Image: Tinder
Winter’s here, the weather’s cold and rainy. What did you expect Tinder to do? It has needs…
…It needs your money to stay afloat! In the infamous app’s latest scheme to get you to pay for the ability to swipe right on your future excruciatingly awkward first date, Tinder’s offering to let you peek behind the blinds, so that you can see a listing of only people who like you.
The new service, called Tinder Gold, allows you to see all the people who’ve liked your profile before you even start swiping. Upon logging in, you’ll have access to the “Like You” grid, which displays the profiles of all the people who’ve swiped right on you. You’ll then be able to decide if you want to match and message them or simply dismiss them.
There’s currently more than one million people spending money on Tinder premium services, according to the parent company Match Group. Users currently have the opportunity to splurge on Tinder Plus, which allows you to Rewind on accidental swipes, among a couple other features that basically help you to more aggressively spam potential matches with that dank profile photo of you drinking Rosé with a baby cheetah. It costs $13 per month for folks under 30 years old, and $26 per month for everyone else. (All features on Tinder Plus will be available on Tinder Gold.)
And don’t forget Tinder Select, the new members-only version of the app that’s exclusively for elite (rich) people. Not in that club? Us neither.
A Tinder spokesperson told Gizmodo that details for Tinder Gold are still being ironed out, and that pricing still hasn’t been set. Tinder Gold will first roll out in Argentina, Australia, Canada, and Mexico as a beta test. Eventually it will roll out in the US, but there’s no firm launch date.
The transparency of “Likes You” seems somewhat refreshing. Who doesn’t want to cut the crap and get to chatting? Still, it takes part of the thrill and mystery out of the whole swiping scenario. That match you didn’t pay for with the crushing disappointment of a thousand swipes gone wrong just won’t feel as good! The level playing field and spartan simplicity of Tinder’s original formula is much of what made it a hit in the first place. Two people swipe right, and that’s it.
At any rate, before you spend any money Tinder’s services, remember that this cash could easily buy you a drink on your first date. Or the cab ride home when it’s terrible. Or a silent afterwork drink to coax away that cold, crippling loneliness.
[Tinder]