Dating agencies and matchmakers in Singapore (2026): costs and how to choose
By Vincent Emmanuel Lee, founder of Steade · Last reviewed 26/Oct/2026
A Singapore dating agency or matchmaking service usually charges between a few hundred and several thousand dollars for a package of arranged dates, and the best-known ones don’t publish their prices. One client reported paying nearly S$3,000 for three dates. Packages are mostly non-refundable once paid. Since the end of 2022, the government no longer accredits dating agencies, so you have to check each one yourself.
Steade is a free dating service, so we have an interest here. Every price and term below comes from the agency’s own website or from Singapore press, with a link to the source, and was checked on 26 October 2026. Prices change, so confirm them with the agency in writing before you pay. If something here is wrong, email hello@steade.app.
What a dating agency or matchmaker does
A dating agency, or matchmaker, meets you to learn what you want, picks people it thinks will suit you, and arranges the date, usually a lunch, coffee or dinner. Many ask for feedback afterwards and use it to choose the next match. You don’t browse profiles; the agency chooses for you.
Agencies in Singapore sell this in three main ways:
- Packages of dates. You pay upfront for a set number of dates, or for a period such as six or twelve months.
- Pay per date. You pay for each date as it happens, with little or nothing upfront.
- Events. Speed dating, mixers and small-group activities, paid per ticket.
What dating agencies cost
| Service | How it works | Price | Published? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lunch Actually | A consultant matches you and books lunch or after-work dates | One client paid nearly S$3,000 for three dates (The Straits Times, 2025); its blog says packages range “from $1,000 and upwards” (Lunch Actually) | No |
| Peerage (Lunch Actually) | A relationship manager finds matches for people earning at least S$150,000 a year | From S$12,000 a year for at least five dates (Vulcan Post, 2019) | No |
| Lovestruck | Matchmaker-selected matches, sold by months rather than dates | Reported from about S$900 to S$3,600, depending on the plan (Mothership, Mothership, 2025) | No |
| Luvo Matchmaking | A matchmaker introduces you and coordinates the date | From S$4,350 for two introductions (Luvo) | Yes |
| Kopi Date | Its team picks your match and books a café date, about once a month | Memberships of 3, 6 or 12 dates from S$80 a date (Kopi Date) | Yes |
| Table For Two | Interviewed members; the date is planned for you | S$95 per date, nothing upfront until you accept a match (Table For Two) | Yes |
| CompleteMe | Pay as you go: profile listing, photo exchange, then a meeting | S$200 to list a profile, S$50 for photo exchange, S$150 per meeting (CompleteMe) | Yes |
| Dating events | Speed dating, mixers, activity dates | Mostly S$10 to S$70 a ticket, often cheaper for women (Honeycombers, October 2026) | Yes |
Two things stand out. The agencies with consultants are the most expensive and the least likely to publish a price; Lunch Actually’s FAQ says the price “depends on your profile” (Lunch Actually). And reported prices for the same agency vary a lot, because they depend on the package, any promotion running at the time, and what the sales consultant offers you.
Refunds and cooling-off
Most packages are non-refundable once paid. Read the refund terms before you sign, and keep a copy.
- Lunch Actually offers a three-day “cooling down period” that refunds your fee minus a S$654 admin fee. After that, fees are non-refundable, except a 70% refund if it finds no match within your basic criteria in six months, with exclusions (Lunch Actually).
- Kopi Date says plans are “non-refundable once paid, including unused dates”, charges S$140 for a no-show, and renews membership automatically when a cycle ends, with a reminder email first (Kopi Date).
Don’t count on a legal cooling-off period. Singapore’s five-day right to cancel covers direct sales made during an unsolicited visit to your home or workplace, timeshares and long-term holiday products (Singapore Statutes Online). A package you sign at an agency’s office or buy online usually isn’t one of those, so any cooling-off you get is whatever the contract says.
Is there an accredited dating agency list?
No, not any more. The government accredited dating agencies through the Social Development Network (SDN) for many years, but stopped on 31 December 2022, and the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) says SDN “has ceased operations” (The Straits Times, 2025). SDN’s website closed in November 2023 (The Straits Times, 2024). The dating credits and vouchers that used to be spent at accredited agencies went with it. Our guide to SDN and the old SDU has the full history.
So if an agency calls itself “government-accredited”, that refers to a scheme that has ended. The Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) suggests checking whether a business has its CaseTrust accreditation, reading the cancellation and refund terms, and walking away from high-pressure sales (CASE).
The government’s one current dating scheme, FirstDate, doesn’t go through agencies. It’s a GovTech pilot for unmarried public officers. Our FirstDate guide explains it.
What goes wrong
Complaints about matchmaking agencies are rising. CASE received at least 93 in the year to March 2024, up from 82 the year before (The Straits Times, 2025). The problems reported most often:
- Refunds refused after a large upfront payment, including when the client got few or no dates (Mothership).
- Matches outside what you asked for. Some contracts say criteria must be “reasonable as deemed by the staff” (Mothership).
- Silence after payment. CASE’s president said some agencies became “unresponsive after packages had been signed” (The Straits Times, 2025).
- Pressure to sign today, or an upsell to a bigger package later by WhatsApp. CASE advises against “now or never” deals and large upfront payments (Mothership).
Agencies do produce couples: The Straits Times reported on a Lunch Actually client who married in 2024. Agencies also publish their own success figures. We found no independent data on how often agency matches turn into relationships, so treat any success rate as the agency’s own claim.
Questions to ask before you pay
- What’s the full price, in writing, and what exactly does it include?
- How many dates or introductions do I get, and over how long?
- How do you choose matches, and can you match me outside my stated criteria?
- What happens if I don’t get the dates in time? Do they expire?
- What’s the refund policy, and is there a cooling-off period in the contract?
- Does the membership renew automatically?
- How do you check that members are who they say they are, and that they’re single?
- Can I take the contract home to read before I sign?
If an agency won’t put the price and terms in writing, or won’t let you take the contract away to read, that tells you something.
Agency, app or something in between?
An agency suits you if you want a person to understand what you’re looking for, choose for you and arrange the date, and you’re comfortable paying for that. If you mainly want fewer, better introductions without the fee, there are other routes: curated apps, FirstDate if you’re a public officer, introductions through friends and communities, and one-at-a-time services. Our guide to the best dating apps in Singapore compares them.
Steade is one of those options. It’s free, with no paid tier. Everyone’s identity is checked, and twice a week it sends at most one introduction to someone who meets what you both said matters, with up to three reasons. No one picks matches by hand, and Steade doesn’t arrange the date: if you both accept, chat opens and you plan it between you. Steade vs matchmaking agencies sets out the differences.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a dating agency cost in Singapore?
It ranges from about S$95 a date at pay-per-date services to several thousand dollars for a consultant-led package, and S$12,000 or more a year at the top end. Many of the best-known agencies don’t publish prices. One Lunch Actually client reported paying nearly S$3,000 for three dates.
Are dating agencies in Singapore government-accredited?
Not any more. The government stopped accrediting dating agencies through the Social Development Network on 31 December 2022, and there is no current list of accredited agencies. CASE suggests checking for CaseTrust accreditation and reading refund terms before you pay.
Can I get a refund from a dating agency?
It depends on the contract. Most packages are non-refundable once paid. Some agencies offer a short cooling-off period or a partial refund if they can’t find a match, with conditions. Singapore’s statutory five-day cooling-off right usually doesn’t cover a package signed at an agency’s office or bought online.
Is a dating agency worth it?
It can be, if you want someone else to choose and arrange your dates and the price is affordable for you. Get the price, the number of dates and the refund terms in writing first, and be wary of pressure to sign on the day.
Are there free alternatives to dating agencies in Singapore?
Yes. Most dating apps are free to start, introductions through friends and communities cost nothing, and Steade is free with no paid tier. FirstDate, the government’s pilot, is open only to unmarried public officers.
Related guides
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