Matchmaker Contracts in New York: What the Law Says

Most people spend more time reading a gym membership agreement than a matchmaking contract. That's backwards. A matchmaker is asking for money, time and a very detailed picture of your personal life, and the contract decides what you get for all three.

New York has had a specific law on this for years. Almost nobody who signs with a dating service has read it. This post walks through what it says, using the current text published by the New York State Senate, and turns it into a checklist you can use before you sign.

Which Matchmakers Does New York's Dating Service Law Cover?

The law is New York General Business Law § 394-c, "Limitations on certain contracts involving social referral services." Its definition is broad. A "social referral service" includes "any service for a fee providing matching of members, by use of computer or any other means, for the purpose of dating or general social contact."

That language reaches traditional one-on-one matchmakers, matchmaking firms and apps. The statute also separately defines an "online dating service" as a social referral service "offered primarily online, such as by means of an internet website or a mobile application," and several rules treat those services differently. Those exceptions are flagged below.

Can You Cancel a Matchmaker Contract in New York?

Yes, within a short window. Every contract must let you cancel "without a cancellation fee within three business days" after you receive a copy of the written contract.

The law is specific about how that right is presented:

• The seller has to give you a fully completed copy of the contract when you sign, in the same language used in the sales pitch.
• Near the signature line, in at least ten-point bold type, the contract must say you can cancel within three business days.
• A detachable form titled "NOTICE OF CANCELLATION" must be attached.
• You send the notice by certified or registered mail, or to the email address in the contract.
• Any payments must be returned within ten business days after the seller receives your notice.

Three business days isn't long. If you signed at an intake meeting on a Thursday, decide by the middle of the following week. If you're hesitating, re-read our list of questions to ask before hiring a matchmaker during that window, not after it closes.

How Many Introductions Does a Matchmaker Owe You?

This is the part of the law that matters most once you're a client.

Any contract costing more than $25 must state "a specified certain number of social referrals per month." In other words, the contract can't just promise introductions "as good matches become available." It has to name a number.

If the service fails to deliver that number for two or more successive months, you can cancel and get a refund of all money paid, minus a cancellation fee. That fee is capped at whichever is greater: 15% of the cash price, or a pro rata amount for the referrals you already received. The contract and the bill of rights have to explain how the fee is calculated.

This is useful context for a common question: how long matchmaking takes. A slow month can be normal. Two months with fewer introductions than your contract promises gives you a specific legal option, not just a feeling that it isn't working.

Is There a Limit on What a Dating Service Can Charge?

On paper, yes. The statute says no social referral service contract "shall require payment by the purchaser of such service of a cash price in excess of one thousand dollars," and services can't extend beyond two years from the contract date.

There's an exception: it doesn't apply to an online dating service contract with an initial term of one year or less, and renewal terms of one year or less, "where payment in excess of the amount provided under this subdivision is reasonable in light of the service's offerings."

How the cap applies to a particular matchmaking arrangement is exactly the kind of question this post can't settle. If you're quoted more than $1,000, it's reasonable to ask the service, plainly, how its contract complies with § 394-c. A clear, confident answer is a good sign. Evasion is information too.

Can a Matchmaker Make You Buy Extra Services?

No. The law defines "ancillary services" as related goods or services, including "photography, grooming, cosmetology, dating etiquette, dating counseling, or other services." A provider can offer them, but it may not require you to buy one as a condition of the matchmaking contract.

So a pitch that bundles a mandatory photo shoot or styling session into membership deserves a second look. Optional is fine. Required isn't allowed.

What Happens to Your Personal Information?

Matchmaking runs on sensitive data: questionnaires, photos, background details, sometimes notes about past relationships. Section 394-c addresses that directly. Every contract must:

• Bar resale or transfer. The seller can't sell, assign or transfer your personal information, "including but not limited to answers to tests and questionnaires, photographs or background information," without your prior written consent.
• Return or destroy it at the end. When the contract or services end, for any reason, that material must be returned by certified mail or destroyed and deleted, with certification of destruction sent to you, unless a law or court order requires keeping it.

If you're preparing for an intake, our guide to the matchmaker intake interview covers what you'll be asked. It's worth knowing beforehand where those answers are allowed to go.

Other Rights Most People Don't Know About

A few more provisions every contract has to include:

• A hold option. You have a unilateral right to put your membership on hold for up to one year by notifying the service in writing. You and the service can agree to extend that to two years.
• A distance limit. Contracts must state how far you're willing to travel to meet a referral, and the service can't introduce you to anyone beyond that distance. This doesn't apply to online services available regionally, nationally or globally. In NYC, where distance can be a real dealbreaker, fill this in deliberately.
• A moving policy. The provider must have a "fair and reasonable" policy for clients who move permanently outside its service area, and the policy must be written into the contract.
• A bill of rights. At every sale or renewal, the seller must hand you a separate written "Dating Service Consumer Bill of Rights" (online services can use a clearly labeled link). It summarizes the rules above and states your right to sue if the contract is violated.

What If a Dating Service Breaks the Rules?

The statute gives you and the state a few tools:

• The Attorney General can seek a court injunction without having to prove anyone was harmed. The court can order restitution and impose a civil penalty of up to $1,000 per violation.
• You can sue in your own name to stop the violation, to recover your actual damages or $50, whichever is greater, or both.
• In cities over one million people, a local consumer affairs office can enforce the law alongside the Attorney General and may require dating services to be licensed, with license fees capped at $340 for two years. New York City's consumer affairs agency is the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection.

A separate section, § 394-cc, applies to internet dating services with New York members. It requires a "safety awareness notification" at registration and via a link on the service's main site, including statements such as "There is no substitute for acting with caution when communicating with any stranger who wants to meet you."

A Checklist Before You Sign

Bring this to the conversation:

1. Does the contract name a number of introductions per month? If not, ask why.
2. Where is the three-day cancellation notice and the attached cancellation form?
3. Did you get the Dating Service Consumer Bill of Rights as a separate document?
4. How is the cancellation fee calculated if introductions fall short?
5. Is anything beyond the core service mandatory? Photos, coaching and styling should be optional.
6. What happens to your questionnaire and photos when you leave?
7. What distance did you write in, and what's the policy if you move?
8. If the price is over $1,000, how does the service say it complies with the cap?

None of these questions is adversarial. A good matchmaker will have answers ready, and the way they respond tells you a lot about how they actually work.

How Tenr Fits In

Tenr is an invite-only app with curated matching, where introductions start as 10-minute video dates rather than long first dinners. Whatever kind of curated service you choose, the principle is the same: you're trusting someone with your time and your personal details, so read what you're agreeing to.

The Bottom Line

New York's dating service law is more protective than most people realize: a three-day cancellation window, a named number of monthly introductions with a refund right if they don't arrive, no forced add-ons, strict rules on your data and a written bill of rights. Read the contract with the statute in mind, ask direct questions about anything that doesn't line up and get legal advice if real money is at stake.

Sources:

• New York General Business Law § 394-c: Limitations on certain contracts involving social referral services — New York State Senate (current text; most recent revision dated August 1, 2025)
• New York General Business Law § 394-cc: Internet dating safety — New York State Senate