I had to highlight this article for the quoted sentence that made me laugh below. I’ve seen this with YouTube videos where some women expect this or insist it should be the case. Seems like it’s just a form of prostitution.
The app doesn’t facilitate connection so much as it screens for men who are willing to pay for warpaint and nail polish.
https://www.cypher-news.com/2026/01/paying-a-deposit-to-go-on-a-date-is-becoming-the-norm/
By Sloane Moretti
A new dating app is asking men to put down a “dating-prep deposit” before they even meet the girl next door. The pitch is simple and disturbing. Men pay upfront to cover a woman’s pre-date expenses, which are laughably framed as “preparation” rather than normal hygiene and personal care. Let’s dive in.
For years, modern dating culture sold women a story about independence, self-sufficiency, and freedom from male obligation. You know, all the girl boss and girl power hooey that sounds great on social media but sucks in real life. Men were recast as optional and unnecessary. Emotional and financial independence became the new girl brand.
However, dating apps like COURTED didn’t think that “girl boss” stuff would sell. Instead, they invented a new expectation. They took a a page from old tradition and decided the man should pay for everything, including hair, nails, lashes, makeup, outfits, and other upkeep cleverly reframed as “entry costs” instead of personal choices. Of course, this has nothin to do with men demanding this stuff or benefiting from it, honestly, most men don’t even like all that goop. This is because all those independent women out there still need a man to take care of them.
So, basically, men are now unnecessary for connection, validation, or partnership but are still fully responsible for funding the entire experience, including lip gloss.
The app doesn’t facilitate connection so much as it screens for men who are willing to pay for warpaint and nail polish. Sounds silly, yes, but it also quietly reshapes expectations about what dating is.
The app’s creator, Amanda Mitchelle, explains her logic behind the app. She claims Courted is a solution to modern dating frustration… who knew so many women were “frustrated” that dudes weren’t buying their eye shadow?
The deposit is not so cleverly presented as a way to improve the date, because money makes women happier, or something like that.