Tinder is charging young gay and lesbian users and people over 30 up to 48 per cent more for its premium service, an investigation has revealed.
Consumer group Which? said its findings suggest possible discrimination and a potential breach of UK law by the popular dating app.
Tinder said it was 'categorically untrue' that its pricing structure discriminates by sexual preference.
It would not explain why people are charged different prices for its Tinder Plus service, rather than just a blanket fee, but did admit that older people have to pay more in some countries.
The dating app claimed that this price difference was 'a discount for younger users', but Which? found that this is not made clear to people using the app.
Which? has reported its findings to the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) and the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) and called on them to investigate whether there has been a breach of UK law.
The EHRC, Britain's equality regulator, said it was looking into the issue and called the findings 'concerning'.
Tinder is charging young gay and lesbian users and people over 30 up to 48 per cent more for its premium service, an investigation has revealed
Which? found that gay and lesbian people in the 18 to 29 age bracket paid £60.15 on average. This was 37 per cent more than heterosexual users aged under 30 (who paid £44.06 on average) and 30 per cent more than bisexual users under 30 (£46.09)
The consumer group asked almost 200 mystery shoppers to create real profiles and make a note of prices quoted for Tinder Plus, a premium package with perks such as unlimited 'Likes' and 'Rewinds' and the ability to undo accidental selections.
The research showed some gay and lesbian users were paying more, with an average premium of more than 10 per cent (£6.74) compared to bisexual users, and more than 8 per cent (£5.28) compared to heterosexual users.
This trend was driven by the youngest age group.
Which? found that gay and lesbian people in the 18 to 29 age bracket paid £60.15 on average.
This was 37 per cent more than heterosexual users aged under 30 (who paid £44.06 on average) and 30 per cent more than bisexual users under 30 (£46.09).
The Equality Act 2010 makes it unlawful to charge people of one sexual orientation more than others unless there is a clear justification for this.
When it came to age, those in the 30-49 age bracket paid 48 per cent more (£24 difference) and over 50s paid 46 per cent more (£23.19 difference) on average, for a 12-month Tinder Plus subscription.
Which? found that the full extent of how personalised pricing is applied is not clear on Tinder's app — with no explanation to customers that their personal data could be exploited in this way.
It is occasionally justifiable under UK law to offer age-based price variations for the same product or service, such as discounts to over-65s or students, where it can be shown there is a legitimate basis for this.
When it came to age, those in the 30-49 age bracket paid 48 per cent more and over 50s paid 46 per cent more on average, for a 12-month Tinder Plus subscription (stock image)
