Tinder is charging young gay and lesbian users and over-30s more for its premium service, an investigation by Which? has found.

The consumer organisation said the discovery suggests possible discrimination and could potentially be a breach of UK law.

Which? asked around 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’.

The investigation revealed that some gay and lesbian users were paying more, with an average premium of over 10 per cent - £6.74 - compared to bisexual users, and more than 8 per cent - £5.28 - compared to heterosexual users.

Which? also 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 – who were paying £46.09.

UK legislation makes it unlawful to charge people of one sexual orientation more than others unless there is a clear justification.

People 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? said that the findings suggests that Tinder has an algorithm that is “opaque and unpredictable,” with the probe discovering quotes for a year’s access to Tinder Plus ranging from £26.09 to £116.99.

“Our research uncovered concerning evidence that people using Tinder could unknowingly be facing higher charges because of their sexual orientation and age,” said Rocio Concha, Which? director of policy and advocacy. “This suggests possible unlawful price discrimination, whether or not it is intentional on Tinder’s part, and potentially unlawful processing of personal data.”

Which? has reported the 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.

In response to the research, Tinder told Which? that older people do have to pay more in some countries, but claimed the price difference was a discount for younger users.

However, Which? says that this had not been made clear to people using the dating app.

"Tinder is free to use and the vast majority of our members enjoy our app without upgrading to the paid experience," a Tinder spokesperson told Which?. "However, we do offer a variety of subscription options to help our members stand out and match with new people more efficiently.

"Tinder operates a global business and, in some geographies, we offer discounted subscriptions to younger members. In addition, we frequently offer promotional rates – which can vary based on factors like location or length of subscription. No other demographic information is considered in our pricing structure.

"It is categorically untrue that our pricing structure discriminates in any way by sexual preference. Any reporting or inference is patently false and outrageous."

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