Tinder's new paid subscription costs four times as much if you're over 28

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Tinder Plus

TechCrunch

Tinder has changed.

Tinder's paid subscription service just launched in the UK, marking a blow for online daters across the country - particularly for people over 28. The dating app's new (apparently ageist) model came into affect on Monday, the Evening Standard reports. It's called Tinder Plus and it has a host of new features for paying users. But they come at a price.

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From today, people over 28 who enjoy swiping to the right to find love, and who want Tinder's additional functions, will have to pay a premium rate of £14.99 a month. Those under 28, meanwhile, will have to fork out £3.99 per month.

Business Insider first drew online daters' attention to the news last month. Soon after, as Tinder began testing the changes in Europe, it was evident that the update was viewed ill favourably by some. Many users said the changes ruin everything that made the original version great.

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Tinder is ridiculously popular. Now, its Plus option introduces things like an "Undo" button, which lets people who have second thoughts over a swipe change their mind. There's also a "Passport" feature, which allows users to widen their search criteria overseas. Tinder's plans were first discovered by TechCrunch when it noticed a few hints in an app update.

Tinder's new model isn't just about adding, however, but also taking away from those who decide not to pay for subscription privileges. The key tweak is that those who opt out from Plus now have limited swipes. As you flick through would-be matches, the big love heart on the app's home page drains slowly down - and once empty, you have to wait until it tops up again before you can search for dates/hook-ups once more.

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Analyst Morgan Stanley is not a fan of Tinder and says the move will prove unpopular with Tinder's users - largely made up of young people. Morgan Stanley says it does not believe Tinder will have much success monetising its app.

Still, it almost certainly won't mark the end of Tinder. Company CEO Sean Rad told the Standard that the UK is the most active large country (those with a population of more than 25 million) in terms of Tinder users per capita and that daily active users grew 29.8%. Rad adds that "London was on a level I've never seen."