Hiring in 2026 - is it too much trouble?

[Rudynate]

Has anyone else encountered this?  The process of hiring a provider just becomes more and more complicated.  More and more, I'm encountering guys who insist on cashless, anonymized transactions - e.g.  gift cards or crypto.  They want advance payment in full prior to the appointment.  If you go to their place, there are detailed instructions about that - call on your phone, don't knock or use the doorbell, etc. etc.  There are more and more conditions and stipulations.  The whole thing has become a complicated, joyless business process. 

[MassageCommunityMember]

I have not encountered any of this - is your location a factor?

 

is this for escorts or masseurs?

Edited Thursday at 06:49 PM by MassageCommunityMember

[DenverDad]

And where are you finding these guys - Rent.Men or other sites?

[DMonDude]

I haven't had almost any of these issues either. A small handful of providers asking for partial deposit here and there sure, or even one or two asked for payment up front while in person right before starting the appointment (and they only did this on our first meet but took payment after the session in subsequent meets), but I've never been asked for full upfront payment prior to arriving to the appointment. The other things you've listed definitely are not the norm on RentMen or RentMasseur in my experience.

[mike carey]

8 hours ago, Rudynate said:

Has anyone else encountered this?  The process of hiring a provider just becomes more and more complicated.  More and more, I'm encountering guys who insist on cashless, anonymized transactions - e.g.  gift cards or crypto.  They want advance payment in full prior to the appointment.  If you go to their place, there are detailed instructions about that - call on your phone, don't knock or use the doorbell, etc. etc.  There are more and more conditions and stipulations.  The whole thing has become a complicated, joyless business process. 

That description has more red flags than a May Day parade in Pyongyang.

[Rudynate]

8 hours ago, DenverDad said:

And where are you finding these guys - Rent.Men or other sites?

Mostly A4A.

[Rudynate]

These are almost all A4A hires who contact me. One guy contacted me and I gave a positive response.  He took down his profile and started contacting me privately.  

[NJF]

1 hour ago, Rudynate said:

These are almost all A4A hires who contact me. One guy contacted me and I gave a positive response.  He took down his profile and started contacting me privately.  

A4A is now the home of scammers and crazies. I had stayed away since the covid. 

Edited Friday at 03:32 AM by NJF

[+ Vegas_Millennial]

10 hours ago, Rudynate said:

Has anyone else encountered this?  The process of hiring a provider just becomes more and more complicated.  More and more, I'm encountering guys who insist on cashless, anonymized transactions - e.g.  gift cards or crypto.  They want advance payment in full prior to the appointment.  If you go to their place, there are detailed instructions about that - call on your phone, don't knock or use the doorbell, etc. etc.  There are more and more conditions and stipulations.  The whole thing has become a complicated, joyless business process. 

So far in 2026, I've been averaging one (1) escort hire per week, not including lap dances from strippers and free hookups.  (It's been a slow start to the year.  I spent a few days in the hospital in January; otherwise, my number of partners would be higher.)

Thus far, no one has asked for money up front, asked for anything other than cash, or any other odd requests you mention above.  I've been hiring a 50/50 mix of regulars and new talent. 

The only man who sees me naked that now insists on digital payments beforehand is my doctor.  His clinic no longer accepts cash and requires co-payment up front.  I hold my doctor to the same high standards as my escorts:  No payment up front, and accept cash.  Therefore, I'm in the process of switching doctors.  I probably should look for my new doctor on Rent Men....At least then I know he'll take cash.

Edited Friday at 03:49 AM by Vegas_Millennial

[+ glutes]

10 hours ago, Rudynate said:

Has anyone else encountered this?  The process of hiring a provider just becomes more and more complicated.  More and more, I'm encountering guys who insist on cashless, anonymized transactions - e.g.  gift cards or crypto.  They want advance payment in full prior to the appointment.  If you go to their place, there are detailed instructions about that - call on your phone, don't knock or use the doorbell, etc. etc.  There are more and more conditions and stipulations.  The whole thing has become a complicated, joyless business process. 

Haven't had the crypto or gift card BS, yet.

My difficulties are AI generated pics, and just a lot of attitude. Along with charging $350-400 and hosting in a $98/night hotel.

[+ Pensant]

I’ve never encountered the crypto/gift card remuneration yet either, and wouldn’t proceed under such an arrangement. Cash for newbies and Zelle after a long relationship. As others have mentioned, the quality is noticeably poorer. I believe 2003-2016 was the heyday.

[NJF]

59 minutes ago, Pensant said:

I’ve never encountered the crypto/gift card remuneration yet either, and wouldn’t proceed under such an arrangement. Cash for newbies and Zelle after a long relationship. As others have mentioned, the quality is noticeably poorer. I believe 2003-2016 was the heyday.

Blame the loss of quality on OF, JF etc. The illusion of easy online money makes a generation lazy and entitled.

[Dicastri]

9 hours ago, glutes said:

Haven't had the crypto or gift card BS, yet.

My difficulties are AI generated pics, and just a lot of attitude. Along with charging $350-400 and hosting in a $98/night hotel.

What city are you based in?

[+ glutes]

10 minutes ago, Dicastri said:

What city are you based in?

SF Bay Area.

[Mark_fl]

I haven't had those problems. But I've only really used rentmen, am pretty selective, and am very clear in my profile that I pay cash. And I ask them to read it to ensure we're a good match. 

The ones that reply have generally read it, and I've had no issues. I'll also offer to have a quick chat so they know I'm real.

[+ KensingtonHomo]

My experience is similar to @DMonDude. Occasional asks for a nominal deposit for first timers. I don't have Crypto or gift cards - blah blah blah 

Also never been on A4A

 

Edited Friday at 03:03 PM by KensingtonHomo

[Rayphactor]

I, too, haven't experienced any trouble like the op describes.

[+ Tygerscent]

22 hours ago, Vegas_Millennial said:

So far in 2026, I've been averaging one (1) escort hire per week, not including lap dances from strippers and free hookups.  (It's been a slow start to the year.  I spent a few days in the hospital in January; otherwise, my number of partners would be higher.)

Thus far, no one has asked for money up front, asked for anything other than cash, or any other odd requests you mention above.  I've been hiring a 50/50 mix of regulars and new talent. 

The only man who sees me naked that now insists on digital payments beforehand is my doctor.  His clinic no longer accepts cash and requires co-payment up front.  I hold my doctor to the same high standards as my escorts:  No payment up front, and accept cash.  Therefore, I'm in the process of switching doctors.  I probably should look for my new doctor on Rent Men....At least then I know he'll take cash.

I feel you… Especially with the doctors thing. That paying upfront thing seems to happen in a number of places around the country… I hear about that happening a lot in Florida, Los Angeles, DC, sometimes in New York, I see it in London with some providers, but I don’t really see that in Italy or Spain and really not even in Germany… It seems like the payment upfront thing also comes along with another part of the cafeteria plan where you’re paying for transportation and you’re paying for the time that they’re traveling and you’re paying for the water and time that they’re drinking if water sports or other activities are requested… Sometimes they ask you to pay for parking and the time it takes them to get from the parking lot to your room… maybe they also need a gift of clothing or something else are there is the unspoken agreement that it also means that they may be sleeping at your accommodation while they have other appointments elsewhere~ 

while I do believe in fair wages, charge to be on what is fair can simply be taking advantage and in the end, that’s not good business practice, and even in some respects bad for the industry for the providers because they end up out pricing themselves and then again… not charging what is fair is also bad for the industry and that when providers undervalue themselves, it can influence the hiring community and they expect to pay less but get more. There are providers who will try and run their business by charging well below a professional standard because they think it will get them more work, but inevitably in order to provide the quality service ongoing. They need to keep up with the cost of living in the cost of their overhead to be a provider and still also make a profit.

[+ Tygerscent]

 One of the things I have noticed influencing the ease or dis-ease of hiring is the political climate and the at times over vigilant overwatch of hotels, community groups and law enforcement making hiring precarious and both clients and providers skittish~ 

 it seems also that the demographics and f having a private place to either bring a higher two or for a provider to bring a Client to has changed~ so now, sometimes there is a spouse or family or roommates or business operating hours if it’s in a retail space, those things can come into play. Perhaps part of that is the rising cost of expenses for everybody deterring that independent living situation with situational, ongoing permanent, or short term for/long-term availability and affordability~ 

[astro]

This whole process sounds super sketchy to me — I would never accept it. I’ve never once been asked for advance payment, and honestly, cash is still the most flexible and truly anonymous option. All these extra rules and conditions just kill any fun or spontaneity. Hard pass from me.

[TryItAllTwice]

On 2/27/2026 at 7:35 AM, Pensant said:

I’ve never encountered the crypto/gift card remuneration yet either, and wouldn’t proceed under such an arrangement. Cash for newbies and Zelle after a long relationship. As others have mentioned, the quality is noticeably poorer. I believe 2003-2016 was the heyday.

Usually the gift card thing reminds me of a scam

[JB_Studio38]

On 2/26/2026 at 8:22 PM, Rudynate said:

These are almost all A4A hires who contact me. One guy contacted me and I gave a positive response.  He took down his profile and started contacting me privately.  

I’ve mentioned somewhere before: if the person is contacting you for the service, it’s probably suspect. Not always, especially if you looked at them first. However if you didn’t look at them and they hit you up, it’s a bit SUS. 

On 2/26/2026 at 9:30 PM, NJF said:

A4A is now the home of scammers and crazies. I had stayed away since the covid. 

It’s not much worse on the escort end than RentMen and RentMasseur which is also home of “can I paint a mural of you/be your sugar daddy allowance” scams we get. 
 

On 2/27/2026 at 10:52 PM, astro said:

This whole process sounds super sketchy to me — I would never accept it. I’ve never once been asked for advance payment, and honestly, cash is still the most flexible and truly anonymous option. All these extra rules and conditions just kill any fun or spontaneity. Hard pass from me.

It’s one thing to ask for full advance payment, but a deposit for a nominal amount towards the session is not of the same kind of request.

I will give an example of someone just today, complaining on my phone about my deposit policy which is clearly on my website. I showed him the same thing that I will show here: how he requested a booking, back in December…said he was going to get back and then never replied. Only to hit me up today asking for a same day appointment like…nothing happened (he’s in Grey, I’m in Green):

 

 

So not only was this person not reliable, but the lack of respect of boundaries and dismissive tone: why the fucking hell would I want to meet someone like this? How can he even get an attitude with me, when HE was the one who didn’t follow thru, and then hits me up 2+ months later out the blue, for a SAME DAY BOOKING ON A SUNDAY like nothing happened? These mother fuckers are out of their raggedy ass minds 😆  I would never open my door or get in my car for these non deposit guys. They can go be another escort or masseur’s problem, but I’m not the one ❌

People like that are why I require deposits. $50 for outcall and $100 for me to host. If I have to travel out of city/state or overnight: it’s up to $250 or half the fee. There’s a lot of games on the sites, and it’s not just from other escorts. I’ve been requiring a deposit for years, and I’ve not seen a cause to drop it for any reason. Guys who don’t want to arrange deposits, are not the type of clients I want to see. 
 

Like I said in another thread, my years of experience in the industry is extensive: and anyone saying how other guys don’t ask for deposits, or another guy scammed them: isn't my prerogative. What I do know is, I see no reason to meet an anon stranger off the street who can’t furnish atleast a portion of the season ahead of time. 

Edited 19 hours ago by JB_Studio38

[+ Alabastrine]

I was chatting with my provider today, from the sound of it there's an uptick in scammers on RM posing as clients - enough of an uptick to cause some serious grief. Scammers target clients too, but I wonder if this two-way pollution of the waters with all the scammers has a lot to do with the mutual difficulty of hiring/providing?

Edited 18 hours ago by Alabastrine

[JB_Studio38]

24 minutes ago, Alabastrine said:

I was chatting with my provider today, from the sound of it there's an uptick in scammers on RM posing as clients - enough of an uptick to cause some serious grief. Scammers target clients too, but I wonder if this two-way pollution of the waters with all the scammers has a lot to do with the mutual difficulty of hiring/providing?

The problem is, RentMen and others aren’t doing enough to prevent it. I’ve made suggestions on how they can mitigate it, but nothing has been taken into action. The only options currently, are taking down our number or only allowing the registered clients to view. More should be done though. 
 

I think the scammer thing is a by product of so many content creators trying to get into the game, and also just the general state of scammers infiltrating everything from toll notices to dating profiles. 
 

However some aren’t always scammers, they’re just Timewasters or childish dudes who think playing on an escort’s line and being disrespectful is empowering.

Edited 18 hours ago by JB_Studio38

[+ purplekow]

On 2/26/2026 at 7:43 PM, Vegas_Millennial said:

 

The only man who sees me naked that now insists on digital payments beforehand is my doctor.  His clinic no longer accepts cash and requires co-payment up front.  I hold my doctor to the same high standards as my escorts:  No payment up front, and accept cash.  Therefore, I'm in the process of switching doctors.  I probably should look for my new doctor on Rent Men....At least then I know he'll take cash.

As a retired physician, asking for Copay up front has benefits for the patient and the office.  It smooths the check in  check out activity.  It guarantees that you are not waiting to pay at the end as you might as a restaurant.  It also avoids the discussion at the end of the visit as to what credit card or other payment form the office accepts.

Not to mention, the large number of patients who suddenly discover they forgot their wallet or do not have anything smaller than a 100 dollar bill.  

As opposed to an escort, the doctor is going to see you or give you a refund.  That is not to say that the number of escorts that hit and run is a large one, it is just a larger percentage compared to doctors.  

In my office, if you did not pay the copay up front, you were not seen.  It is a simple courtesy the patient can offer the office to help make their time more efficient and if there are persons who do no like that or will not be conform to that policy, they were welcome to go elsewhere.  When those patients asked to speak to the doctor about this, doubling down as it were,  I would come out to the waiting area and ask if they intended to pay the copay at the end and why was it that they would not pay in the manner established for the office.    If they said yes they would pay after the services, I would say, well this visit is over, or you can pay the copay now.  I have patients to whom I need to attend and I have already spent more time than this should have required.  Thanks for your feedback.   

Some left and never returned but most opted to pay.  How many of those that left would have walked out without payment is unknown but when  I instituted this policy, I had more than 25000 dollars in unpaid copays.  That number went down to about 12000 dollars when I closed the office for good.  It also eliminated patients who felt they were somehow entitled to more than just the medical care.   And this happened in the days of $5 and $10 copays.   The ritzier the zip code, the more likely they were going to flake on the copay on a percent basis.  

 

Edited 17 hours ago by purplekow