Tinder Wants You to Call Your Date a Lyft. It's Actually a Good Idea.

I’m often unimpressed by the gimmicky new stunts and features Tinder and other dating apps have begun introducing in an attempt to stand out from their copycat competitors in the increasingly saturated online dating space. A somewhat belated video dating platform, an in-app choose-your-own-adventure series and free mail-in COVID testing are just a few of the ways Tinder has tried to reinvent the wheel in recent years, none of which, in my opinion, represent a significant improvement to the online dating experience. That’s why I was surprised when the dating app released its most recent new feature, a partnership with Lyft that would allow users to call their dates a ride, which is actually a good idea.

Tinder announced the partnership with Lyft and its flagship product back in March, stating that the new feature would allow Tinder users to gift their matches a ride, presumably to a date. The feature has now reportedly landed on the app, allowing users to send their dates a credit that can be used to purchase a ride.

While the question of whether one should call a ride for a date is somewhat disputed, I have personally always been a supporter of the gesture. It’s a kind, classy move that goes just a little above and beyond the usual call of gentlemanly duty. That said, the seemingly kind gesture may raise certain safety concerns, especially on a first date with a stranger. Many people, especially woman, may feel understandably hesitant to give their address — or any pickup address to which they can be traced back — to a stranger. Moreover, if you allow someone else to call a ride for you, you may not know where that car is actually going.

These safety concerns are one of the biggest drawbacks to the otherwise highly advisable first-date ride gesture, one that Tinder’s new Lyft feature has the potential to resolve. The feature does not require either party to exchange addresses or locations. Rather, one party simply sends their date a credit that can be used to purchase a ride to a specified destination. Riders will also have access to Lyft’s emergency safety resources, and generous app users whose Lyft credits go unused will receive a refund.

Overall, it’s a surprisingly useful new dating app feature, one of which I would highly encourage app daters looking to set themselves apart from the competition to take advantage.