Hinge’s parent company, Match Group, is introducing a so-called “motivated dater feature” for users looking to find true love. The app, first founded in 2011, has had a significant uptick in the number of people using the dating platform, primarily among Gen Z users, Bloomberg reported.
The app will continue to be free for regular tiered users, but those who are striving to invest in love can subscribe to the new tier which could be priced up to $US60 ($83) a month, nearly double the $35 users pay for the current paid version.
Match first introduced the new subscription option in its quarter three earnings discussion in November of last year and equated it to Tinder’s top-tier Platinum subscription. The company suggested the new option would drive its revenue “meaningfully higher,” TechCrunch reported.
People familiar with the matter at Hinge said in an email to Gizmodo that Bloomberg’s reports about the tiered subscription are accurate, and according to the outlet, it will be rolled out within the first quarter of this year.
Subscribers who upgrade to the new tier will essentially move to the front of the line for profiles they like and will be seen faster by those users. They will also receive more accurate recommendations for other profiles that Hinge thinks would make a good match.
Match has likewise begun testing a version of Hinge’s new subscription tier on its other dating app, Tinder. However, the advanced subscription would cost about $US500 ($694) per month and will include a waitlist to allow other users to join if the version is made available to the general public.
The company will offer the test to Tinder users who have a “high propensity to pay,” Bloomberg reported, adding that Match is anticipating the tier to reel in $US100 ($139) million in revenue this year.
Although Tinder generates the majority of Match’s revenue, the company said Hinge was a “bright spot” in the past quarter as it became the third most popular app downloaded in the U.S., TechCrunch reported.
The rollout for Hinge’s tiered subscription comes as the app has expanded to international markets including Italy, France, and Germany, resulting in a revenue increase of 42% amounting to approximately $US285 ($396) million last year.
According to Bloomberg, Match’s Chief Executive Officer Bernard Kim said on a third-quarter earnings call that the company has plans to continuously expand to other countries and “new markets,” adding that it “should drive growth for Hinge over the next few years.”