Tinder thinks some people will pay almost $500 a month for more 'efficient ways to find connections' with its 'VIP' plan

• Tinder has unveiled a new subscription option that costs nearly $500 a month.
• The subscription will allow users to access certain features like exclusive messaging services.

Tinder has introduced a new subscription option that costs nearly $500 a month.

Tinder Select is a "VIP" service that's only on offer to about 1% of the dating app's most active users, the company says on its website.

Select will enable users to access exclusive features including "Skip The Line," which allows others to see your profile after you like them even if they don't have a gold or silver membership, and "Direct Message," which lets you send someone a message without having matched them up to twice a week.

Users need to apply for the service and must meet the company's "5-point Select Screen," requiring a verified photo, "show a relationship intent," and have four images, five interests, and a biography.

"We know that there is a subset of highly engaged and active users who prioritize more effective and efficient ways to find connections," said Tinder's chief product officer Mark Van Ryswyk, Bloomberg reported.

"So we engaged in extensive tests and feedback with this audience over the past several months to develop a completely new offering."

Tinder offers three other paid subscription tiers: Tinder+, Tinder Gold, and Tinder Platinum, with prices starting from $24.99 a month, per Bloomberg.

The company was founded in 2012 and is owned by Match.com. The app has been downloaded 340 million times and is available in 190 countries, per its website.