Get All Access for $5/mo

30 or Older? Sorry, You'll Have to Pay Twice as Much to Use Tinder's New Premium Features. The viral dating app stirs up yet more controversy with its Tinder Plus pricing structure.

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Tindr

Tinder just swiped its way right into hot water.

The makers of the popular dating app yesterday rolled out Tinder Plus, a long anticipated paid version that lets users undo accidental left swipes, set their location to anywhere in the world and avoid ads. Of course, there's one catch: users 30 or older will have to pay twice as much to use the premium service as the under-30 set.

Related: Hinge, the Less Random Tinder, Raises $12 Million

In the U.S., the cost to swipers younger than 30 will be $9.99 a month, while older swipers will have to fork over double, at $19.99 a month. In the U.K., older users are even worse off: swipers older than 28 can subscribe to the service for £14.99 (about $23) a month -- almost four times as much as swipers younger than 28 will shell out for the same thing, reports Bloomberg Business.

The West Hollywood, Calif.-based startup -- owned by dating services industry juggernaut IAC/InterActiveCorp, the company behind OKCupid and Match.com -- justified its controversial age-based premium product pricing tier in a statement to Entrepreneur this morning. Essentially, Tinder says it decided to charge younger users less because, well, those users are strapped for cash. And, hey, it's not the only company charging customers based on their ages.

Related: Here's the Major Obstacle Tinder Still Faces

"Over the past few months, we've tested Tinder Plus extensively in several countries," Tinder spokeswoman Rosette Pambakian said. "We've priced Tinder Plus based on a combination of factors, including what we've learned through our testing, and we've found that these price points were adopted very well by certain age demographics. Lots of products offer differentiated price tiers by age, like Spotify does for students, for example. Tinder is no different; during our testing we've learned, not surprisingly, that younger users are just as excited about Tinder Plus, but are more budget constrained, and need a lower price to pull the trigger."

Tinder's brash push to openly target younger users isn't a love match for older daters, who now have another reason to avoid the heady app, other than left swipes.

Related: Tinder Co-Founder Sean Rad on the Hot Dating App's Viral Success

Kim Lachance Shandrow

Former West Coast Editor

Kim Lachance Shandrow is the former West Coast editor at Entrepreneur.com. Previously, she was a commerce columnist at Los Angeles CityBeat, a news producer at MSNBC and KNBC in Los Angeles and a frequent contributor to the Los Angeles Times. She has also written for Government Technology magazine, LA Yoga magazine, the Lowell Sun newspaper, HealthCentral.com, PsychCentral.com and the former U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. C. Everett Coop. Follow her on Twitter at @Lashandrow. You can also follow her on Facebook here

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Side Hustle

The Side Hustle He Started in His College Apartment Turned Into a $70,000-a-Month Income Stream — Then Earned Nearly $2 Million Last Year

Kyle Morrand and his college roommates loved playing retro video games — and the pastime would help launch his career.

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

Growing a Business

How to Determine The Ideal Length of Your Marketing Emails Your Customers Will Actually Read

Wondering how long your marketing emails should be? Here's what consumers say — so you can send them exactly what they like.

Business News

A Former Corporate Lawyer Now Makes Six Figures on YouTube — Here's How She Does It

Here are the secrets to starting and growing a successful YouTube channel, according to a YouTuber with millions of subscribers.

Business Culture

You'll Always Have Anxious Employees if You Don't Follow These 4 Leadership Tactics

Creating a thriving workplace environment hinges on the commitment of company leaders to nurture and inspire their teams.

Science & Technology

Why We Shouldn't Fear AI in Education (and How to Use It Effectively)

Facing resistance to new technologies in the educational process is nothing new, and AI is no exception. Yet, this powerful tool is set to overcome these challenges and revolutionize education, preparing students and professionals for a future of unparalleled efficiency and personalized learning.