Renting a friend: the complete guide

What exactly is renting a friend?

“Renting a friend” means booking the company of a person, a BFF, for a set time and a specific activity: having a coffee, walking in a park, visiting a museum, going to the cinema, sharing a meal, having someone with you at an event. The relationship is clear from the start: the BFF is paid by the hour for their presence and conversation, in a strictly friendly and platonic setting. It is not a dating site, not an escort service (forbidden), and not care or therapy: it is company, openly presented as such, with no pretending.

This transparency is exactly what makes it comfortable. Nobody pretends to be your lifelong friend: you have a good time with someone whose role is to be pleasant, available and kind company, a bit like booking a guide for a hike or a coach for a workout.

Where does the idea come from?

Renting a friend has existed outside France for more than a decade. In the United States, platforms such as RentAFriend.com have offered friendly company by the hour since 2009, in many countries. In Japan, companionship agencies have existed for even longer, even providing companions for family ceremonies. In France, the concept is still young: it is an emerging market, and Rent a BFF is betting that it meets a very real need: having company without depending on how available your social circle is.

Why rent a friend? The 5 most common uses

• Breaking loneliness. Newcomers to a city, isolated remote workers, seniors whose loved ones live far away: loneliness affects millions of people in France. Booking a kind presence, with nothing to justify, is often an easier first step than rebuilding a whole social circle. We have a full article on it: renting a friend to ease loneliness.
• Having company at an event. A wedding, a family meal, a work party where “everyone brings someone”: this is a common reason to rent a friend. How it goes, the brief before the big day and a typical budget are explained in bringing a companion to a wedding.
• Sharing an activity. Museum, hiking, concert, restaurant, gym: many activities are simply more enjoyable, or less intimidating, with two. A BFF who shares your interest turns an outing you have been putting off for months into one you actually enjoy.
• Discovering a city. On a business trip or newly settled, a local BFF shows you the neighbourhoods, places and habits that no travel guide mentions.
• Simply talking. Practising a foreign language, rehearsing a job interview, or just having a real face-to-face conversation after weeks of talking through screens.

How it works on Rent a BFF

It takes four steps. First, you browse the verified BFF profiles by city and activity, with the hourly rate shown on each one. Next, you send the BFF a request with the place (always public), the duration and the plan: the clearer the brief, the more natural the meeting. The BFF accepts or declines; once your request is accepted, you pay the 15% booking fee online and pay the BFF's rate directly when you meet. Finally, you enjoy the moment and leave a review. Each step is explained on the how it works page.

How much does it cost?

Each BFF freely sets their hourly rate, starting at €10 per hour, with no upper limit, depending on the city, the activity and their experience. Rent a BFF adds a 15% booking fee, paid by the member: a one-hour walk with a BFF at €20/h therefore comes to €23, of which the €3 fee is paid online and the €20 is paid to the BFF in person. The full price guide, with budget examples for each use, is in our article how much does it cost to rent a friend, and how billing works is explained on the pricing page.

Is it legal?

Yes, under French law. Paying for a person's friendly company is a service like any other, as long as it stays strictly platonic. BFFs are independent providers, responsible for their own legal and tax obligations, and Rent a BFF acts as a platform that puts people in touch. Questions of law, tax and the limits of the concept are covered in detail in is renting a friend legal in France?

Safety: non-negotiable

Meeting someone in person through the internet requires a serious framework. On Rent a BFF, identity verification is mandatory for every BFF (ID document and selfie checked by hand) before their profile is published. On top of that: clear rules accepted at sign-up (18+, platonic charter, escorting forbidden), a report button on every profile, meetings always in a public place, a “Share my meeting” button to let someone close to you know, and bookings recorded on the platform. All our commitments are detailed on the safety & trust page.

What if you were the BFF?

On the other side of the platform, becoming a BFF lets you get paid for being sociable: you set your activities, your availability and your hourly rate, and you freely choose which requests you accept. The steps (profile, identity check, first bookings) are explained on the become a BFF page.