Newsroom

As dating costs rise this cuffing season, Gen Z and millennials rewrite the rules on who pays, what counts as effort and whether romance is worth going broke for, or worth it at all.
 

• The Price of Dating: Eighty-four percent of Gen Z and millennial daters say rising costs have affected their dating lives, leading some to date less, choose less expensive or free activities—or stop dating altogether.
• The Cost of Keeping Up: Seventeen percent have gone into debt or asked friends or family for money to date.
• A New Kind of Chemistry: Half of daters say financial compatibility has mattered more than romantic chemistry when deciding whether to continue seeing someone.
• The New Rules of Romance: Thoughtfulness is beating extravagance, but expectations around spending and who pays remain anything but settled.

Key Takeaways:

• Adoption Grows Across Main Street America: Zelle® tag has topped 1 million small businesses enrolled. During the first half of 2026, enrollment averaged approximately 3,500 new small businesses per day.
• Businesses Begin to Put Zelle® tag to Work: Small businesses enrolled with the feature received nearly $5.8 billion during the first half of 2026 across all of their enrolled payment credentials.
• Small Business Activity Tops $200 Billion: More than 8 million enrolled small-business accounts sent or received over $200 billion with Zelle in the first half of 2026.

New research from the Zelle Avoidance Economy Report finds that 76% of Gen Z consumers who have fronted money for a group expense, like a trip or event, say they were not fully repaid, and 55% say it created tension or negatively affected a relationship.