Bumble set to launch Plans, paid IRL date feature

Dating app Bumble is apparently launching a paid group-date feature soon, Business Insider reported.

The feature, called Plans, will launch in New York and require users to pay a flat fee to RSVP to an IRL “Plan” — a small IRL gathering. Bumble users can also invite a plus-one, who will also have to pay the fee, according to Business Insider.

After users attend, they’ll be asked if they liked any other participants, and then they can match from there.

Business Insider also noted a new Instagram account, @plansbybumble, which is currently private.

The news comes weeks after Bumble founder and CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd announced that Bumble is killing the swipe feature and promising a new experience. In recent earnings calls, Wolfe Herd has discussed a new AI-powered Bumble akin to an assistant and matchmaker — which led to backlash from users online.

While the app is becoming more AI-forward, the company is also investing more in IRL events. It’s hosting several meetups in New York City this summer, for example. Plans also isn’t the app’s first foray into helping users make the leap from screen to scene. In 2017, the app launched an IRL hub called The Hive, and it hosted other singles events in 2022.

Bumble’s revenue and paying users are down year over year, according to its latest earnings report, so it’s no surprise it’s trying multiple tactics to try to win users back.

Recently, Tinder launched a similar Double Date Mode that lets users invite friends to group dates. (Though that doesn’t cost extra.) It’s also adding more AI features, including its own AI matchmaker, Chemistry. Tinder has also had some financial losses recently, but its latest earnings report indicated that the decline may be slowing.

Mashable has reached out to Bumble for comment.