFriend App? Can You Use It On Mobile Phones?
As of writing this blog, there is no RentAFriend App available either on Google Play Store or Apple App Store.
You can only access it through the official website. But there are some best odd job apps available where you can find unique money-making opportunities.
The First complaint I have with RentAFriend is the design of their site. It looks straight out of a high school project of a teen still living in 2009.
The RentAFriend website needs a serious redesign; let’s forget about the app till then.
My Findings: The RentAFriend website is not optimized for mobile devices. You can hardly see or press any buttons if you check it from a smartphone. So, it is better that you access it from a desktop/laptop.
Who Can Join RentAFriend?
Anyone can join RentAFriend as long as they are at least 18 years old. The website itself says it is demographically available all over the world.
But when I checked with my VPN, it is not accessible from many countries, especially from the Indian subcontinent.
I searched for some more to find out that this site mainly focuses on the USA and Canada. And most of the RentAFriend.com jobs are available in these two countries only.
You also need a desktop/laptop, a smartphone (for audio/video calls), and a reliable internet connection.
Besides, you must have a valid email ID and phone number. It is like the high-paying sexting jobs where you make connections through communications.
Note: As of 2024, Rent-A-Friend is not accepting any new members (friendship providers). But you can still drop a mail to get a place on the waitlist.
How RentAFriend Works?
Have you ever come across those legit platforms where you can get paid to talk to lonely people? RentAFriend works very similarly!
The signup process for RentAFriend is very easy and takes a few minutes (although they are not accepting new members now).
- Visit the signup page of RentAFriend and click on the “Sign Up as Friend” button.
- Fill up your basic details, such as name, contact details, location, and availability.
- Post a descriptive bio highlighting your credentials (don’t be formal here!).
- Include all the “Activities” that you are comfortable doing.
- Choose whether you want to offer online (email pen pal/phone pal) or offline (in-person meeting) service.
- Quote an hourly rate for your friendship service.
- Publish your profile and get noticed by members.
Once any member shows interest in your friendship service, you’ll get a notification through email or text (depending on what you have selected). You can then accept the “Booking” and carry it forward.
My Findings: Rent-A-Friend doesn’t take any commission from the friendship service providers. So, whatever you quote will go to you without any cut. You can even choose cash and take directly from the member. RentAFriend makes money only from the subscriptions of members.
What Are The Common Activities In RentAFriend?
You can surely get paid to be an online friend on RentAFriend. However, people look primarily for “Activities” that friends and members can do together rather than just emotional intimacy.
The more activities you are an expert in, the more exposure you’ll get here. While researching for this RentAFriend review, I scrolled through many profiles to check the trending activities on this platform.
The popular activities are:
- Attending a party (casual/formal/family).
- Attending a family ceremony (wedding/birthday).
- Joining an event where only couples are allowed.
- Going to a movie/concert/outdoor event.
- Taking a tour together of a new place/city.
- Taking part in fitness training/gym activities.
So technically, you can offer almost any “Activity” on your profile until it is illegal or related to adult (NSFW) professions. Popular friends here mostly offer outdoor activities and attend events together.
How Much Money Can You Make On RentAFriend?
You can make at least $10/hour on RentAFriend while offering your online/offline friendship service. But many service providers here charge as much as $50/hour.
So, even if you place yourself in between, you can quote around $20 to $30/hour.
If you charge $20/hour and provide 5 hours of friendship service each day on just weekends, that’s $200 a week.
And if you do it full-time, you can easily make around $1,000/week. According to RentAFriend, some of their “Friends” even earn $2,000/week.
But to get to this figure, you need to be extremely lucky and charming! No one will pay hundred-dollar bills just to have a movie together (unless you are Kylie Jenner).
You need to participate in activities (such as fitness training, hiking, or angling) to get more clients and make more money.
Don’t consider this a place to get paid to text or chat! Instead, consider this a site where you are selling your service (which you are good at). So, highlight what you can do rather than bragging about friendship.
My Take: If you are still worried about knowing how much RentAFriend costs in 2024, it costs nothing for friendship service providers. Whatever you earn using this platform is completely yours. However, if you are making more than $600, it is taxable.
Pros And Cons Of RentAFriend
Many people have asked on the internet if RentAFriend is dangerous or not. No, RentAFriend is not dangerous.
It is a legal site where you can offer friendship services legally. Although it monetizes an excellent side hustle idea, it has some advantages and disadvantages too.
- You can select your hourly rate (up to $50/hour).
- Joining is completely free for friendship service providers.
- Friends can choose their own schedules for both offline and online participation.
- You can strictly work online (if you don’t prefer in-person meetings).
- No special skill or background is required.
- Available in most countries (focused on the USA, Canada, and UK).
- You’ll meet new people and make new connections.
- You may get free entry to ticketed events.
- Limited friendship opportunities in many countries.
- The Website is not accessible from several geolocations.
- It is difficult to get many bookings.
- There is always a chance to encounter perverts and creeps.
- Your identity will be revealed if you choose in-person meetings.
- There is no app, and the website looks unprofessional.
Is RentAFriend Legit? Is It Safe?
RentAFriend is Legit. It is also a safe site to start offering online/offline friendship services. And we have already given you several proofs in this RentAFriend review.
If you are a good communicator and a friendly one, you can plan an early retirement while giving friendship services through this site.
Many people consider this an escort service or an adult dating site (which is untrue). So, there is always a chance to encounter perverts.
While offering online friendship services, you can hide your real identity and proceed with an alias name. But it can be a bit tricky if you choose outdoor activities and in-person meetings.
Here are some safety tips:
- Strictly meet in safe public places (don’t attend late at night).
- Inform the people you trust where you are going and with whom.
- Carry some cash and charge your smartphone to 100%.
- Always bring your own car, even if the member offers you a free drop.
- Carry pepper spray, stun gun, or any other legal safety device.
- Trust your instinct. Leave immediately if your sixth sense tells you so.
My Take: You need to take care of yourself and be alert all the time while meeting an unknown person. If your client is inviting you to their house, reject it!
RentAFriend Ratings & Social Media Presence
RentAFriend received mixed responses in many of the reviews from previous members and friends.
But there is no report of them scamming money out of people. And some people are really making quick money here. The ratings of this site are also somewhat positive.
Here are the ratings of RentAFriend on different platforms:
- BBB: A+ (Not Accredited)
- Scam Adviser: 3.1/5
- Scam Detector: 47.9/100
- Trustpilot: N/A (No profile)
Strangely enough, RentAFriend ratings are not available on popular sites like Trustpilot.
Then I looked at their social media presence (which is a must these days). Here is what I found!
- Facebook: 5,900+ Likes & 6,200+ Followers (Last posted in July 2022)
- Instagram: 190+ Followers (Last posted in 2020)
- Twitter: 4,500+ Followers (Only one tweet in 2023)
- YouTube: 800+ Subscribers (Last uploaded 12 years ago)
My Findings: It seems like RentAFriend is not very active on social media. They don’t do anything other than share the blogs where they got featured. No promotional news, no new stories, nothing!
RentAFriend User Reviews & Complaints
RentAFriend does have a testimonial page where they showcase some of the user reviews.
But being a skeptic I’m, I don’t believe what the company says. So, I searched for some genuine user reviews.
Here is what people are saying about RentAFriend on different forums:
- Original-P on Reddit wrote, “My first RentAFriend host taught me how Korean barbecue works, where to sample designer beer, how to make origami cranes, ice skate, and a bunch of other cool stuff over the course of a few days.”
- Jonathan Brandis on Quora wrote, “I don’t know about an app, but there is a pretty well-known site called Rent-A-Friend. It runs the same way as a dating site except it’s not for dating or hookups, and it’s already stated the friends for hire are doing it for the money.”
While searching on YouTube, I also came across a lady called Sierra Scott (I.T. Girl) who expressed her opinion after working as a RentAFriend.
My Take: The major concern here is safety and security, especially for ladies! No one can scam you here, as there are no direct monetary transactions on the website. But while in-person meetups, you need to take utmost care of your safety.
Best Alternatives Of RentAFriend – Similar Sites
RentAFriend is not the only website where you can start offering friendship services. But not every website is trusted in a world full of online scams.
So here are my top 6 recommendations for RentAFriend alternatives.
My Findings: Most of these websites offer platonic friendship services, while some also offer in-person meetings. You can choose to stay strictly online to safeguard your identity.
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Final Note – Is RentAFriend Really Worth It?
While curating this RentAFriend review, one thing became obvious to me there is a huge demand for the friendship rental service.
And RentAFriend captured this market 14 years back to have an early-movers advantage.
So, if you want to make money while offering just platonic friendship service, it is the place you should try. But be prepared to face perverts and stalkers, especially if you are a lady.
Trust your instinct, carry a safety instrument (like pepper spray), and only meet in public places. You and the members should concentrate on the activities as friends rather than hoping for physical intimacy.
Remember that friendship is bliss, and you can earn with your friends as well. There are even websites and apps available where you can make money referring friends only! Don’t miss your chance.
FAQs
What is the concept of RentAFriend?
RentAFriend is an online marketplace where anyone can rent an online or offline friend. It took inspiration from the Japanese culture of renting friends. And the website launched in 2009.
Here, service providers offer friendship services to people. And people looking for friends can take their service for $24.95/month or $69.95/year subscription plus the hourly rate.
Does RentAFriend really work?
Yes, RentAFriend is a legit site, and it does work, even in 2024. Since 2009, they have become a popular name in the American subculture of friendship rental services.
There are close to 700,000 members on this website, mainly from the United States. People are really making money here by offering friendship.
Do people still use RentAFriend?
People still use RentAFriend! Not only that, but it has also become more popular during the pandemic and post-pandemic. While most businesses witnessed a sharp drop during the pandemic, they witnessed a steady uprise.
It mainly happened as people sought mental and emotional support during the lockdown.
How much does it cost to hire a friend?
It depends on the friendship service provider you want to hire. While the base rate starts from just $10/hour on RentAFriend, top providers here quote as much as $50/hour.
On average, you can expect to pay around $20 to $25/hour to hire a friend.
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Hello there, I’m Siva Pakkurthi, an MBA Finance post-graduate and a Remote Career & Personal Finance blogger for 5+ years. Over the years, my work has been featured on US News, Entrepreneur, MSN, Yahoo Finance, GoBankingRates, EverQuote, Legal Zoom, The Simple Dollar, Databox, Business.com, Business News Daily, Venngage, Score.org, and more. My primary mission is to help our readers maximize their earning potential with legitimate online business ideas, side hustles, and passive income ideas we publish on Dreamshala. Currently, more than 100,000 readers from all around the world visit this blog every month and learn new ways to improve their finances.