Match.com hides Super Likes fees, new class action lawsuit claims

New York resident Joseph Caetano filed a class action lawsuit against Match.com LLC on June 30, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, alleging the dating platform promotes its "Highlights" feature without disclosing that contacting the featured profiles can require paid "Super Likes".

Highlights and Super Likes

Caetano says he signed up for Match's platinum tier in June 2026 and paid $89.70, expecting the subscription would let him contact any other member at no extra cost. Only after subscribing did he learn that reaching the profiles shown as Highlights required Super Likes, the lawsuit claims.

Match describes Highlights as a daily selection of people it thinks a subscriber will find most compatible. Its home page reportedly tells members that once they see someone they like, "all you have to do is send a Super Like." The class action alleges Match never explains that a Super Like can cost extra.

Match allegedly did not disclose additional costs

A visitor can move from Match's Highlights promotion to its sign-up form without passing any page that mentions the added cost, the complaint says. It also cites other Match pages that advertise "unlimited messaging with your matches" and tell premium members they can "explore unlimited profiles," language the lawsuit alleges reinforces the impression that a subscription buys full access.

The class action also claims highlighted profiles do not appear on Match's ordinary Discover page. That leaves paid Super Likes as the only way to reach them.

Plaintiff questions profiles' legitimacy

Caetano raises a separate question about whether some Highlights sent through email could involve fake accounts. He points to a 2019 Federal Trade Commission complaint that alleges Match’s parent company uses fake love-interest advertisements to encourage paid subscriptions.

Based on that earlier case, Caetano says he believes some emailed Highlights could use fake profiles to encourage Super Like purchases. The lawsuit names no specific fake profile and concedes proof would need to come out in discovery.

The legal claims

The lawsuit brings four claims, two under New York consumer protection law and two based on common-law legal theories:

  • New York General Business Law Section 349, which prohibits deceptive acts and business practices
  • New York General Business Law Section 350, which prohibits false advertising and allows plaintiffs to seek actual damages or $500 per violation, whichever is greater
  • Breach of contract, which claims Match failed to provide the access subscribers reasonably expected based on its marketing
  • Unjust enrichment, which claims Match unfairly kept subscription and Super Like payments tied to the disputed marketing

Caetano seeks damages, restitution, attorneys’ fees and other relief. The complaint places more than $5 million in dispute.

What this means for Match subscribers

Caetano asks the court to certify a nationwide class covering everyone in the United States who paid for a Match subscription from June 2023 through the present plus a New York subclass for subscribers over the same period.

Filing the lawsuit does not create a settlement, claims process or payout. The court has not certified any class.