Tinder's Going to Start Charging People and It's Going to Be 4x as Expensive if You're Over 28

Barstool Sports3/02/2015 5:55 PM

BusinessInsider – Tinder’s paid subscription service just launched in the UK, marking a blow for online daters across the country — particularly for people over 28. The dating app’s new (apparently ageist) model came into affect on Monday, the Evening Standard reports. It’s called Tinder Plus and it has a host of new features for paying users. But they come at a price. From today, people over 28 who enjoy swiping to the right to find love, and who want Tinder’s additional functions, will have to pay a premium rate of £14.99 a month. Those under 28, meanwhile, will have to fork out £3.99 per month.

Business Insider first drew online daters’ attention to the news last month. Soon after, as Tinder began testing the changes in Europe, it was evident that the update was viewed ill favourably by some. Many users said the changes ruin everything that made the original version great. Tinder is ridiculously popular. Now, its Plus option introduces things like an “Undo” button, which lets people who have second thoughts over a swipe change their mind. There’s also a “Passport” feature, which allows users to widen their search criteria overseas. Tinder’s plans were first discovered by TechCrunch when it noticed a few hints in an app update.

Tinder’s new model isn’t just about adding, however, but also taking away from those who decide not to pay for subscription privileges. The key tweak is that those who opt out from Plus now have limited swipes. As you flick through would-be matches, the big love heart on the app’s home page drains slowly down — and once empty, you have to wait until it tops up again before you can search for dates/hook-ups once more.

Couple thoughts here:

1) Girls are never, ever gonna pay for Tinder. Basically every dating platform ever always has a bajillion dudes and has to beg girls to join. And if you’re a halfway decent looking girl, I just assume every time you like somebody on Tinder you’re getting a match anyways. So why pay for unlimited likes when you’re already drowning in dong? Seems silly. Who wants a flood of dicks on their hands? No self respecting lady, that’s who. Which brings me to my second, more troubling point:

2) This sucks for average looking dudes. As of right now ladies don’t have to be super choosy with their right swipes. They have likes for days. They can throw a pity right swipe your way if you have a funny bio and don’t have a tumor growing out of your forehead. But soon… soon, unless you’ve got a photoshopped Bieber bulge or you’re diving into a gold swimming pool a la Scrooge McDuck you’re probably screwed.

3) I don’t feel bad at all for people over 28 who are gonna pay for Tinder. First of all, I’d literally pay for sex before I paid for an app. That’s because I’m a principled person. Paying money for apps kind of disgusts me. Hookers… Not so much.

Secondly, that’s just supply and demand, baby. You think some broke ass college kid who’s got co-eds literally down the hall from him is gonna pay $25 a month for Tinder? Nope. That’s because he’s dirt poor and he’s got a trillion different ways to get laid because he’s in college. But if you’re pushing 30, got a nice job, maybe your own cube… Then I guess you might be willing to spend $300 a year for a crack at some strange. That’s Horny MicroEconomics 101 and Tinder is teaching the course.

4) What am I gonna do with this thing now?