TheInnerCircle review

TheInnerCircle is a dating site for the elite. It targets young professionals, catering to all sorts of relationships, from casual fun to long-term romance. Currently, it is most popular in big cities (where most elite professionals live). This site uses strict verification procedures, only allowing users with proven Facebook and LinkedIn accounts to join. Still, its exclusivity and long waitlists can be a bit too much. Does it really offer enough features to justify its higher than average cost and tedious, overly lengthy verification procedure? The answer to this will surely depend on one’s dating goals and intentions with Inner Circle. If you are not yet sure whether this platform is worth a shot, take a look at our full review and make this decision.

How does it work?

TheInnerCircle is a dating platform where professional singles can meet other singles serious about finding a relationship. By LinkedIn and Facebook links, they vet each member carefully, so they meet high standards set by the site moderators. This does not mean that they accept only high earning applicants; they include those in the arts fields and others who meet their criteria. They claim that they eliminate “sleazy duds” from their user database.

Their rather lengthy verification process (1 hour to 1 year) ensures that all members you meet online are who they claim to be so that you can avoid “Catfishes” and fake profiles. TheInnerCircle seeks quality members and not quantity, so at 2.5 million members in 42 cities, its figures are low compared to other niche dating sites. The exclusivity is a great drawcard, though, with some people on the waiting list for over a year.

TheInnerCircle was founded in 2012 and is owned by Circle Imperium BV, which is based in Amsterdam in the Netherlands. This site generates income on a combination of events and subscriptions and partnerships. Of all applications for TheInnerCircle, only half are approved, and the waiting list in over ten countries is half a million strong.

Sign-Up & Login Process

The criteria for membership are mysterious on TheInnerCircle. Some successful professionals with legitimate profiles are rejected or made to wait or eons, while other members with average incomes make the grade. The promoters of this site claim that their members must show ambition and a zest for life, but who knows really. Exclusivity in a world mad about status is a sure-fire way to get the masses flocking in bleating droves.

Co-Owner David Vermeulen, in an interview with Huffington Post, gave some pointers to being accepted to TheInnerCircle:

• Make sure that your occupation is verified on your linked account such as LinkedIn or Facebook
• Try to find a friend already in this circle to recommend your membership
• Upgrade to a premium membership for greater access

No one knows if the sign up will take hours or years, so they are kind enough to provide you with your profile questions in the meantime. There are quite a few individual touches on profile information, such as where you would like to date, your vacation preferences, and your style in fashion, books, and music.

You have an option of an icebreaker question, one of their pre-written ones, or you can provide your own. You may upload up to six photos of yourself (all six are important, they tell you) and link your Instagram account to your profile.

The Inner Circle has a similar Myers-Briggs type questionnaire that measures psychological tendencies based on a measurement of extroversion vs. introversion in the test subject. Test results pertain to introvert vs. extrovert, intuitive vs., sensory, thinking vs. feeling, and judging versus perceiving. These ratios determine your personality type but have never been proved effective definitively.

Profile Interface

Profile set up is the simple part of TheInnerCircle, with a generic type question system that reveals:

• About me
• My favorite cities
• The best place to go
• I spend my free time doing
• First date idea

Unlike other popular dating apps, Inner Circle gives users a sizable character space to reveal themselves in the free-write sections such as “About Me.” It is most probably to give enough space for their elite members to list their extensive attributes and achievements.

Profile photos are one of the few free features on Inner Circle unless you are willing to cough up some hefty fees. All user profiles reveal education and profession prominently, with a member’s current occupation title shown underneath their profile photo along with their age.

Inner Circle uses the geo-location feature of the user’s mobile phone, and their movements are mapped by google maps in optional Facebook-style updates. If you don’t want Big brother watching you, you can use “Ghost Mode,” a mode where you can also peruse all potential hotties without being spotted.

Matches/Communication

Although this site claims that it is against endless swiping called for by so many dating apps, they provide their own version where matches are presented to you, and you may “Like” or “Pass.” User searches are manually based on a set of filters allowing you to choose.

• Age
• Height
• City
• Education
• Smoking
• Have children
• Nationality
• Industry
• University

All questions asked on signup about how you like to travel, drink, eat, etc. form a matching system where matches with similar interests are sent to you if their choices are the same as yours.

Sending and receiving messages is for premium members only. Premium members can post a date, location, and time to which others may respond. This may be a pleasant way to find out who really likes you without making the first move. I mean, you are an Inner Circle member, they should come to you, right?

You may respond and RSVP to events in your area posted by Inner Circle exclusive to Inner circles singles that are usually Uber stylish. This is a brilliant way to meet people in actual life and make connections off-site.

Messaging online is limited to written messages, and they do not carry video and photo sharing, but an Instagram link in the registration is a way to let those you like know what you are up to and your fabulous life.

It is not all dire news for free members because you may view profiles and send winks and likes to any members that catch your eye. If they respond, make sure you have a premium membership on the cards, because you cannot read this message or respond to it.

Members structure and activities

TheInnerCircle membership is small by choice, as they reject more applications or more people cram their waiting lists, the more the public wants to be in. besides, only four people on the internal team deal with all these applications, which also explains such a long waitlist.

They boast about 2.5 million members worldwide, but these numbers are growing steadily as they extend their services to almost all major cities in the world.

50,000 of this site’s members are from the USA, and this platform sees 10,000 active members a week.

Users Age

David Vermeulen claims that TheInnerCircles’ ideal user is between the ages of 25 and 40 and has an “inspiring and ambitious profession.” Vermuelen claims that the average age of an Inner Circle member is about thirty years old.

Sexual Preferences

It’s not exactly clear from this site’s policies whether they accept all sexual orientations. All in all, it looks like they focus on straight relationships, even though there seem to be no restrictions for gay people to join. Still, it is unlikely that the gay audience will find success here. Luckily, there are plenty of specialized sites for gay dating out there.

Race And Ethnicity

TheInnerCircle does not have any race and ethnicity filters, which is refreshing to see. Many of the more popular niche dating apps allow members to adopt racist style screening by blocking other ethnicities from their match results. The ratio of Caucasian to other race groups rather dominated my match list, though.

Religious Orientation

There are no options regarding religion on registration and profile, nor are they available as a refined search filter. If one were religious, one would have to provide that information in the “About Me” section of your profile.

TheInnerCircle dating website features

• Events

Inner Circle has a curated event system to provide members with a place to meet and greet in actual time. These are VIP affairs with strict regulation of who enters the event premises. These get-togethers take place in most of the world’s largest cities on a monthly basis, and these exclusive events garner much excitement and envy.

• Spots

“Spots” highlight cool venues in your city that you might enjoy meeting your date, and you may choose between bars, clubs, or coffee shops. When you find a venue you like, you will see members nearby on your matches that frequent those same places. If you add the spots you frequent, your admirers might know where to bump into you sometime.

• Trips

“Trips” is one feature that really sets Inner Circle apart from its competitors. It is simply perfect for travelers who would like to meet on the move. You may meet up with Inner Circle members who either live there or will be there at the same time as you. You can choose which city you plan to visit under “spots” and even find the perfect venue for your traveling romance to start.

• The Guest List

Guest list is a blog-style magazine that has articles relating to dating online and events with a high standard of engaging content. There were some really cute articles about COVID-19 dating, such as “Date night Delivered” and “Digital date Operator,” which gave tips for making digital dating fun. Inner Circle also has a Dating Advice column and Success Stories features, all under the Press and News option on the bottom tab of a user’s home screen.

Safety & Security

Inner Circle adopts a strict screening process to eliminate any incidence of scammers and fake profiles. They use a combination of human and tech screening and IP end-location and image recognition software. They then send this information to their support team for review.

Safety comes first on Inner Circle, and members who behave badly are promptly banned from this site. They work with Deloitte cybersecurity and do regular penetration tests to ensure its members’ safety. They are constantly updating their security as technology advances and are GDPR compliant.

Is Inner Circle Legit or Scam Service?

Inner Circle has been in operation since 2012 and has an excellent track record as a safe and secure platform for dating. This site has an established name in the online dating community and a high reputation for safety and security.

Subscription types and price

Inner Circle membership prices are high compared to other dating sites. Their payment structure is pretty simple, with one price for premium membership paid per week.

Free Membership

Free members cannot receive or send messages, and if someone likes your profile, their details are blurred, so it can be a frustrating process. Our test time on this site was still interesting, and we could browse members’ profiles and see plenty of their hang-out spots.

Any real interaction besides stalking bars and restaurants makes it necessary for members to buy a premium package, though.

Free accounts enjoy these features:

• 6 photo uploads
• View search profiles
• View albums
• Browse events/spots
• Read “The Guest List”

Paid Membership

• Read and receive messages
• View full profile of members
• Invites to exclusive events
• See who winks/likes/faves you

Full membership is $10 a week. After a weekly trial, it will extend into a full month subscription, which will auto-renew unless canceled before the monthly expiry date. This fee opens all features of TheInnerCircle dating site and app, and one does not need credit or tokens to open up any hidden perks.

Website design and usability

Inner Circle website design is sleek and minimalist with a stark white page with trendy teal accents. Although a lot of information competes for space, this site does not feel cluttered or in any way cramped.

Its stylish interface is also intuitive and user friendly with a clearly laid out features. The top bar is mainly your search and communication interface, and the left teal tab, with your information and notifications, can be open or closed to give you more space on the page.

It is the kind of website one would expect of an elite dating service. Navigation is sleek and streamlined, and it looks classy.

Mobile application

Inner Circle mobile application is available for free download for both Android and iOS versions.

The AppStore gives this app a stellar rating of 4.2 out of five stars with over 6000 user ratings. Inner Circle’s Google Play rating does not fare so well with a disappointing 2.3 rating with over 4000 user ratings. Most of the user complaints that we read were for the waiting list to join, or the high auto-renewal fees, or the lack of a real free trial.

We found both app versions really sleek and user friendly and easy to navigate one-handed. All stylish elements of the site carry over onto the app, and all desktop features are available in a clutter-free format. The website and mobile application are as professional as the singles they hope to attract to their site.

Contact information

company: CIRCLE IMPERIUM BV.

address: Weesperplein 4 BCAPITALC 1018 XA Amsterdam Netherlands

phone: n/a

email: support@theinnercircle.co

Conclusion

Our test team really enjoyed our experience on The Inner Circle dating site and both app versions. They approved our account within an hour, which was a big surprise for everyone.

The advanced verification systems and the fact that business and occupations are double-checked against LinkedIn and Facebook are quite impressive. Many sites, like EliteSingles, verify members’ identities but fail to do adequate checks regarding occupations. The ethos of Inner Circle to reject members who show bad manners or rudeness is also a plus.

However, we are not overly fond of the site’s elitist money and position focussed blather. It is too obvious that their exclusivity is a money-making strategy, and it is funny that people fall for it, anyway. Modern digital age egos are always sent running to find some fresh way to define their status.

It is a decent site, and the members we browsed looked really good and eligible. Although the price is higher than average, profile quality really stands out on this site. On the whole, TheInnerCircle could be worth a shot if you are willing to pay extra to become a part of the elitist community. If not, there are plenty of other dating sites that can offer the same functionality at a lower cost and with less pathos than The Inner Circle.