It sucks when something’s locked behind a paywall. From the New York Times to Disney Plus, there are so many corners of the internet locked away unless you’re willing to splash the cash.
Missing out on cutting-edge journalism is one thing – but what about the love of your life? When it comes to figuring out how Tinder works, the last thing you want is to find your perfect match only to realize you can’t send a message without getting out the credit card!
So you’ve downloaded the app, but before you invest in crafting the perfect Tinder bio you want to know if you can message without splashing the cash.
You’re wondering: can I send a message on Tinder without paying? The answer is yes – messaging someone on Tinder is completely free, so long as you’ve already matched with that user. With free Tinder, if you haven’t matched with someone, you can’t message, but if you’ve matched (i.e. you’ve both swiped right on each other) then you can start the conversation free of charge. Tinder’s paid versions won’t give you any more access to messaging with a match.
But that’s not quite all there is to it. Platinum subscribers can message without matching, meaning that if you do choose to pay for Tinder’s ultimate tier, you have a few more messaging options. For a free user, you’ll have to get matching to get messaging.
Let’s take a deep dive into how to chat on Tinder.
How Do I Message Someone On Tinder?
I don’t care if you’ve got a face that could launch a thousand ships – nobody on Tinder is getting a date through their bio alone. To start hooking up on Tinder, you’re going to need to bust out your best lines.
So you’re wondering, how do I message someone on Tinder? First, you have to match with them – unless you’re a Platinum subscriber who can message without matching. For free users, once you’ve matched, hit the speech bubble icon to see your matches, and select the person you want to chat with. This opens the messaging function, so type out your best line and hit Send!
Let’s lay it out. Here’s how to chat on Tinder:
- First, you have to match, so like someone and hope they like you back!
- Once you’ve matched, navigate through the speech bubble icon in the top right corner of your screen to see your matches.
- Click on the match you want to message.
- Type out your hilarious opener and hit Send!
That’s the bare bones of free chat on Tinder – but it’s going to be down to you to keep the conversation going! My advice? Check your spelling, don’t ask yes/no questions, and craft every message carefully to work towards the main goal – a date. Keep an eye out for my upcoming online dating masterclass for the ultimate guide to turning chatting on Tinder into IRL dating.
Who Can Send Messages On Tinder?
It seems like every dating app these days has a new twist. On Bumble, only the girls can make the first move. With Hinge, you interact with social media-style posts. And with Momdar it’s down to people’s moms to do the messaging and matchmaking.
Okay, I made up Momdar. Can you imagine?!
So who can send messages on Tinder? Well, good news: it’s not just the girls, it’s everyone. Anyone can message anyone else on Tinder, so long as they’ve matched by swiping right on each other. Platinum subscribers can even message without matching.
So unlike Bumble where the ball’s in her court, you can reach out to matches with eye-catching openers.
Do You Have To Pay For Tinder To See Who Likes You?
On Tinder, if there’s a mutual match you’ll be notified and the chat can get started. But you only get a match if you like each other. If you want to see who likes you before you get trigger-happy with your swipes, do you have to cough up?
So do you have to pay for Tinder to see who likes you? With free Tinder, you’ll find out who likes you when you like them back – that’s a match. But to see who likes you before you start swiping? Yep, you have you pay for that. Here’s where Tinder’s paid tiers come in: you can only see who likes you if you pay for Tinder Gold or Platinum. With free Tinder, you only find out if someone likes you if you like them back – and you can always message them for free.
And just like money, likes don’t go on trees. Tinder has never admitted how much they limit your likes, but it could be as few as 25 every 12 hours, so it might make sense to stop yourself from going swipe crazy. That’s one reason to upgrade to Tinder Plus, Gold, or Platinum.
To clarify, it’s always free to message someone you’ve matched with. And you can match for free by swiping away. But if you see a little blurred profile picture of someone who has liked you, you’ll have to pay to see that person.
Don’t panic though – keep on swiping and eventually they’ll come up in your swipe deck. If you like them back, you’ll match anyway.
What Do You Get With Tinder Plus?
These days, most of us have a subscription addiction. From Netflix and Spotify to the Financial Times (weird flex) we are increasingly ready to pay for the services we use. So why not Tinder?
Tinder has created a three-tiered system, offering a little extra to encourage users to splash out. Tinder Plus is the cheapest tier, starting at around $4.99 for a single month. So what do you get with Tinder Plus?
- Unlimited Likes
- See Who Likes You
- Control Your Profile
- Control Who Sees You
- Control Who You See
- Hide Ads
If you’re an avid Tinder addict, then unlimited likes and rewinds will appeal.
What Do You Get With Tinder Gold?
When it comes to big spending, it’s all about Tinder Gold vs Tinder Platinum. Naturally, everything included in Tinder Plus is available, but Tinder Gold members get access to a range of other fancy features. Here’s what you get with Tinder Gold.
- Unlimited Likes
- Unlimited Rewinds
- See who likes you without having to match
- Access to the Passport feature that lets you change your location
- The ability to hide ads
- 5 Super Likes each week (instead of one each month)
- 1 Free Boost every month to bump your profile up
- Control your profile
- Control who sees you
- Control who you see
- More Top Picks
Tinder Gold won’t break the bank, costing around $22.49 for a month for U.S. users, at the time of writing. The price may differ as well, depending on factors like gender and location, and this often makes people ask: is it worth it?
What Do You Get With Tinder Platinum?
Let’s upgrade to first class! Bring on the champagne. Turn the heating on! If you’re used to living the highlife, then you’ve got one question: what do you get with Tinder Platinum?
Tinder Platinum is Tinder’s top-tier subscription, weighing in at around $29.99 for a single month, depending on gender and location. You get everything found in Plus and Gold, plus some game-changing features. Let’s take a look.
- Unlimited Likes
- Unlimited Rewinds
- Control your profile
- Control who sees you
- Control who you see
- Access to the Passport feature that lets you change your location
- The ability to hide ads
- 5 Super Likes each week (instead of one each month)
- 1 Free Boost every month to bump your profile up
- See who likes you without having to match
- More Top Picks
- You can message before you match
- Priority Likes, so your Likes are seen faster
- And you can review the Likes you’ve sent out over the past week
When it comes to messaging, Tinder Platinum is the only tier with a significant change: you can message anyone on the app without matching. If you’ve got a high-level opener game, that could be worth every cent, but if you ask me, I’d say Tinder Gold offers better value – Platinum’s features aren’t worth it for everyone.
Final Thoughts
Dating can be expensive. From the pre-date haircut to the performative tip you drop the waiter at the end of the evening, there are plenty of opportunities to splash the cash. So I get why you might not want to pay for a dating app in the first place.
Fortunately, free Tinder offers a functional platform for you to like, match, message, and meet up. Of course, you can pay for some added bonuses but if money’s as tight as those first-date jeans, then you’ll be fine with the free version.
And if Tinder’s not right for you? My dating app quiz will crunch the numbers and find the app that’s a match made in heaven.
