In the world of online dating, the pandemic has posed some notable health hurdles the past year. That’s why Tinder, the popular dating app, says it’s working with EverlyWell to give away 1,000 COVID-19 at-home test kits to incentivize safe, IRL dating this spring.
Dubbing 2021 and onward as the “flirtiest years of our lives,” Tinder announced this week that it will give 500 matches “the encouragement they need” to connect with a free mail-in COVID-19 test (one for each person).
To get in on this deal, Tinder users can claim a code for the free tests via the mobile app on March 20 (the first day of spring), beginning at 7 p.m. ET.
“The pandemic has created no shortage of dating obstacles, but we think our members are pretty optimistic about getting back out there; January 3rd Swipe activity hit 3.4 billion, which was one of the busiest days of the entire pandemic,” said Nicole Parlapiano, VP of Marketing for North America at Tinder. “We’re excited to be working with EverlyWell to make it easier for our members to go and meet their matches safely.”
According to Tinder, over 40% of their members under 30 have not met a match in person since Oct. 2020, so this incentive was designed to change that.
EverlyWell’s FDA and EUA-approved COVID-19 Test Home Collection Kit DTC costs $109 normally, so that’s a considerable deal (free) to spare Tinder members who may not have access to testing nearby or the interest in making an appointment.
The test includes a lower nasal swap that is “noninvasive for effective self-collection from home,” according to EverlyWell’s website. Once a sample is self-collected, users can ship it to EverlyWell’s lab for secure digital results within 48 hours and receive a telehealth consultation.
While this may be a great way to push reluctant daters to start up a romance as society reopens, it’s fair to point out that COVID-19 testing infrastructure has already made it very easy (and many times free) to get results without mailing in an at-home test.
Unfortunately, unlike competing at-home COVID-19 tests, EverlyWell’s test ships via USPS rather than FedEx or UPS, which can mean an extra 1-3 days of shipping time (according to The Points Guy). And considering how important timing is with romance, getting snail mail involved with a digital app spells a recipe for delays and disappointment. For anyone interested in the offer, be sure to remember the old Bible saying, “Love is patient…”