Rater Lets Singles Weigh In on the Dating Pool

The Short Version: Rater uses a rating and verification system powered by its members to stay a step ahead of scammers, catfishes, and fake profiles. Nicole Drew, Rater's founder and CEO, told us how the app came to be and walked us through its main features. Nicole had fallen for a romance scam and felt the dating app where she met the scammer did too little to fix the situation or stop future scams. On Rater, each user gets a star rating drawn from other users' input, which a questionnaire carefully measures.

What an ex thinks of you might not be the most trustworthy source around, but I'd be lying if I claimed I've never wondered what my exes' exes would say about them. On the flip side, I've also spent some agonizing stretches wondering what my exes would say about me.

Dwelling on this sort of thing doesn't do your emotional well-being any favors, though it does highlight something important about dating.

Dating is like any other kind of socializing: we count on other people's input and information when forming our judgments. From friends to dating coaches, we lean on the folks in our lives to help us understand and explore budding romantic connections. That's not only natural – it's also a great way to keep your balance as you date.

The dating app Rater urges users to lean on input from the people around them, who in this case are other singles. Its star-based rating system lets users rate each other based on how they interacted, both in the app and outside it. Founder and CEO Nicole Drew spoke with us about why she built the app and what members can look forward to.

Rater does protect users from the kinds of singles they'd never want to date, but it also guards against scams, catfishing, and other shady behavior, all of which show up far too often in online dating.

“When I decided to create Rater, I knew I wanted to create a kind of human rating verification questionnaire,” Nicole said. “I wanted to gauge the initial experience with other users on the app and be able to measure how authentic and real they are.”

How Nicole Found Her Way to Rater

At 30, Nicole had a successful career and, like plenty of other dating app users, was ready for real connections. Based around San Francisco, she decided to give dating apps a try. Before long, she met a man who seemed wonderful in every way.

Although he lived two hours away, the pair texted daily and met up for several dates. Nicole said their connection felt undeniable.

“It was October 31, and we had been seeing each other for about a month,” Nicole said. “Suddenly, he came to me in a panic and said he had been a victim of identity theft. They took everything from him, and he needed money for rent and groceries for him and his daughter.”

Nicole built the platform so other online daters wouldn't go through what she did.

According to Nicole, the man claimed his family couldn't help him, which left her as his only option. She said she had no reason to distrust him, so she lent him $1,500. “Shortly after, his demeanor completely changed, and he kept asking for more money. Two weeks later, and I knew I had been scammed.”

Understandably, the scam devastated Nicole, and she had few options for recourse. “I confronted him over the phone, but I had never been to his home, so I couldn’t go and find him.” She did report him to the app where they'd connected, but said the outcome was disappointing.

“They didn’t remove his profile, and I had absolutely no way of warning other women about this guy,” Nicole told us. “What I decided to do with Rater was get ahead of these scammy and inauthentic profiles.”

Matches Built on Ratings From Real People

Joining Rater starts with a rigorous verification process. According to Nicole, verification, which includes a background check, is key to keeping the platform safe. She sees the rating system as a second line of defense against bad actors, after verification.

Users confirm their identity using AI-powered facial recognition. After verification, they're screened by a background check for violent felonies and sex offender activity before they can finish their profiles.

Rater is safe and easy to use.

Nicole said Rater feels more comfortable and secure than many other apps. “The checks foster a more healthy environment because you know you’re going to be rated, verified, and checked. If you’re a scammer or catfisher, you shouldn’t even consider it.”

Social checks help dating, and online they're often almost completely missing. Lots of people say and do things on the internet that they'd never say or do face-to-face, which can hurt a healthy online dating culture. When there's anonymity and few consequences, it's hard to build an authentic dating environment.

Rater is bringing social checks back to online dating. Users can get information from others in situations like theirs who interact with the same people. Dating this way is exciting and new, and Rater is also among the safer online dating options available.

Steer Clear of Catfishes & Find Compatibility

The rating-and-questionnaire setup may be Rater's headline feature, but the app offers more than that. It's packed with the dating app features users already know, plus extras. Rater matches people based on compatibility and lets users customize their profiles to show off their personalities.

After two Rater users match and chat, they're able to rate each other. The ratings rest on real human experience and are built to flag catfishers and scammers. Users can also turn to a simple reporting tool to flag scammy profiles for the Rater team.

Rater aims to set the bar for online dating safety.

Rater's features address parts of dating that tend to get overlooked once it moves online. Through Radar by Rater, its in-person events program, the app hosts pop-up mixers for singles in select cities nationwide. Lots of online daters struggle with swiping fatigue, and in-person events are an ideal fix.

Plenty of singles are growing weary of online dating as it stands, yet it's still one of the simplest ways to meet people. Rater is taking online dating up a level for today's daters, and Nicole told us she's looking ahead to growth over the coming year.

“I always tell people to date with intention,” Nicole said. “Once you know what you’re looking for, it’s a little easier to find it. I would also utilize any in-person dating option whenever you can. Even if you just find a friend, you’re building community, and it’s worth it.”