The exclusive dating app Raya has been the talk of the town lately.
I am embarrassed to admit that when I heard people talking about this dating app, I assumed they were discussing the Disney movie Raya and the last Dragon. I was surprised to later find out that Raya is an ’ultra exclusive’ dating app that first launched back in 2015.
Thanks to stars like Ben Affleck and Matthew Perry making news for being outed by young women they had reached out to on the platform, Raya is all anyone can talk about.
For those of you that have no clue what Raya is, here are some facts about the exclusive app.
It was launched 6 years ago
When Raya launched in 2015 it was released as an exclusive, membership-based online dating app for people in the entertainment industry. Nowadays it has evolved and branched out to offer other networking opportunities as well but still remains mostly celebrity based.
Who has access to Raya?
As much as I would love to match up with an A-list celebrity, gaining membership to Raya is not easy at all.
According to reports in order to enter the app an existing member needs to recommend you. This is how they maintain their private community.
If you are lucky to get recommended, there is still a vetting process that your account has to go through.
The app explains that ‘applications are assessed based on algorithmic values and input from hundreds of committee members spread throughout the world.’ The decision timeline can also take anywhere between one day to a few months.
They will check your Instagram
An interesting part of the application process is the evaluation of the prospective members’ Instagram account. According to Ranker, every member has to have at least a few thousand followers, but quantity is not the only factor used to determine membership.
Raya’s administrators reportedly check to see how many existing Raya users follow the prospective members account.
There is a fee
Once you have made it through the vetting process, you will then be expected to pay a fee. According to the app it starts from $9.99 (R140) for membership but there is a whole list of in-app purchases you might have to pay for if you want a premium experience.
Who is on Raya?
We know now that Ben Affleck and Matthew Perry are on the site but who else uses the exclusive app?
Though most members would probably prefer to keep their membership private, some have been open about their use of Raya. Drew Barrymore and Demi Lovato have opened up about using the app and according to Page Six, a number of celebrities including Channing Tatum and Lizzo have used it in previous years.
