Do you have $500 just lying dormant in your bank account every month? If so, Tinder says you can hand it over to them, as the platform has “eased” the dating process at a ludicrous price. The dating app recently introduced a new, ultra-premium VIP membership option that provides unlimited access to the service for a whopping $499 per month (or nearly $6,000 per year).
Look, if I’m going to pay 500 bucks to a dating app, it better deliver my perfect partner to my door like Uber Eats drops off some chicken tenders and fries. That’s my opinion, but don’t let me dissuade you from trying out Tinder’s new “Tinder Select” premium membership! Let’s look at what it offers subscribers and see if it could benefit those looking for love.
VIP, for Me?
However, not everyone qualifies for this special treatment–yet. Tinder made it clear in its initial statement to Bloomberg that “Tinder Select” is now exclusively available to the top 1 percent of the dating platform’s “most active” members, and access to the application process will be granted in phases.
Tinder did not immediately answer Mashable’s request to clarify what constitutes “most active” on the app. According to Tinder’s Chief Product Officer Mark Van Ryswyk, “a subset of highly engaged and active users who prioritize more effective and efficient ways to find connections” exists.
According to the company, the new “Tinder Select” membership is the key to gaining “unrivaled access to the absolute best of Tinder.” Some of the new plan’s features include a “Skip the Line” option that lets people see your profile even if they don’t have a Gold or Platinum subscription and a “DM” function that lets subscribers message users without a mutual match.
The League, an invite-only dating app that aims to connect “ambitious, career-minded singles,” was bought by Tinder’s parent company, Match Group, over a year ago–and that app can cost a user up to $1,000 per week. Its popularity prompted Tinder to launch Tinder Select, but The League goes beyond using algorithms to match members–it uses real human matchmakers, which some say explains the high price tag.
Tinder Select, on the other hand, adds new functionality to Tinder’s three existing options, starting at $24.99 a month.
- With Tinder Select, for instance, users will have their profiles unblurred in the “Likes You” grid regardless of whether or not they pay for a Platinum or Gold membership, and they will also be more visible to Tinder’s “most sought-after” users.
- And twice a week, Tinder Select users can send direct messages to users they haven’t mutually matched with. However, Tinder’s website notes that customers can choose not to receive these communications by opting out. Also, Platinum members can already send messages to persons they like prior to a mutual match, and this service is available for just $29.99 per month.
Who Wants This Membership?
“We know that there is a subset of highly engaged and active users who prioritize more effective and efficient ways to find connections,” according to Van Ryswyk. “So we engaged in extensive tests and feedback with this audience over the past several months to develop a completely new offering.”
To be considered for “Tinder Select,” applicants must pass the company’s “5-point Select Screen.” That means that their dating profile has to have a verified pic, a bio, five interests, four photos, and info about the type of connection they’re seeking. Members who get their applications approved can display a special “Select” badge on their profiles. Members have the option to hide the badge in the same way that X (previously Twitter) users can hide their blue checkmark if they don’t want others to know they’ve upgraded to the premium plan.
It appears that the main attraction of Tinder Select is its relative exclusivity and the possibility of increasing the likelihood of connecting with “the most sought-after” users on the platform.
Like we said in the beginning, if you have $500 to spend–not just once, but every month–and think this VIP plan can help you find the love of your life, go for it! We remain skeptical about the offered “perks” and kinda horrified at the price tag, not to mention the creepy vibes in paying $6000 a year on messaging people who weren’t interested in the first place.
