California residents who paid higher prices for Tinder Plus or Tinder Gold because of their age may be eligible for a payout from a $60.5 million Tinder age discrimination settlement.
If you subscribed to Tinder Plus or Tinder Gold as a California resident over the age of 28 or 29, you were likely charged more than younger users for the exact same service. A class action lawsuit challenged that practice under California’s Unruh Civil Rights Act, and Tinder – a popular dating application owned by Match Group – agreed to a $60,500,000 settlement to resolve the claims.
Tinder denies any wrongdoing but chose to settle rather than face a lengthy trial. For the roughly 268,000 California users in the class, that means real money is available – and many eligible members have already been identified and will receive automatic payments without filing a single form.
Who can file a claim?
To be eligible for the Tinder age discrimination settlement, individuals must meet the following criteria:
- They are a California resident.
- They purchased Tinder Plus or Tinder Gold at any time on or after March 2, 2015 when they were over the age of 29, OR at any time on or after March 2, 2016 when they were over the age of 28.
- They have not previously excluded themselves from the class.
Deadline: August 18, 2026. If you are not automatically identified, you must complete the verification form to establish your eligibility before the deadline.
Check Your EligibilityHow much can class members receive?
The $60.5 million net settlement fund is split into two pools with different distribution methods:
- Unruh Civil Rights Act pool (70% of net fund): Distributed as pro-rata equal shares to all class members. Every eligible person receives the same amount from this pool regardless of how much they spent on Tinder subscriptions.
- Unfair Competition Law pool (30% of net fund): Distributed based on each class member’s individual spending ratio – the more you paid for Tinder Plus or Tinder Gold, the larger your share of this pool.
- Identified class members: Payment is automatic. No claim form is required – just select your preferred payment method by August 18, 2026.
- Unidentified class members: You must complete the online verification form to establish your eligibility before August 18, 2026.
The exact per-person payout depends on the total number of valid claims submitted and the amount each person spent. Estimates suggest payments could reach hundreds of dollars per person for higher-spending subscribers.
How to claim an age discrimination payment
Class members who have been identified will receive a direct notice with instructions to select a payment method at the payment selection page. Class members who were not automatically identified must complete the verification form at tindercalclassaction.com before the claim deadline of August 18, 2026.
Candelore v. Tinder Inc., P.O. Box 301172, Los Angeles, CA 90030-1172
Phone: 888-808-8994
What proof or documentation is necessary to submit a claim?
- Identified class members do not need to provide any documentation – payment is automatic once you select your payout method.
- Unidentified class members must complete the online verification form and provide information sufficient to confirm their eligibility, including their identity and that they purchased a qualifying subscription as a California resident over the age threshold.
- All claimants who wish to exclude themselves from the settlement must submit a written exclusion request postmarked by April 8, 2026.
Payout options
- Electronic payment (selected via the online payment portal)
- Physical check (for those who request it through the administrator)
Settlement fund breakdown
The $60,500,000 settlement fund covers:
When is the Tinder settlement payout date?
The fairness hearing is scheduled for May 20, 2026. After the court grants final approval and any appeals are resolved, the settlement administrator – VeritaConnect – will begin processing payments.
No specific payout date has been announced, which is standard at this stage. Payments will not be issued before final court approval. The claim deadline of August 18, 2026 gives all eligible class members time to file or confirm their payment method before distributions are calculated.
Why did this class action settlement happen?
The lawsuit alleged that Tinder violated California’s Unruh Civil Rights Act by charging users over the age of 28 and 29 significantly more for Tinder Plus and Tinder Gold subscriptions than it charged younger users for the identical service. The age-tiered pricing went into effect on March 2, 2015 for users over 29, and expanded on March 2, 2016 to include users over 28.
Plaintiff Allan Candelore filed suit in the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles, arguing that charging older adults more for the same subscription purely based on age constituted unlawful discrimination under California civil rights law. The case number is BC583162 and it was filed as a class action on behalf of approximately 268,000 affected California users.
Tinder denies any wrongdoing but agreed to settle to avoid the expense and uncertainty of continued litigation.
Is the Tinder age discrimination settlement legitimate?
Yes – this is a fully court-supervised settlement. Here is what confirms it:
- Case number: BC583162, filed in the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles
- Preliminary approval: Granted January 13, 2026
- Administrator: VeritaConnect, an independent third-party settlement administrator
- Official site: tindercalclassaction.com
- Fairness hearing: Scheduled May 20, 2026 – the court will review the settlement for fairness before final approval
The settlement has already passed the preliminary approval stage, meaning a California Superior Court judge has reviewed the agreement and found it sufficient to notify class members and proceed. No payments will be issued until after final approval at the May 20, 2026 hearing. Denying wrongdoing while settling is standard corporate practice and has no effect on your right to receive a payment.
How much will I actually receive from the Tinder settlement?
It depends on two things: how much you spent on Tinder subscriptions and how many people file claims. After attorneys’ fees and administration costs are deducted from the $60.5 million fund, the remainder is split between the two distribution pools.
- Equal share (70% pool): Every eligible class member receives the same base amount from this allocation regardless of spending. The more people who file, the smaller each individual share.
- Spending-based share (30% pool): Your payout from this portion scales with how much you paid for Tinder Plus or Gold during the class period. Higher-spending subscribers receive proportionally more.
- Combined estimate: With roughly 268,000 class members, individual payouts could range from modest amounts for brief subscribers to several hundred dollars for long-term, higher-tier subscribers.
Because this is a pro-rata distribution, the fewer people who file, the more each claimant receives. Filing is free and takes only a few minutes – identified members simply select a payment method online.
What actually happened in the Tinder age-based pricing discrimination?
Tinder introduced tiered pricing for its Tinder Plus subscription in March 2015, charging users a lower monthly rate if they were under 30 and a higher rate if they were 30 or older. The gap was substantial – older users were sometimes charged two to three times as much as younger users for the same features.
Tinder’s stated rationale: The company publicly justified the pricing by citing research suggesting younger users were more budget-sensitive and that age-based pricing reflected market realities. Tinder Plus included features like unlimited swipes, passport access, and rewinds – features charged at the same price regardless of age in other markets.
The legal problem: California’s Unruh Civil Rights Act prohibits businesses from discriminating against customers based on age, among other protected characteristics. Unlike federal law, which generally focuses on employment discrimination, the Unruh Act applies broadly to all business establishments serving the public in California – including app-based subscription services.
The outcome: After years of litigation, Tinder agreed to a $60,500,000 settlement. The settlement covers California residents who were over 28 or 29 when they purchased Tinder Plus or Tinder Gold at any point from March 2015 onward.
Why do companies settle age discrimination lawsuits even when they deny wrongdoing?
Settlement does not mean admission of guilt. Companies settle discrimination cases for practical reasons that have nothing to do with whether they believe they acted lawfully:
- Litigation costs are enormous – a multi-year class action involves millions in legal fees, expert witnesses, and management distraction regardless of outcome.
- Trial verdicts are unpredictable – a jury or judge could award damages far exceeding the settlement amount, including punitive damages under the Unruh Civil Rights Act.
- Reputational exposure compounds over time – prolonged public litigation about discriminatory pricing creates sustained negative press for a consumer-facing brand.
- Certainty has business value – settling for a defined, budgeted amount removes years of financial uncertainty from the company’s books.
- Plaintiffs benefit too – a guaranteed payout is often preferable to years of litigation with an uncertain outcome at trial.
California courts still review every class action settlement to confirm it is fair, reasonable, and adequate for the class – that is the purpose of the May 20, 2026 fairness hearing. A company’s denial of wrongdoing is a standard part of any settlement agreement and has no bearing on your right to file a claim and receive payment.