Match Group Says New Tinder Platinum Launching This Year

Match Group, parent company of popular dating app Tinder, confirmed to Tech Crunch that the new premium service Tinder Platinum will be launching in Q4 of this year.

Tinder already offers two VIP tiers of service: Plus and Gold. There has been speculation for weeks about Platinum after a UK-based user said an offer popped up for the exclusive service as he was logged in over the web, but he wasn’t able to upgrade.

Match Group disclosed the news over a Q2 call with investors, and said that Platinum will offer “more control, a better experience, and more advantages” than the current top service Tinder Gold. However, Match Group did not share any specifics about features on the call.

Tinder Platinum Screenshots

Image: Reddit user EL_Goat

It seems that the top-tier service will not be like the “concierge” service offered by eHarmony, which is priced at considerably more than the regular service but subscribers get the benefit of an adviser who can help with everything from profile and messaging tips to dating advice (Note: After the 2019 revamp of eHarmony, this service is not offered anymore). Instead, it looks as though Tinder’s new premium service might offer features available through Tinder Gold with a few extra options, according to the company’s website.

For example, Platinum subscribers would be able to message someone they Super Liked before they were matched, and would also get higher visibility on the app – that is, other users would see their profiles first. Platinum subscribers would also get to see who liked them first for instant matching.

Tinder's website notes that Platinum is already being tested in certain markets.

It is also worth noting that in March of this year there was a rumor that Tinder was testing another service called "Tinder Concierge". It was going to cost $20 to schedule a session with a team of experts who will help you create the perfect profile. Since then there has been no further mention of this service so it is highly doubtful that it will come anytime soon.

Tech Crunch points out that Tinder has had to revamp some of their offerings in the wake of COVID and its economic impact, including offering its Passport feature for free. Some users shifted to lower priced subscriptions and there are fewer a la carte purchases, although the app did exceed Q2 revenue goals thanks in part to new in-app video features. Tinder’s subscriber base also grew 18 percent year over year by 128,000 new users.

Tinder does not expect the new Platinum service to be a cash cow like its Gold service, which drove “ARPU” or average revenue per user, according to Tech Crunch.

“Unlike Gold, which was by far the most successful and unique revenue feature we’ve ever launched, [and] which drove meaningful ARPU increases along with almost doubling of subscriber conversion, [Platinum] is not at all expected to be anywhere close to Gold,” said Match Group CEO Shar Dubey on the investor call. “There’s a fair bit of testing still to be done. And our goal is that, if all goes well, we should be able to globally roll this out by the end of the year, later in Q4,” she added.

For more information on this dating service you can read our review of the Tinder app.