Being ghosted is frustrating enough. Getting dressed up, making plans, and then sitting there waiting for someone who never arrives? That’s a whole different level of annoying. One woman in North Carolina apparently decided she’d had enough of people wasting her time, and her response has social media users applauding what many are calling a bold new dating standard.
The moment wasn’t even shared by the woman herself. Instead, her sister, Gab Hearn, posted a clip showing what happened after a man failed to show up for their planned date. The North Carolina short video captures Hearn’s sister laughing and covering her face before the camera shifts to her phone. Displayed on the screen is a Venmo request addressed to someone named Nicholas, and it’s not for splitting dinner or paying someone back for coffee.
It’s a request for $100 with a simple description: “No show fee.” The accompanying text on the video didn’t exactly leave much room for interpretation either. It declared, “My sister charging a Venmo no-show fee to a man who stood her up is the new standard.”
North Carolina Woman Bills Date Who Stood Her Up
As if that wasn’t enough, the caption doubled down on the idea with another playful declaration: “Ladies… this is the future.” Whether the payment request was ever accepted remains unknown, but that didn’t stop the internet from having an absolute field day with the North Carolina woman’s concept.
Plenty of commenters thought the amount wasn’t nearly high enough. One viewer joked, “I think $250 sounds more fair.” Another simply crowned her with the ultimate internet compliment: “She’s iconic.” Others took the idea even further, suggesting dating should come with cancellation policies just like salons or doctors’ offices.
One person wrote, “Hear me out…a booking deposit.” Another couldn’t hide their appreciation for the move, commenting, “This is savage and I’m here for it!” The clip has sparked a surprisingly spirited debate online about modern dating etiquette.
You Go, Girl
While some people see the Venmo request as hilarious satire and a funny way to cope with getting stood up, others argue it sends a message that people’s time actually has value. After all, preparing for a date often means spending money on gas, clothes, makeup, childcare, or simply carving time out of an already busy schedule. Even if the $100 request was never expected to be paid, it certainly made a statement.
And in the era of ghosting, breadcrumbing, and disappearing acts worthy of a magician, plenty of viewers seem more than happy to imagine a future where standing someone up might actually come with a bill attached.
Will Venmo no-show fees become the next dating trend? Probably not. But judging by the reaction online, there are no shortage of people who think the North Carolina woman’s idea is absolutely legendary.
Emma Taylor 
Dylan Cook 
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