One new, important factor for online dating execs to consider is the decision whether to use bitcoins for in-app purchases, which is the subject of a recent Fortune article.
Two years ago, OkCupid began accepting bitcoins for users who wished to upgrade to the $10/month “A-List” account. OkCupid founder and CEO Sam Yagan said, “There’s no question that these digital currencies are going to be the future.”
Another dating site, Badoo, has also jumped onto the bitcoin bandwagon this year. In January, the payment option was only available in Italy, Spain and the UK — but this month, users in 20 additional countries can use bitcoin to pay for premium features.
Other sites, like Zoosk and Neumate, have started using their own internal form of currency. Members on Neumate can send non-members coins to unlock 24 hours of premium content.
Zoosk Coins can be used to purchase features to raise a user’s popularity on the site, unlock new matches, and buy virtual gifts for other members.
When asked why Zoosk didn’t add bitcoin as a payment option, Chief Executive Kelly Steckelberg told Fortune, “I don’t know that bitcoin is at a place yet that makes sense for us, but certainly if it ever got there, we would consider it, absolutely.”
Read the full article here, with more information about Badoo’s bitcoin decision here.