RentAFriend Review 2023: Can You Really Make $10-$50 Per Hour To Be A Friend?

Just like you can rent a truck or a house, now you can even rent a friend.  In this RentAFriend Review, we are going to deep dive into this side hustle and answer all of your burning questions about this unorthodox way of making money on the side.

I know what you’re thinking.  Who in their right mind would hire someone to be their friend?  And is it even safe?

Let’s say you move to a new city or a neighborhood and don’t have anyone to hang out with or do activities together, you can hire someone to hang out with and give you a tour of the city.

Or if you have a family wedding to go to and don’t want to deal with your nosy relatives asking about your love life, you could also hire someone to be your date.

There are many out-of-the-box ways of making money and getting paid to be someone’s friend is one of them.  Other unorthodox ways to make money include selling feet pics, selling used underwear, and sexting, just to name a few.

RentAFriend is a strictly platonic friendship platform.  It is not a dating site or an escort agency. 

Let’s dive into this RentAFriend review and learn about the pros and cons of this side hustle.

 

What is RentAFriend?

Originated in Japan, the idea of renting someone to be your friend, date, or even parent quickly became popular in the 1990s.

It wasn’t until 2009 that Scott Rosenbaum founded RentAFriend to bring the same concept to America.  He thought that since the Japanese can hire people to play various roles, then the Americans might welcome the idea as well.

And he wasn’t wrong.

Today, RentAFriend has millions of active users looking to hire friends and get hired as friends.  The site is available worldwide and there is no sign of it slowing down.

It is important to remember that RentAFriend is not a dating website or an escort agency.  Services on RentAFriend are strictly for friendship purposes only.  People can actually hire others to stand in as their friends, dates, spouses, or even parents.

 

How Does Rent A Friend Work?

You might be wondering who would be desperate enough to hire someone to be their friend.  There are many reasons why someone would hire someone to be their friend.

For instance, you’ll find that most people that rent their friendship are those in new environments or jobs and have nobody to hang out with or do activities with.  The rented friend can help them get to know the city or just to listen to their stories.

RentAFriend’s business model is simple and available worldwide.

You, the rented friend, pay nothing and get to keep 100% of your earnings.  More importantly, you also get to choose what activities you want to participate in and can reject activities that you don’t want to do.

 

What Services Can You Offer As a Friend?

People can hire you for a variety of reasons, such as:

• Going to a family event or a wedding as a plus one
• Watching a movie at a theatre
• Having dinner at a restaurant
• Spending time at the park
• Companion for learning new skills or hobbies
• Giving tours or sightseeing around the new city

The list goes on.

There are a lot of different activities or reasons why someone might want to hire a friend.  For some, it might be because they don’t want to do the activities by themselves.

While for others, it might be because they feel lonely and needs someone to talk to.  For example, this woman hired a friend to see if it could cure her loneliness.  So if you’re a good listener, you could be helping someone while making some extra money on the side.

 

Requirements Needed to Join RentAFriend

Even though Rent A Friend is free to join, there are a few requirements to meet before you can apply as a friend:

• At least 18 years old
• Never been convicted of a felony
• Not registered as a sex offender

You can read the rest of Rent A Friend’s Terms and Conditions here.

Please note that rentafriend.com is strictly for platonic friendships, and not a dating or escort website. 

 

How To Join RentAFriend Jobs?

#1:  Sign up as a friend by completing your application form on RentAFriend.

#2:  Wait for your membership confirmation via email, which can take up to a few hours.

#3:  Once your account is approved, upload your pictures, indicate your location and places near you where someone can request your company.

#4:  Members who are interested in your profile can direct message you.  At this point, you can arrange meeting details as well as your rate.

#5:  Meet up with your new friend in public, enjoy the activity, and collect your payment.

 

RentAFriend Fees

Listing yourself for renting as a friend on RentAFriend is absolutely free and you also get to keep 100% of your earnings. 

However, those who wish to rent friends need to become a member and there is a membership fee to use the service.  There are two options to choose from:

Option 1:  Monthly membership of $24.94 per month and will be renewed automatically every 30 days.  The member can cancel the membership whenever and the account will remain active until the 30 days are over.

Option 2:  One-time fee of $69.96 annually.  This option will expire after 365 days and will not renew itself.  You can manually re-enter your payment details if you want to newer after the year is up.

 

How Much Can You Make On Rent A Friend?

It’s up to you to say how much you want to charge per hour.  The hourly rate can vary from person to person, but on average, people charge anywhere between $10 to $50 per hour.

According to RentAFriend, there are people making $300 just working weekends and there are people making $2,000 a week working full-time.

You get to keep 100% of your earnings and your payment will be made directly to you by the person who hired you.  Additionally, you get other perks such as free food and drinks, or tickets to movies or museums, etc.

How To Get Paid As A Friend

You do not get paid by RentAFriend.

It is important to remember that RentAFriend is only a platform for people looking for platonic friendships.  To get paid on RentAFriend, you will need to discuss and set up a payment method with your renter.

So when someone makes contact with you with the intention of hiring you as a friend, you need to discuss every detail of your meet-up.  This includes how much you charge per hour, the activities that you’re going to do, and how you get paid.

In most cases, friends for hire are paid with cash after the event or activity.

 

Is Rent A Friend Safe?

While most users don’t think safety is an issue especially if you take all the safety precautions and set rules before meeting, you can never be too careful when meeting up with strangers from the internet.

RentAFriend does not do background checks on its members.  This means some people might not be who they are and your safety is not guaranteed.

If you’re hired by a member and would like to accept the job, make sure to emphasize that RentAFriend is not a dating site or an escort agency and discuss the dos and don’ts beforehand.

Remember to only meet in a public place, bring your own vehicle, a pepper spray, and let someone knows where you’re going.  And as always, listen to your gut.  If something feels off, cancel or cut it short.

Alternatively, you can also offer Virtual Friend Services such as Facetime, Zoom, Texting, or Phone Friends if you’re really concerned about meeting strangers from the internet.

 

Is RentAFriend Legit?

Short answer: Yes!

RentAFriend is a legit platonic friendship platform that has been featured on CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, ABC, and many other media outlets.

The company has been around since 2009 and has millions of active members from all around the world.  It has built an excellent reputation for people seeking and offering friendships.

While RentAFriend is currently not accredited by the Better Business Bureau, it has an A+ rating.

 

RentAFriend Reddit Reviews

There aren’t too many reviews on the internet from renters or friends for hire, but I did find some Rent A Friend reviews on Reddit from renters who seem to have really positive experiences with renting friends when they need a companion on demand.

And while I was searching for Rent A Friend horror stories, I came across this one particular Friend who has plenty of stories to share.  Most of her stories seem normal except for one guy offering $50 for her underwear since he collects them.

She didn’t seem too bothered by it and told him “NO” right away.

Overall, RentAFriend website reviews indicate that it is a legit platform for making money on the side.  It does expose you to a wide range of personalities, so be ready to say no when you don’t feel comfortable.

 

RentAFriend Review Pros and Cons

Pros of RentAFriend

• It is free to join when you sign up as a friend for hire
• You get to work on your own time and schedule
• You can set your own rate
• It is available worldwide
• Keep 100% of the commission
• A dedicated customer support team that’s on call 24/7
• Outstanding recommendations from top media such as CNN, Fox News, ABC, etc

Cons of RentAFriend

• No guarantee of work
• Responsible for getting paid
• No background checks for members and RentAFriend is not liable for any security issues that arise from meetings

 

Is RentAFriend Worth It?

If you enjoy hanging out with others and listening to their stories while getting paid, RentAFriend is worth it!

There are no fees to sign up and you get to keep 100% of your earnings, which can range from $20 to $50 per hour.

The sign-up process is quick and easy.  The hours are flexible and you can work whenever you want, and choose to accept or reject invites based on the type of activity.

So if you’ve got some free time and looking to make some extra cash in your spare time, give RentAFriend a try!

 

RentAFriend Review – FAQs

1. Can I Really Get Paid For Being A Friend?

Absolutely!  You can definitely make money being a friend on RentAFriend.  Here is an article on how Vicki is able to make good money on the platform.

2. How Much Should I Charge On RentAFriend?

You can charge anywhere between $10 – $50 an hour on RentAFriend.  You could charge more depending on the activity and how well you negotiate.

3. How Does RentAFriend Make Money?

RentAFriend makes money from the membership fee charged to users who seek to hire friends.   However, it is free when you sign up to be a friend.

4. What Are Some RentAFriend Alternatives?

Alternatives to rentafriend.com that offer similar services are FriendMatch, RentaCyberFriend, and RentaLocalFriend.

 

RentAFriend Review – Final Thoughts

There you have it!  Another out-of-the-box way to make some extra money on the side.  I hope you find this RentAFriend review useful.

Remember to always set the terms, expectations, and rate before meeting up.  As always, trust your gut and say no to suggestions that make you uncomfortable.

Are you going to give this side hustle a try?