Whatsyourprice.com believes everyone has a price, and has built a dating website around the concept. In short, WYP breaks people into two groups: “Generous Members” and “Attractive Members.” Generous Members are people who are “willing to pay to date beautiful, gorgeous or sexy people.” Attractive Members are the “beautiful” ones who will “get paid while you spend time meeting fun and generous people.” It allows the “beautiful” to create profiles and name their own price for a date. So, if you think you’re worth $100, you can charge that amount for a first date. The “generous” would then pay you $100, and you’d make money simply by going out on the date. On the flip side, a “generous” user can say he’d pay $100 for a date,and interested “attractive members” can vie for his interest and snag a date that would pay them (the “attractive”) $100.

Whatsyourprice.com claims to be inspired by the charity dating model. The site includes the following message: “It’s done for charity – now do it for love. Buy & Sell first dates”.

Some critics say it sounds a little like prostitution; whatsyourprice.com is just taking the subtle to the blatantly obvious. But in founder Brandon Wade’s view, whatsYourPrice.com simply injects the dating game with a heavy dose of capitalism. “It’s a matter of free market principles really,” Wade explained. “I guess that makes me the Adam Smith of online dating!”  In Mr. Wade’s own words said:

When capitalism is mixed in with dating, all of a sudden people start concluding “it must be prostitution.” But does paying money for a cup of coffee every morning mean Starbucks is engaging in prostitution? Does paying for gas every time you fill up at the gas station mean that Mobil or BP is pimping? Does donating money to the Church every Sunday morning equate religion to prostitution? Obviously not, and obviously buying a First Date isn’t either.

“This is all about paying for the FIRST DATE!” a spokesman explained. “There is absolutely no sex involved, and except perhaps the chance of sex at some point in the future if you are able to successfully charm and seduce. But isn’t that what every first date is about?”

The site also claims WhatsYourPrice.com works. On other dating personals or matchmaking sites, attractive singles are overwhelmed with messages while singles with high standards are often rejected without any responses. On WhatsYourPrice.com, just name a price, and if your offer is right, you’ll get a YES and you’re off on a first date. We’ll get you that first date, but what happens after the first date is entirely up to you… many users’ testimonials seem confirm the claim:

While another (a Black woman), said: “It was nerve racking at first, wasnt really sure what to talk about but as the date progressed (and the drinks kept rolling in) It turned out to be a wonderful date and I left with cash in hand!!!”

Yet another user wrote: “I had a wonderful evening with a true gentleman!
He gave me 300. for our date and I enjoyed the evening so much we have a second date planned next week! I can hardly wait to see him again!”

And the most interesting review so far, included a morning after: “Within the first 10 days I have been on four dates through the site, and what’s interesting is that the money aspect means something different each time. I had one date give me back my money… the next morning. In bed.”