What Are You Paying For With Tinder Plus And The New Tinder Gold?

iOS: Tinder, the swipe-tastic dating app, just launched a new subscription tier called “Tinder Gold” for iOS. But what the heck is it? And how is it different from the already existent Tinder Plus?

Tinder is free for anyone to use, but their premium subscription plans can get a little confusing. Tinder Plus, for example, gives you:

• Rewind: You can undo any swipe you’ve done. Ideally, this feature lets you re-swipe someone you accidentally swiped away forever so there are no missed connections. But really, you’ll probably use this to go the other way as you ask yourself, “What was I thinking?”
• Passport: You can change your location and swipe through people who live in another area. If you travel a lot this could be useful for setting up dates ahead of time. It can also help you lie and convince people you live elsewhere if you’re into the whole “terrible person” scene.
• Unlimited Likes: You can use a lot of “likes” (the heart symbol). Some would say an unlimited amount.
• Extra Super Likes: Five per day. Super Likes are when you swipe somebody up. It lets them know you “super like” them and are desperate for their attention.

The really odd thing about Tinder Plus, though, is the pricing structure. Depending on where you live and how old you are, you pay more or less. If you’re 30 or younger and live in a developing nation, Tinder Plus could cost you as little as $4 a month. But if you’re older and live somewhere more developed, it could cost you $25 a month or more.

Tinder Plus has five different price listings in Tinder’s current top in-app purchases on the iOS App Store, ranging from $4.49 all the way up to $30.99.

Sean Rad, Tinder’s cofounder, explained the controversial pricing plan at 2015’s TechCrunch Disrupt:

Our intent is to provide a discount for our younger users… It’s not about necessarily optimising for the dollars we bring in. It’s about optimising for the number of people we can bring in. If I live in an emerging country or somewhere with an emerging economy, I can’t afford to pay as much as someone who lives in the US. There are some things we have to consider.

OK, so what about the new kid on the block, Tinder Gold? Basically, it’s an additional upgrade to Tinder Plus, adding to your subscription:

• Monthly Boost: This lets you “skip the line” and become one of the most seen profiles in your area for 30 minutes.
• More profile controls: Maybe filter who gets to see your card or something? This isn’t clearly defined.
• Likes You feature: The big draw to Tinder Gold. This feature lets you see who has swiped you right so you can pick and choose from the people who like you.

You get these new features for the additionally fee of $US4.99 ($6) a month, on top of your Tinder Plus subscription. So yeah, Tinder Gold is basically an add-on for anyone who was using Tinder Plus. The Verge reports that Tinder Gold will be available on Android devices this month.