The Scoop: The 50plus-Club dating site caters to seniors around the world with its quality-driven features and safety measures. It’s free to browse profiles, send limited messages, and post in the discussion boards, and many members have bonded on the site by discovering common interests, experiences, and opinions. So far, 50plus-Club has attracted over 600,000 singles over 45 and helped them find friendship and love online.
About 15 years ago, married couple Sven and Marianna Exter owned and operated a dating site for German singles of all ages. They took pride in giving people an opportunity to meet the love of their life, and they keenly monitored activity on the platform.
As time went by, Sven and Marianna noticed that the majority of members over 50 were more serious about searching for a date. These members searched more proactively than any other age group, and they were more likely to pursue offline relationships.
“Older people have a much firmer sense of identity and very clear expectations when it comes to searching for a partner,” Marianna told us. “They don’t want to waste time on games.”
However, many general dating sites and apps turn dating into a game where singles swipe and match in an endless carousel. Such platforms may appeal to young casual daters, but they often don’t suit the needs of the older dating population. That’s why Marianna and Sven decided to break new ground and create a dating site where singles over 50 could take their time and form real relationships.
In 2005, the couple launched 50plus-Club.com as one of the first senior dating sites for singles in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Three years later, the site expanded into the U.S., Canada, the U.K., and Ireland, and today it’s up and running in 10 countries. The dating site caters exclusively to the over-50 crowd, and it has seen great success as a brand.
“We realized that this age group was clearly lacking the access to places and the opportunity to meet new people,” Marianna said. “That is, it gets much harder to meet new people as we get older. Seniors hardly go bar-hopping and, as many are retired, do not have a chance to meet new potential partners at work.”
Over 600,000 Members Seek Friendships & Relationships
The purpose of 50plus-Club is to inspire deep bonds between singles of a certain age. It doesn’t have to be romantic bonds, either. Over 50% of users say they are looking for a serious relationship, while 25% are looking for friends only and another 25% say they’re open to either dating or friendships.
Users must be at least 45 years old to sign up to 50plus-Club. Marianna said the age restriction helps older folks feel more comfortable browsing and chatting. Everyone is on a level playing field with similar life experiences. The majority of users are between 55 and 65 years old.
Today, 50plus-Club has a membership base of over 600,000 seniors in Europe and North America. These people are serious about finding companionship and improving their lives. Dozens of 50plus-Club members have joined regional groups in major European cities and regularly meet up for wine tastings, festivals, and other events. The 50plus-Club dating site has over 40 of these private groups.
On 50plus-Club, Basic Members can browse profiles, read messages, send smiles, favorite profiles, post in the discussion forums, and communicate with premium members (up to five times a day) — all for free. Only Premium Members have unrestricted access to all features on the site. Subscriptions start at $12.90 per month.
“The registration is free and done in a few seconds,” Marianna said. “We encourage members to post an appealing profile that genuinely showcases their personality and lifestyle with a nice photo. The more information members share, the more attention and messages they receive.”
This senior dating site does not have a matching system or compatibility ratings. Instead, it empowers users to search the database and select viable dates.
Marianna told us that 50plus-Club has become a social hub for many individuals seeking genuine interpersonal connections. Her advice to new members who don’t know where to start is to look for friends first and see where the conversations lead them.
“Don’t worry about meeting Mr. or Mrs. Perfect,” she said. “Simply mingle online, and use the chat and the forums to meet new people. One of your new friends may just turn out to be the partner you’ve been searching for. Many couples have met this way here at 50plus-Club.”
A Family-Owned Business With a Lot of Heart
The 50plus-Club team may be small, but they have a big heart. The majority of team members are over 50 themselves, so they understand the unique interests and needs of their users. The company is based in Munich, Germany, but it supports an international staff hailing from Canada, France, the U.K., Italy, and Cuba.
Sven and Marianna partnered with Emma, a Canadian with a corporate sales background, to get the dating company off the ground. Their passion for the industry sets the tone for the company.
As Marianna said, “50plus-Club is a family-owned business with an amazing and dedicated team and close ties to customers.”
The 50plus-Club team consistently puts the needs of users first. Data protection is a top priority for team members, and the privacy policy clearly lays out the site’s commitment to never share or sell sensitive data to third parties.
“We have never compromised and will never compromise our members’ personal information and security,” Marianna said. “We do everything possible to weed out fake and scammer profiles and inform our customers about fake messages.”
All that hard work has been paying off and gaining recognition across the industry. In 2014, the German Institute for Service Quality named 50plus-Club as the country’s best dating site with the best quality members.
“We, a family-owned company, are still on the market competing with huge corporations,” Marianna said. “We are still one of the leading dating and friendship sites in the German-speaking markets thanks to our amazing international team.”
Mature Singles & Couples Find a Place Where They Belong
Over the decades, 50plus-Club has established a senior dating community that reaches people around the world. Some couples have overcome vast distances or obstacles to be together, and they share their success stories with the team, saying they would not have met without the dating site’s assistance.
“It started with a smile and ended with a proposal,” said Patricia and Bruce. “This is the most awesome feeling to find true love at our age.”
It’s never too late for love on 50plus-Club. Marianna told us she knew of an 82-year-old woman who met an 81-year-old man on the dating site and married him a year later.
A 50plus-Club employee even met her partner on the dating site. She worked on the customer support team, and her 50plus-Club dating profile attracted the attention of a retired police officer. They bonded over a similar taste in music and passion for sailing, and their relationship blossomed from there. Today, they are happily married, and both work for 50plus-Club.
Couples often discover deep connections in private messages and public forums on 50plus-Club. The site is designed to bring people together and help them come out of their shells online. The welcoming atmosphere makes seniors feel comfortable making friends and falling in love. Many 50plus-Club users log in on a regular basis to chat with their close friends on the site.
“We are much more than a dating site,” Marianna told us. “It’s not only about messaging potential dates. You can actually see what other members are really like by reading their forum posts and blog stories on different subjects or chatting with them in the free public chat.”
Even after finding a romantic partner, some couples continue to maintain 50plus-Club memberships because they enjoy having the support and goodwill of a global community of seniors.
50plus-Club Makes Seniors Feel Comfortable Mingling Online
Sven and Marianna have been married for 15 years. They live in Germany with one son and a dog. This couple knows the satisfaction that comes from having a committed partner and friend by your side, and they want to bring that joy to senior singles around the world.
Since its launch, 50plus-Club.com has established itself as a trustworthy dating site for seniors. Its community forums and messaging features give singles the opportunity to get to know one another in a relaxed, low-pressure environment. Countless friendships and relationships have formed as a result of this small team’s dedicated efforts.
“It is our passion to help older singles,” said Marianna. “Every success story proves that you can find love at any age. Every success story confirms that 50plus-Club really works.”