Common questions.
If you don't see your question, write to hello@heycupid.dating.
What's a spark session?
A 12-minute video conversation between two verified users. You can drop in live ('Spark now') or schedule one ahead of time. After the session, you each privately mark Spark or No spark — decisions are revealed only on mutual sparks.
Why fifteen minutes? Why not five, or thirty?
Five minutes is enough for surface chemistry but not for substance. Thirty minutes is too much commitment for a first contact. Twelve minutes is the sweet spot — long enough to know whether you'd want to meet, short enough that no-sparks aren't painful. We allow a one-tap mutual extend to 17 minutes if both of you want to keep going.
How is verification different from other apps?
Most apps verify a photo. We verify identity through selfie + liveness check, with optional ID document verification for a higher trust tier. Biometric data is deleted within 24 hours of the verification decision — we don't store or sell it.
What's a vouch?
A short video (≤120 seconds) recorded by someone who actually knows you — a friend, family member, coworker. They use a private link you send them. You approve before it goes live; we moderate before publication. Up to five live vouches per profile, replaceable any time.
What does the $99 cover?
Identity verification, unlimited spark sessions, mutual-spark conversations, vouches, and trust score visibility — for as long as you're active on the platform. There's no subscription. If you pause for a relationship and come back after more than 90 days, there's a $29 reactivation fee, waived if the relationship lasted over 6 months.
Can I get a refund?
Yes. Full refund within 14 days as long as you haven't completed a spark session. After that, no refund — same as you can't return a meal you've eaten. Spark Night passes are refunded if we cancel the event; not for personal no-shows.
Why no profile browsing or DMs?
Because they're the failure modes of dating apps. Profile browsing rewards the photo, not the person. DMs go cold before either party decides whether to meet. We replace both with the only signal that actually predicts a good first date — twelve minutes on video together.
What about safety?
Verified-only access, mutual interaction confirmation before feedback unlocks, structured (not free-text) reports, an internal severity taxonomy with defined SLAs (P0 within one hour), immutable audit logs on every admin action. The whole point of charging $99 upfront is funding moderation that mainstream apps don't pay for.
Is Hey Cupid! a background check?
No. We surface trust signals — verification, vouches, mutual-spark history, behavior patterns — that help you decide whether someone is worth meeting. We don't run criminal-record checks.
What about email?
We send transactional emails (magic link, payment receipts, verification result) and one weekly digest summarizing your activity. That's it. No drip sequences, no event reminders, no 'you have a match!' emails. Everything else lives in-app.