Key Takeaways

On a recent episode of the Decoder podcast, Hinge CEO and co-founder Justin McLeod suggested that the dating app may offer an alternative payment system for Hinge users by the end of 2025.

This is brand-new territory for Hinge and for any app on the App Store that has traditionally had to follow the payment system enforced by Apple.  

Hinge having control of its own alternative payment system would “change the equation” on “many fronts,” McLeod said. It would put more money in Hinge’s pockets, allowing the app to invest in itself at a time when transformation and innovation have never been more important. 

Apple Takes a 15% to 30% Commission

For years, apps selling digital products or subscriptions on the App Store — like Hinge and most other dating apps — had to adhere to Apple’s in-app purchase system, which allowed Apple to take a 15% to 30% commission.  

Maybe this was small potatoes back in the 2010s, but with the dating app industry currently in flux, the apps themselves need all the cash flow they can get. With this in mind, Apple’s significant commissions haven’t been welcomed warmly by developers.  

According to McLeod, an alternate payment system “certainly gives us major opportunities to invest in the core product experience at a time when there’s massive disruption.” Bypassing Apple’s commissions could also allow Hinge to lower prices, McLeod suggested. 

Hinge isn’t the only app exploring its own alternative payment system. As anyone in the world of app development knows, these changes to Apple’s purchase system are a long time coming. 

Epic Games’ High Stakes Legal Battle Against Apple

It started in 2020, when Epic Games, maker of Fortnite, knowingly defied Apple by giving consumers a direct payment option that bypassed Apple’s in-app purchase system (and Apple’s sizable commission) entirely. 

This violated Apple’s terms, so the company banned Fortnite from the App Store. Epic Games didn’t plan on going without a fight, so it sued Apple and accused it of “unlawfully maintain[ing] its 100% monopoly over the iOS In-App payment processing market.” 

Epic Games was not alone in its antitrust battle against Apple. In 2020, a Match Group spokesperson acknowledged that Apple is both a partner and “a dominant platform whose actions force the vast majority of consumers to pay more for third-party apps that Apple arbitrarily defines as ‘digital services.’” 

Despite support from other apps, Epic Games’ case was far from a victory. In 2023, the court ruled in Apple’s favor. But there was a silver lining for Epic Games.

The court upheld the ruling that Apple’s restraints have “a substantial anticompetitive effect that harms consumers,” and must allow developers to alert consumers to links that offer alternate payment options outside of the App Store.

Although this ruling didn’t prevent Apple from charging commissions, it did give apps some newfound wiggle room in the App Store’s strict payment policy. 

Apple’s Legal Blunder Opens Door for Hinge

Epic Games got some good news on April 30, 2025, when Apple was back in court. This time, the court ruled that Apple broke a previous order by charging developers a 27% fee on purchases made outside of its apps — not just inside them.

Apple didn’t fare as well this time. The judge found the company in contempt and said it could not charge any fees on purchases made through external links or buttons.

The court’s ruling has opened doors for apps like Hinge, which rely on user subscriptions for a majority of its revenue. Now, the app can bypass Apple’s commission charges by providing an alternative payment system. 

Most dating apps are in the same boat, though McLeod said that the other dating apps under Match Group’s ownership, including Tinder and OkCupid, do not have their own alternative payment systems in the works. 

But over at Hinge, McLeod describes the alternative payment system as “pretty high priority.” And with a potential 30% financial gain with every subscription, it’s easy to see why.