Tinder Plus is finally going to be launching on Monday, March 2, according to the usually “sources familiar with the matter” talking to TechCrunch. The upgraded service will cost $9.99 per month and offer a bunch of new features that users have been requesting. Tinder has been testing the Plus version of its app with prices from $0.99 to $19.99 and they seem to have settled on the $9.99 price as one that users will accept and pay for. For $10 a month, Tinder Plus had better offer some great features. What does the upgrade get you for that price, you ask?
Tinder Plus will add a Rewind feature that will let users backtrack if they accidentally swipe left on someone. Now if you swipe someone away, you can get back to them quickly and potentially meet your match. The upgrade also adds a Passport feature that will let users search for possible matches around the world. Currently, users are locked to the area around their location. Tinder Plus will also get rid of ads, which means that the free app is about to become ad-supported. This matches up with a recent report from Re/code. Ads on Tinder could be both highly targeted and very profitable for the company.
Tinder could serve up ads from local restaurants, bars, coffee shops, and other places that people may want to use on dates. Hotels and flowers shops are also potential advertisers for the service. The app already has all of a user’s location data and so the company can solicit local establishments for advertising. The ads that are placed may get higher than normal traction, given the nature of the app and how narrowly services could be targeted. All of this bodes well for Tinder’s future and ad revenues.
If you’re interested in Tinder Plus, keep an eye out for the launch and an announcement on Monday. Mobile World Congress kicks off tomorrow, so the app announcement may get lost in the noise of everything coming from MWC. $10 a month seems steep, but if you’re seriously hunting for a date it may be worth it.
