If you’re lonely, desperate, thirsty, have some serious cash to burn or all of the above, Tinder‘s just-announced $499 USD-per-month Tinder Select membership may be exactly what you’re looking for. What do you get for your money? In short, ease of use and exclusivity. Tinder Select members are guaranteed to be seen by more users including the app’s “most sought-after profiles” and are offered a line of direct unsolicited communication as they can DM other users without matching up to twice a week. Tinder says that less that 1% of its users will be “allowed” to join Tinder Select, and Select users can even choose to display their status with an exclusive profile badge.
Tinder’s parent company Match Group alluded to Tinder Select back in August when they stated that they’d launch a high-end product catering to Gen Z users sometime in the fall. This isn’t Match Group’s first foray into the world of “high-end dating,” as it acquired The League, an app that can cost up to $1,000 USD per week, but unlike Tinder Select, employs human matchmakers to support its members. During a Q2 2023 earnings call, Tinder CPO Mark Van Ryswyk said the success of The League indicated that there was a market of daters who were willing to plunk down big bucks for a “quality experience.” Tinder has seen a decline in paying users as of late, with a 4% year-over-year drop and a current paying enrollment of roughly 10.5 million customers across its Plus, Gold and Platinum subscription tiers (all of which can be stacked with Tinder Select).
If a user is interested in applying for Tinder Select, they must have at least four photos, five interests, a bio with at least 15 characters, be photo-verified and show a “relationship intent,” though how, exactly, one would prove their “relationship intent” is unknown.
Elsewhere in the world of tech, Razer has rolled out a $5,000, USD (AKA the same price as 10 months of Tinder Select) Lamborghini-inspired laptop.
