Dating app Hinge is dishing out £100 gift cards to couples going on their second date.

Research conducted by Hinge shows that singles are keen to get back to in-person dating, with 85 per cent of users being open to going on a second date as soon as lockdown lifts. A third of UK users also say that they only know whether they are compatible with someone after a second or third date.

 The £100 ‘second date stipend’ will be given out on a first-come-first-served basis. Couples must confirm that they went on an in-person date through the We Met functionality on the app within the week 12 – 18 April. Hinge will email them with details about how they can receive a £100 gift card (£50 per person) that can be put towards their second in-person date. The deal will end on 30 April or when a total of £15,000 in gift cards have been awarded.

 Dating apps have seen an unprecedented increase in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Hinge reports that the apps downloads were up 63 per cent in 2020 compared to 2019 and its revenue tripled in 2020.

Therefore, Hinge predicts that 2021 will see a ‘relationship boom’, with 73 per cent of users feeling optimistic that their dating lives will be better than last year. To help with this, Hinge is also launching video prompts from 12 April – a new in-app feature to help users kickstart conversation.