Tinder vows to stop charging older users “substantially more” for premium features after the shady tactic was exposed in a report on price discrimination.
The popular dating service has been charging users aged between 30 and 49 an average of 65.3% more than younger users in almost all countries. It has already been hit with one class action lawsuit over its pricing strategy.
Tinder will stop charging older singles more
Although Tinder is free to use, singles can pay a monthly fee to unlock premium features, including the ability to see who’s liked or viewed their profile, send additional “Super Likes,” and message others before they’ve matched.
How much you pay for those features depends on how old you are, according to a report from Mozilla and Consumers International, which used “mystery shoppers” in six countries to investigate price discrimination.
While younger users pay as little as $4.45 a month, older users are charged as much as $25.95. The investigation found this tactic was employed in five out of the six countries tested, including the U.S., with Brazil the only exception.
For ‘budget constrained’ users
The practice is designed to “make Tinder affordable for those in school or early in their careers,” Tinder said, though it could be argued it takes advantage of others who might be better off financially (and more desperate romantically).
The dating platform scrapped this pricing policy in the U.S. and Australia last year, then followed suit in the U.K. “recently.” It has now vowed to eliminate it “for all of our members in all markets by the end of Q2 this year.”
Via: Engadget
