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Smartphone app Tinder: One of the most popular dating platforms in the world
Photo: Leon Neal/ Getty Images
In the beginning, the world of Tinder was simple: You were shown profiles of other flirt seekers in the dating app and could swipe left or right. And if two members chose the other for the right, it was a so-called match and they could chat with each other.
In the meantime, Tinder has added a lot, such as the distinction between paying and non-paying customers. Some get features like "priority likes" and "super likes", while those who don't want to pay have to deal with a daily like limit, among other things. With Tinder Plus, Tinder Gold and Tinder Platinum, there are already three subscription options for people who want to improve their chances in the app by spending money.
Now there is a fourth subscription offer, by far the most expensive: Tinder Select. In the U.S., $499 per month is charged for this, reports TechCrunch. It is still unclear what the luxury subscription will cost in this country. However, descriptive texts for the feature are already available on German. The company itself advertises the new membership as a "VIP experience" that is provided to less than one percent of all customers. If you are interested in the subscription, you have to apply for it and need a profile with at least five interests and four photos, among other things.
The advantages that the Select subscription is supposed to bring in everyday flirting are clear: Via so-called direct messages, Select customers should be able to write to people with whom they have no match twice a week. In addition, the profiles of such premium payers should always be displayed clearly instead of blurred to other users in the overview of the likes received, regardless of whether they use paid subscriptions. Select profiles should also be preferred in the order of the Like display.
As far as features are concerned, the Select subscription can be booked and used in parallel with other Tinder subscriptions. This is because it does not include "super likes", for example. Users will also be able to deactivate the receipt of unsolicited direct messages.
»See and be seen«
The real highlight for Tinder Select subscribers, however, is likely to be the opportunity to show off their own presumably existing financial strength anyway: Subscribers can attach a Select badge to their profile that signals: I am part of this exclusive multi-payer club. A mode especially for Select customers is apparently also supposed to enable "seeing and being seen" among each other, Tinder does not give exact details on its help page.
Whether people who use the expensive Select badge to search for a sex or relationship partner are really better online is likely to depend on the flirting partner in the end. Just in case, Tinder Select offers subscribers the option to hide the dearly bought badge.
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