Penn grad creates Philadelphia-based dating app to help singles find love ahead of Valentine's Day

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Friday, February 2, 2024
University of Pennsylvania grad creates Philadelphia based dating app, Pairfect, ahead of Valentine's Day
A new dating app in Philadelphia is unlike the others because there's no swiping and messaging. It's all about matchmaking!

PHILADLEPHIA (WPVI) -- February is the month for love and a new dating app in Philadelphia is helping singles find their match ahead of Valentine's Day.



It's unlike the others because there's no swiping and messaging. It's all about matchmaking!



"We've been able to facilitate in-person dates at what we found to be 12 times the amount that dating apps do on average," said Annie Xu, Founder and CEO of Pairfect.



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The dating app is called "Pairfect." It's more of a customized matchmaking service but at a fraction of the cost of typical matchmaking.



Xu is a University of Pennsylvania graduate and a couples therapist who says she was so tired of hearing all the dating horror stories from friends who were genuinely trying to find love.



She came up with Pairfect and put together a team of 11 matchmakers. Right now, there are more than 1,200 current users.



The online service asks members a set of personalized questions. Then, a matchmaker reaches out to schedule a meeting to better understand the user's personality and what they prefer in a partner to find quality matches.



"With dating apps, it oftentimes feels like there's an illusion of choice because there's so many options presented to people. We actually will intentionally only do one match at a time and we give everyone a 48 hour time window to decide whether they want to accept or decline the match," said Xu.



What's also really cool about this matchmaking app, Pairfect partners with several restaurants and cafes around the city to offer couples a neutral first date location at a discounted rate.



ALSO SEE: Top 6: Valentine's Day spots in Philadelphia



The Board and Brew in West Philadelphia is one of those restaurants offering singles a safe place to date.



It costs $30 to join Pairfect but for the month of February, you can sign up for free and use the service for two weeks to see if it's right for you.



For more information or to sign up, visit the Pairfect website.

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