Fan-to-celebrity messaging app raises money for charities

Red Carpet is a messaging app that will facilitate interactions between celebrities and their fans for good causes.

We have seen a number of online platforms that help musicians and celebrities manage and even monetize

their online interactions with their fans. Now, Red Carpet is an app that will facilitate those interactions for a good cause, by enabling users to message their heroes for a small fee and encouraging the celebrities to donate the money to a charity of their choice.

Users create a profile on Red Carpet and search for their favorite celebrity — the platform will be populated with musicians, actors, sportspeople and more. They can send them a message for a minimum fee of USD 0.99. If the recipient doesn’t reply, the fan can swipe left to retract their message and get their money back. If they reply, the fee is processed and donated to a charity of their choice. Red Carpet keep 20 percent of each transaction.

As well as raising money for good causes, the platform can also help reduce trolling, since people are unlikely to pay just to send negative messages. What’s more, it will help celebrities keep their interactions to a manageable amount while incentivizing the process. Of course, the success of Red Carpet will rely on the startup recruiting enough high-profile clientele.

Could other platforms use a similar “reply or refund” policy?