It's Just Lunch Reviews: Cost & Success Rate

This review was researched and written by VIDA Select's editorial team to help singles determine the right service for their needs and goals. As a matchmaking service ourselves, we bring a unique industry perspective. 

Our insights come from 17+ years of matchmaking experience, writing 200+ matchmaking service reviews, analyzing public information including reviews on reputable platforms, and feedback from clients who used other services before hiring VIDA. 

Because VIDA Select is a direct competitor of It's Just Lunch, all scores were calculated mechanically from tagged review data. The full methodology and raw data are publicly available in the linked spreadsheet so anyone can verify our scores independently.

While this review is updated regularly, it may not reflect the latest public data or current pricing.

Editor's Rating

Overall Score: 3.44 / 5

To produce an unbiased score, we analyzed 845 reviews posted between January 1, 2025 and March 26, 2026 across four platforms: Trustpilot (92 reviews), BBB (13 locations / 345 reviews), Google (7 locations / 305 reviews), and Yelp (8 locations / 103 reviews).

Every score is calculated using the formula: (Weighted Positive Mentions ÷ Weighted Total Mentions) × 10. Reviews are weighted by detail (1.25× for reviews over 100 characters) and verified status (1.25× for verified reviewers). 

Scores were aggregated proportionally across all platforms, meaning platforms with more reviews naturally contributed more to the final score. 

Duplicate Reviews Note: 64 review texts (132 rows) appear across multiple platforms, reflecting clients who posted the same review on more than one site. All are retained as filed. De-duplicating would reduce the sample to 777 unique texts and lower the overall score to approximately 3.36/5.

Here's how It's Just Lunch performed across six scored categories:

1. Customer Support (8.43/10)

Based on 436 tagged reviews across four platforms, It's Just Lunch's aggregate customer support score is 8.43/10.

The most frequently cited positive themes include responsive matchmaker communication, staff who are named and praised by individual clients, and attentive onboarding.

The most frequently cited negative themes, concentrated heavily on Trustpilot and Yelp, involve support that drops off sharply after payment, matchmaker reassignments with no notice, and difficulty reaching anyone after filing a complaint.

💡 Insider Tip: The franchise model means support quality can vary depending on which It's Just Lunch location you sign up with. Before committing, ask specifically who your matchmaker will be, how long they have been with the company, and what happens if they leave during your membership.

2. Pricing / Value (3.99/10)

Pricing / Value is the second-lowest scoring category at 3.99/10, based on 200 tagged reviews across all four platforms. The divergence across platforms is the widest of any category.

Clients who felt the service delivered on its promises described the investment as worthwhile, and that it saved them time compared to dating apps.

Others expressed concern and frustration with both the number of matches they received, and the timeline in which they received them.

💡 Insider Tip: Pricing is not published on the It's Just Lunch website, which is common in the matchmaking industry. Package prices depend on factors like your city, the number of matches, and the specificity of your criteria. Before signing with any matchmaking service, ask explicitly: how many introductions are guaranteed in writing, what the refund policy is if matches don't meet your stated criteria, and what "counts" as an introduction under your contract.

3. Matchmaking Quality (7.72/10)

Matchmaking Quality is the highest-confidence category with 639 tagged reviews across all four platforms. 

The aggregate score of 7.72/10 is driven by the large volume of positive BBB and Google reviews, while Trustpilot shows a much lower 4.49/10.

Positive matchmaking reviews often mention specific staff members by name, including Eva, Jaiye, Lisa, and Chelsea. When clients felt heard by their individual matchmaker, satisfaction with match quality was high.

Negative matchmaking reviews, concentrated on Trustpilot, Yelp, and select BBB locations, consistently describe being matched with people who don't meet stated criteria. 

Geographic mismatch (matches living 100+ miles away), age preference violations, and lifestyle incompatibility are the most specific recurring complaints.

💡 Insider Tip: Match quality in the reviews correlates strongly with two factors: the size of the local dating pool and the tenure and skill of the individual matchmaker. If your matchmaker searches an internal database with no additional scouting, ask how many active members in your city fit your core criteria before signing.

4. Transparency (3.62/10)

Transparency is the lowest-scoring category at 3.62/10, based on 123 tagged reviews across all four platforms. The negative signal is consistent even on the more positive platforms.

The most common transparency-related concerns across platforms are:

• Sales representations that don't match what's in the contract, particularly around the number or quality of guaranteed matches
• Refund policies that are described as non-negotiable after signing, even when the service fails to deliver promised introductions
• Introductions that "count" against the membership total without the client's knowledge or consent
• High-pressure consultation tactics that create urgency before clients have reviewed the terms

💡 Insider Tip: Before signing any matchmaking contract, make sure you understand the following: (1) Exactly how many guaranteed introductions are included and within what time frame? (2) What constitutes an 'introduction' or 'match' under the contract? For example, does a match that doesn't proceed to a date count? (3) What is the refund policy if you don't receive the contracted number of introductions?

5. Features (8.62/10)

Features scores 8.62/10 based on 263 tagged reviews across all four platforms, the highest category score in our analysis. The most frequently cited positive features are date planning handled by the matchmaker, the feedback loop after each date, and the structured onboarding process.

Reviewers who had positive experiences consistently praised the concierge-style date arrangements, with the matchmaker handling restaurant selection, reservations, and logistics. 

The post-date feedback call is mentioned positively across multiple platforms as a mechanism that, when the matchmaker actually engages with the feedback, improves subsequent matches.

💡 Insider Tip: The feedback loop is only as valuable as the matchmaker acting on it. In negative reviews, clients frequently report giving detailed feedback that was ignored in subsequent introductions. At your first check-in, be specific and ask your matchmaker to repeat back what they noted. This helps ensure you’re both on the same page and gives you a paper trail.

6. User Experience (8.05/10)

User Experience scores 8.05/10 based on 637 tagged reviews across all four platforms. Like Customer Support and Matchmaking Quality, this score reflects a strong franchise divide: clients at well-run locations report consistently positive experiences, while clients at underperforming locations describe the opposite.

Positive user experience reviews frequently describe the relief of having someone else handle the logistics of dating, appreciation for the human contact of a dedicated matchmaker, and feeling genuinely heard during the initial consultation.

Negative user experience reviews cluster around the gap between the consultation experience (described as warm, engaged, and promising) and the post-payment reality (unresponsive, criteria ignored, matches poorly aligned).

Understanding the Review Discrepancy

The table below compares each platform’s publicly visible overall rating as of March 26, 2026, which includes — but is not limited to — the subset of reviews in our structured analysis.

Public platform ratings reflect each site’s live displayed averages as of March 26, 2026 and are not calculated from the review sample used in our scoring model.

With any franchised service, it’s not uncommon to see a variation in review sentiment across platforms.

First, the franchise factor: IJL is not one company but a network of independently operated franchises. A 4.4-star Google rating in Minneapolis and the uniformly negative New York Yelp profile reflect genuinely different local experiences under the same brand. 

Second, the review-collection dynamic: BBB reviews in our dataset are much more positive than the reviews we analyzed on Trustpilot and Yelp, suggesting that these platforms may capture different segments of the customer experience or operate under different review-collection dynamics.

That helps explain why BBB’s 345 reviews lean heavily 4–5 stars while Trustpilot shows a much more mixed distribution. Neither pattern is necessarily wrong; they may reflect different parts of the client base.

What the data does suggest is that your experience will depend heavily on three factors that vary by individual: 

• The quality and tenure of your specific matchmaker

• The size of the active dating pool at your local franchise

• How clearly your criteria are documented in the contract before you sign. 

When those factors align, the reviews are genuinely positive. When they don't, the complaints are specific and consistent.

Founded in 1991, It's Just Lunch (IJL) first started matching clients over 30 years ago in Chicago. 

Since then, franchises have opened up in over 120 cities around the US, with locations including Atlanta, Austin, Boca Raton, Boston, Charleston, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Fort Worth, Hartford, Honolulu, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, NYC, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Diego, San Francisco, Scottsdale, Tucson, and Washington DC.

The matchmaking giant also has an international presence, with offices in the UK, Ireland, Singapore, Toronto, Alberta, British Columbia, and Australia.

Matchmaking packages range from $1,000 to over $5,000, with the price tag depending on factors like what city or cities you want to date in, how many matches you want to meet, and how strict your matching criteria are.

Curious how It's Just Lunch prices compare to other matchmaking services? Let's take a quick look.

It's Just Lunch Price Comparison

Pricing and package details are based on publicly available information at the time of writing and may change.

Tawkify is another national service that may be on your radar. Tawkify packages start at $4,900 for 3 matches and can range all the way up to $70,000+ for VIP service options. (Curious? Check out our Tawkify review next!)

Three Day Rule, a service founded by Talia Goldstein that has offices in 10+ cities around the US, offers a 3-month package that starts at $6,300, guaranteeing at least 3 matches. Three Day Rule also offers "VIP" matching starting at $19,500. (Read our full Three Day Rule review here.)

VIDA Select is another option worth considering. With packages offered on a pay-as-you-go monthly basis, VIDA is one of the most flexible services out there. 

Packages start at only $1,595 per month. Clients can opt for the 90-day Match Guarantee, which provides at least 5 curated matches you approve for $5,750. Guaranteed results or the search continues at no additional cost.

IJL's process starts with an initial phone interview with your matchmaker. You'll be asked basic questions about what's worked (and what hasn't) in past relationships, and why you chose this particular time in your life to work with a matchmaker.

It's important to put some thought into your relationship desires and goals before the consultation. Deciding whether or not IJL can meet your needs is easier to do when you're crystal clear on what you're looking for from a matchmaking service.

The IJL Process: Step by Step

All members are guaranteed matches, and IJL matchmakers will tell you that clients get a new introduction every few weeks, on average. The exact quantity and quality of introductions you'll receive depends primarily on how many members they have available that meet your specific match criteria and vice versa.

However, many reviewers have noted on sites like Yelp and Reddit that IJL sets up dates with matches who don't meet the criteria established prior to purchasing a package.

⚠️ About That $64.75M Lawsuit: In New York, It's Just Lunch was the subject of a consumer fraud class action lawsuit for charging clients for "personalized" matching services and then disregarding the clients' match criteria. The It's Just Lunch lawsuit settled for $64.75 million. A second lawsuit in 2021 alleged a "massive scheme to defraud tens of thousands of single professionals" through quota-driven matching rather than actual compatibility.

The best matchmaking services will give you an idea of how many potential matches there are in your general area, and whether or not you can expect more than one date per month based on your criteria. It wouldn't be a bad idea to discuss this with the matchmaker before signing up for It's Just Lunch or a similar service.

✅ Pros

• Affordable entry point ($1,000+) vs. premium matchmakers
• 120+ cities offers wide geographic coverage
• All members are paying clients
• Dates fully planned and coordinated for you
• Can pause membership if you start seeing someone
• Two free dating coaching sessions included
• 30+ year track record

❌ Cons

• Franchise model means inconsistent quality across locations
• Blind date format with no photo preview before dates for most clients
• $64.75M class action + multiple lawsuits raise concerns
• High-pressure sales tactics reported across multiple platforms
• Matching criteria frequently ignored per reviews
• Refund policies vary by franchise and are often restrictive

Not sure if It's Just Lunch is right for you? Check out these alternatives!

It's Just Lunch has been around for a long time, which gives them some street cred. But as you can see from 845 reviews across four platforms and our overall Editor's Score of 3.44/5, the quality of individual franchises varies drastically, and the negative signal on pricing, transparency, and contract terms is consistent enough across platforms to deserve careful consideration.

The service scores well on Features (8.62/10) and Customer Support (8.43/10) in aggregate. But those high aggregate scores are carried by the BBB and Google datasets, which reflect solicited positive reviews from better-performing locations.

The Trustpilot data, where unsolicited feedback dominates, tells a different story: a 1.22/10 on Pricing / Value and 4.49/10 on Matchmaking Quality suggest that some clients feel the service didn't deliver what they paid for.

You'll also need to ask yourself how you feel about not seeing photos of your matches beforehand. Some people enjoy going on blind date adventures, so if you're into rolling the dice, you may enjoy the It's Just Lunch experience. But if you prefer to be more in control of who you choose to spend your time with, a more modern approach may serve you better.

The matchmakers at VIDA Select understand that looks matter when it comes to your ideal partner, so we take a very different approach. Our matchmakers will show you each match's complete profile, including photos, and let you decide who you want to meet. That means no more disappointing blind dates with people you normally wouldn't even look twice at on the street.

Instead, you'll spend just a few minutes choosing interesting singles from a list of matches curated with your specific criteria in mind. You're in control of every step in the process, from how many dates you want to go on to which matches you want to meet. Packages start at $1,595/month with no long-term contracts required.

It all starts with a quick 20-minute phone consultation with one of our matchmakers. Just a quick, low-key discussion to find out if we're the right solution to find your ideal partner. Take the next step today and schedule your complimentary phone consultation!