Tinder Select: $500 a Month for the Top 1% or Desperation Tax?
Tinder recently rolled out a new premium tier called Tinder Select, offered to a limited number of users for $499 per month. The elite service promises increased visibility, priority likes, and the ability to message profiles you haven’t matched with. But user reaction to the controversial new feature has been resoundingly negative.
Many users see Tinder Select as preying on desperation. “So youâre telling me even if I pay $499 I still wonât get matches? đ” commented one Redditor on the r/Tinder subreddit. Others likened it to a “desperation tax” or ploy to attract “sugar daddy” types.
Paying $500 a month just for the chance of more matches was broadly panned as a poor investment. “At what point is Tinder basically a 0 guaranteed pimping service?” asked one user. “For that kind of money youâd be guaranteed something.”
Allowing non-reciprocal messaging was called “creepy as hell” by some. Many noted that contacting users who hadn’t matched would likely have the opposite of the intended effect. “I would be so creeped out getting a message from someone I hadn’t matched with. Especially knowing how much it cost them,” said one Reddit commenter.
While Tinder claims Select is for the top 1% of users, most observed that it seemed better targeted at desperate users willing to pay exorbitant fees. “This screams desperation,” wrote one person on the invitation-only service.
With users already feeling nickeled-and-dimed by existing paid tiers, Tinder Select’s astronomical price point seems unlikely to attract much genuine interest. For now, the premium service is getting roasted – and left-swiped – rather than matching with its intended audience.
What Tinder Select Looks Like
If you are curious curious to see what it looks like when someone with Tinder Select swipes on you.
They stay first in your likes until you swipe on them instead of moving down like normal profiles.
How to Get Tinder Select Invitation
The popular dating app Tinder has rolled out a new premium tier called Tinder Select, offering exclusive features and perks for a select few users – if they can get an invite.
Tinder Select comes with a hefty $499 monthly price tag. For that princely sum, members gain priority access to the profiles of other “highly sought-after” users, the ability to message non-matches twice per week, first dibs on new features, and more.
But entry into this elite circle is by invite only. Tinder says Select is currently only available to less than 1% of its users, handpicked by the company through a mysterious review process. Even after being invited to apply, users must meet Tinder’s “5-point Select Screen” with a completed profile and good standing to be approved.
So how does one get into this exclusive virtual club? Details are scant, but Tinder says invites are going to its “extremely active” users. Gaining notice likely requires an eye-catching profile and consistent engagement over time.
User reaction has been mixed, with some questioning if any dating app membership is worth $500 per month. But for those wanting an edge on Tinder, Select provides a higher tier of visibility – for the right kind of user.
Tinder hopes the new revenue stream will be a moneymaker, forecasting tens of millions in revenue from Select in the coming year. But some economic headwinds may make the service a tougher sell.
For now, Tinder remains tight-lipped about who gets those coveted invitations. For users intent on joining the upper crust of the app, standing out from the crowd may be the only way in.