Now that apps are one of the only ways to safely date at a social distance, many have taken the opportunity to gussy themselves up with new features. Tinder’s no different, having made their Passport feature free for a short time, along with rolling out video calls.
But it seems Tinder may also be developing new profit avenues. On r/SwipeHelper, a subreddit dedicated to the inner workings of Tinder and other dating apps, user El_Goat posted about stumbling upon an option to purchase “Tinder Platinum.”
A peek at what seems to be a new Tinder tier.
Image: u/EL_GOAT/Reddit
The user explained that they’d come across the page while signing up for a Tinder account in an incognito Google Chrome tab on desktop. After accidentally denying Tinder access to their location, they saw the platinum choice on the sidebar. Out of curiosity, they tried to purchase it but received an error message. The user then refreshed, this time allowing location access, and the option disappeared. SwipeHelper, a site connected to the subreddit, wrote up the occurrence in a subsequent blog post.
This isn’t the first time users have seen a glimpse of a new revenue venture from the app: In March, some received a pop-up for “Tinder Concierge,” a $20 service that claims that a “team of experts” will help craft an enticing profile.
As of now, however, Tinder only has two paid tiers: Plus and Gold. Plus features include unlimited likes (as opposed to the free 100 per day); rewinding on profiles you may have accidentally disliked; five Super Likes a day; one Boost per month; Passport; and no ads. Gold has all those features, as well as the ability to see who likes you before you swipe, and Tinder’s curated “top picks” for you.
According to the screenshot, Tinder Platinum includes all Gold features plus a few others. One is a feature Gold members are already familiar with: Seeing who already likes you before you swipe. It’s unclear if Tinder will be moving that feature to Platinum only.
The other two alleged features are new: Messaging before matching — being able to attach a message to a Super Like — and prioritized likes, meaning everyone you like will see you before non-Platinum members.
Tinder’s spokesperson didn’t deny Platinum. In a statement to Mashable they said, “As discussed on the Q1 Match Group [Tinder’s parent company] earnings call, Tinder is testing a number of revenue features throughout the second half of 2020.”
Exactly when and in what territories the tier could be rolled out in, though, is not yet known.
Have you seen the Tinder Platinum option, or do you have another dating app story to share? Email anna.iovine@mashable.com.