Zoosk looked at other dating sites and thought, eh, we can do that better… or that’s how the legends go anyway.
Zoosk began as something of an experiment, using an algorithm designed by an ex-NASA scientist who moved into the world of online dating sites (you know, that natural career trajectory… space exploration to dating guru)!
The algorithm works great (more on that in my full guide to Zoosk), and it takes a lot of the stress out of setting up your profile and allows the site to learn about who you are and adjust your matches as it works out what you like.
But Zoosk are mavericks! It wasn’t just the algorithm that made them different.
They also introduced payment options rarely seen on other dating sites: Coins. Zoosk Coins, in fact.
Dude Hack Exclusive Offers
What Are Zoosk Coins?
Zoosk has two options for users who want access to premium features.
You can opt for a standard monthly, quarterly, or six-monthly plan which unlocks almost everything for a recurring fee, or you can buy bundles of coins and use them carefully to unlock specific features.
What Can I Use Zoosk Coins For?
Members can use Zoosk Coins to unlock additional features or ‘add-ons’ to their memberships.
Non-members can treat themselves to some of the features premium members enjoy using Zoosk Coins, so they don’t have to tie themselves to a monthly membership to try those features out.
If you’re curious to see whether going premium is actually worth it, though, you can check out my post here.
According to Zoosk’s own Help Centre, Zoosk Coins can be used for:
Promoting yourself to other members with Boost
If you’d like to grow your Zoosk popularity quickly, you can use Zoosk coins to purchase Boost. Using Boost highlights you in the search results, messages inbox, and Carousel of other people.
Unlocking additional Carousel Matches
When you run out of matches on Carousel, you can get more by using your coins.
Going invisible
If you’d like to browse without people knowing, you can use Zoosk coins to go invisible and browse and view other members for 30 minutes anonymously.
Buying virtual gifts for other members
If you’d like to make someone feel special, you can use Zoosk coins to buy him or her a virtual gift. It’s a great way to stand out and show that you’re really interested in someone.
Getting delivery confirmations on messages
If you’d like to know when a specific message in a chat is opened, you can use Zoosk coins to buy a delivery confirmation.
After your message is sent, you’ll get a notification letting you know when it is opened.
Only members who already have premium membership can get the additional message features. You can sign up for free here and upgrade to premium to access the messaging feature.
This means that non-members can send gifts, go invisible, get additional carousel matches, and even boost their profiles but they can’t make substantial contact with potential dates.
How Much Do Zoosk Coins Cost?
Zoosk Coins are priced as follows:
| Pricing | Upfront Cost | Monthly Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| 1 Month | $29.99 | $29.99 |
| 3 Months | $59.99 | $19.99 |
| 6 Months | $74.99 | $12.49 |
As you can see, the price-per-coin drops as you buy more coins. Zoosk Coin bundles were designed as a way to use some of Zoosk’s premium features without committing to a monthly membership, but you still have to remember to toggle auto-top-up off unless you want to be charged for another bundle equal to your first when you drop to 20 or fewer Zoosk Coins.
There are a few ways to get free Zoosk Coins. These include downloading and using the app, and liking or sharing occasional social media profiles or posts.
These are a nice bonus, but they aren’t going to keep you in coins for long. You get 30 Zoosk Coins for downloading the app, for example, but you need 150 coins to buy Boosts.
How Many Zoosk Coins Are Needed To Unlock A Conversation?
The Zoosk Coins structure changed recently, and unlocking a conversation is no longer a feature you can purchase with Coins.
If you are a paid member, you can use Zoosk Coins to unlock additional features including getting delivery and read receipts for messages as I explained above, and basic users can get access to a few premium features.
This change means that although Zoosk Coins can be purchased by both members and nonmembers, only those with a paid membership can actually make contact with other users.
This does make me wonder who really wants to go invisible or get additional matches if they can’t talk to anyone, but there is potential for just testing the site out before you commit I suppose!
Do I Have To Use Zoosk Coins? Should I Buy Them?
No, you don’t have to use Zoosk Coins. And to be honest, they no longer make a huge amount of sense apart from as an add-on to membership.
If you want to charm a match with a gift or make sure they’re reading your messages, then by all accounts get yourself some Zoosk Coins, but they are neither essential nor better value than just paying for a membership.
In fact, I can’t imagine who is using Zoosk with just Zoosk coins at this point. As they must just be silently sending gifts and swiping at their Carousel I doubt they’re getting many dates out of it!
The one really useful feature you can unlock with Zoosk Coins is Boost, which sends your profile to the top of user searches.
Boost multiplies interaction with your profile several-fold, and you get 75 Boosts for 150 coins.
Coins don’t run out monthly and neither do Boosts, so you can keep them in your digital pocket for when you need the… well… boost… Zoosk is pretty good at naming things!
Other than Boost, I suspect that Zoosk Coins is a feature that the innovative Zoosk tried but is now either phasing out or changing the utility of.
I’ll certainly keep an eye on developments over the coming months because at the moment they’re an illogical blot on an otherwise really excellent and well-built dating site. Sound good? Try Zoosk today by signing up here.
