Thinking About Trying Keen? Here's What To Know First, Based On My Experience

I've gone to psychics IRL, had my birth chart mapped, and received tarot readings from the best of 'em—so when online psychic website Keen offered the chance to test out its platform for free, I was happy (and admittedly curious) to give it a shot.

I'd previously covered Keen in our roundup of the best online psychics, where I was impressed by the brand's thorough vetting process for mediums and the sheer amount of positive reviews from users. I know there are a lot of misconceptions about psychics, so I was interested to see how my experience would stack up. Here are my honest thoughts on Keen after spending a $100 credit on the site.

Keen is a website that essentially acts as a platform for psychics to offer their services to people all around the world—and for curious folks (like myself) to access them from the comfort of their own homes.

Launched in 1999, it's one of the very first psychic sites and has tons of positive reviews from happy querents. It's also one of the only psychic websites that vets all of their advisers through identity verification, background checks, content quality review, and skill assessments—which, of course, you love to see.

There are a variety of readings you can get depending on the adviser you choose, and Keen actually has a matching quiz to show you readers who offer what you're looking for. And if you're a skeptic, don't worry—the company will reimburse you for one unsatisfactory experience every 30 days if you report it within 72 hours.

I was impressed to see the number of services you can access on Keen.com. Whether you're looking for a tarot reading, numerology report, future forecast, or spiritual readings, there are categories to help you find the right adviser—plus the aforementioned quiz to help you narrow down your search.

The website itself is also pretty intuitive to start using. The site immediately recommends its best available psychics (based on ratings), with an option to choose either a chat or call reading. You can also sort for advisers who have been with the site for at least 10 years. If those filters don't narrow down the selection enough, additional options allow you to set a minimum star rating or a price range between $1.99 to $9.99 per minute.

Otherwise you can focus specifically on psychic's availability, skill set, or current offers to make your final choice. I found the specialties section the most insightful criteria as a potential user, as it allows you to choose advisers who specialize in areas such as career, love, prosperity, past lives, and infidelity. Just be warned that some criteria will drastically reduce the number of psychics available.

For my first reading, I opted for a text chat, as opposed to a call. (No option for video calls, BTW.) The quiz had matched me with a few readers, including one who is a self-reported clairvoyant and empath. She told me that my life themes were "caretaker, adventurer, and nurturer" and that communication is the biggest key within my career. As a writer, I couldn't help but agree.

But after roughly seven minutes of back-and-forth text, I realized at $4/minute, I was quickly racking up a bill. So for my next reading, I opted for a phone call.

The reader I chose second was a self-reported intuitive and third-generation psychic. Over a call, she told me that I had been putting others first too much and that I was entering a time of healing and focusing on myself. To be honest, I think a lot of people would resonate with that—but it did, indeed, track with how I've been feeling lately, so I'll give it to her.

She also asked for my date of birth, so I believe she was using something like numerology or astrology to base her reading on, though I didn't ask her how she was coming to these conclusions. (And if that sounds sketchy, you'll be happy to know everything about you as a querent is anonymous, including your name.)

This reader had a lower rate per minute than the first reader, plus a lot more can be covered when you're talking instead of typing, so take that into account. Still, I kept my eye on the time because I was working with a fixed trial amount. She ended up giving me three free minutes for a future reading, which I appreciated but I couldn't help but feel was a low-key ploy to get me to spend more with her.

My third reading was another call with a reader who is self-reportedly clairaudient and clairsentient. She was probably my favorite of the three because she got the most specific. For one thing, she told me I was going to write a book, and I feel like you couldn't say that to just anyone—but writing a book happens to already be a life goal of mine.

This reader was the most expensive of the three, at $5/minute, and suddenly our relatively short call was a $50 expense.

The fact that the readings racked up a bill so fast definitely took me by surprise, but there is the option to filter your search based on price. If you're on a budget, you can choose more affordable readers and keep the calls as short as you want.

To that end, my biggest tip when using Keen is to avoid wasting your time, as those minutes add up, especially via chat. And further, if you start a reading with someone and don't get a great vibe, don't stay on the call or chat because you feel weird about abruptly ending it. Just save your money—point blank.

Another thing to keep in mind is that there are literally hundreds of psychics on this website, so take your time looking through your options and the reviews people have left. It may take some trial and error, but finding a reader who you feel is viable and accurate will make the experience much more rewarding.

Lastly, it's always a good idea to go into the reading knowing what you want to ask about. One, for the sake of time—but also two, so you can find the answers you're looking for, as opposed to a bunch of irrelevant information.

Ultimately, I do recommend this website if you're curious to get a reading but can't emphasize enough how quickly the minutes add up.

Keen is a great option if you're interested in getting a psychic reading. Whether you've never been to a psychic before or you've been to dozens, it offers a very user-friendly service with plenty of psychics to choose from, so there really is something for everyone. Just remember to keep an eye on the time.