NEW YORK TIMES - Aug 6 - Like a mobile game, the dating app offers paid features that increase the odds of success. Lots of people are buying. "Tinder's definitely not a game," said Elie Seidman, the company's CEO. "At the core, it's about human connection." Tinder Gold grants users access to a feature called "Likes You". "The structure of those in-app purchases are highly similar to the structure of in-app purchases for games, in that you have those special abilities," said Randy Nelson, the head of mobile insights at Sensor Tower, an analytics firm. ~70 % of Tinder's revenue comes from subscriptions; the other 30% comes from à la carte features, along with a small amount from ads.