First there was Tinder+, then Tinder Gold, then Tinder Platinum.

Now there is Tinder SELECT, Tinder’s recently launched subscription tier that charges users $500-a-month.

For the VIPs out there who want to message users prior to matching and their profiles bumped to the front of the like queue, the newest Tinder offering might be for you.

But what does this new subscription tier offer, and is it worth it?

Why Is It Called Tinder SELECT?

Just because you want all the new(ish) features that Tinder SELECT has, doesn’t mean you’ll automatically be asked to join.

To join Tinder SELECT you must apply. But it’s not like everyone who wants to dish out $500-a-month can do so. Tinder will send out application offers to only the most active Tinder users.  

Speaking to the application aspect of Tinder SELECT, chief product officer Mark Van Ryswyk said:

How Can You Apply?

Once Tinder invites you to apply to Tinder SELECT, you have to meet Tinder’s “5-point SELECT Screen” criteria to be accepted.

This means creating a profile with the following:

• Verified profile photo
• Written bio of at least 15 characters
• Five selected interests
• At least four photos
• A chosen relationship goal

After you apply, your profile will be reviewed to ensure it has the aforementioned requirements and that is conforms with Community Guidelines.

NOTE: On Tinder’s website, they are noted as saying that “for now” the membership is invite-only, but that may change in the near future.

What Are Tinder Select Features?

So what can $500-a-month or $6,000-a-year get you with Tinder?

Let’s go through the new features one by one.

Direct Messaging

As it stands, users are required to match prior to sending a message. That’s the case regardless of the type of membership you have – until now.  With Tinder SELECT, twice-a-week you can message someone without having previously matched with them. However, some users can opt out of this feature (which I suspect many women will do).

Skip That Line

Just like at the amusement park, when you’re VIP you get to skip that massive line and walk up right to the front.

While this sounds amazing at first, you’re only being bumped to the front of the Likes You page. Remember that with Tinder Platinum, your profile gets bumped to the front of the swipe queue for women you have liked. Getting pushed to the front of the Likes You queue isn’t as beneficial as popping up first or second on her swipe feed.

SELECT Mode

According to Tinder SELECT Mode allows you to, “see and be seen by Tinder’s most sought after profiles, so you can enjoy more exceptional connections.”

This sounds like a new tab that is a collection of the most widely swapped-right-on users. Instead of swiping for days without finding someone you’re attracted to, Tinder SELECT consolidates them onto one tab.

VIP Experience

For the moment Tinder says it will limit SELECT users to just 1% of all users. That means if you’re asked to join you’ll be part of only a handful (still thousands) of users.

Hide The Badge

You can opt to let the Tinder world know that you”re dishing out $500 for this new membership or you can hide that fact by doing away with the SELECT badge.

Tinder also says that the new membership can only be used via the app and that “you can stack Tinder SELECT memberships with Tinder Plus, Gold, or Platinum to get the most out of your Tinder experience.”

This makes it sound like Tinder SELECT doesn’t come with all the features offered by lesser membership tiers and then some. I’m going to assume this can’t be the case. If it is, Tinder SELECT can in no way justify the hefty price tag.

What Sets Tinder SELECT Apart?

Tinder SELECT has two main selling points.

One is that you can send two direct messages a week to women prior to matching with them. Once of the biggest hurdles on dating apps is getting noticed. That’s especially the case with Tinder where there are 9 males for every 1 female user. Having a thoughtful message pop up when they see your profile could give them the added personality bump they need to see in order to swipe right on your profile.

The second differentiator is SELECT Mode. Many a Tinder user may complain how they can’t find anyone they like on the app. That isn’t the case anymore. SELECT Mode gathers up the most desirable profiles and puts them all in one place. This saves you the hassle of having to swipe through 20 profiles to finally find a user you’re interested in.

Verdict: Not Worth It

That’s up to you, but upon first examination, I wouldn’t bother to pay $50 for this new membership. Of course, Tinder will continue to tweak it’s offering but as it stands the price tag isn’t justified.

Even if Tinder allows you to message prior to matching, these matches don’t guarantee more matches.

For one, users can opt-out (most women may just do so).

Secondly, if you’re sending a crap first message, you aren’t leveraging your advantage. Hey messages will never receive responses.

Its second most vaunted feature, SELECT Mode sounds great at first, but be honest with yourself. Unless you’re a top performer the highly desirable users collected by the SELECT Mode feature won’t reciprocate your right-swipe. They’ll be nothing more than tantalizing eye candy.

Here’s my advice.

First off, optimize your profile so that you’re starting to score some matches.

Once that is happening, consider purchasing a cheaper membership like Premium or Gold.