# Bumble payers fall 16.4% as revenue per payer rises, TechRound says

> By DII Financial Intelligence Desk | Edited by Bill Alena | Published: 2026-10-18T21:12:29.354107+00:00 | Section: Financial | Source: https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/bumble-payers-fall-16-4-revenue-per-payer-rises-techround | Publisher: Dating Industry Insights (High Intent Media Inc)

TechRound says Bumble's paying users fell 16.4% to 3.2M in Q2 2026 while ARPPU rose 1.2% to $21.96, as the $1.3B Ithaca Holdings take-private awaits closing.

## Key points

- Bumble's Q2 2026 total paying users fell 16.4% to 3.2 million from 3.8 million, according to the company's second-quarter release.
- Bumble's total ARPPU rose 1.2% to $21.96 from $21.69, while total revenue fell 15.2% to $210.5M from $248.2M.
- Bumble agreed on 13 October 2026 to be acquired by Ithaca Holdings for $1.3B, or $6.05 per Class A share, in cash.
- Match Group's Q2 payers fell 6% to 13.3 million while revenue per payer rose 6% to $21.13, according to Zacks.

## Article

- Bumble's Q2 2026 total paying users fell 16.4% to 3.2 million; total ARPPU rose 1.2% to $21.96.
- Total revenue fell 15.2% to $210.5M from $248.2M, according to Bumble's release.
- Bumble agreed on 13 October to a $1.3B all-cash sale to Ithaca Holdings at $6.05 per Class A share.
- Match Group payers fell 6% in Q2 while revenue per payer rose 6%, per Zacks.

TechRound reported on 16 October that [Bumble](https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/companies/bumble) (BMBL) is losing paying members while earning more from each one who stays. Bumble's Q2 2026 release shows total paying users down 16.4% year on year to 3.2 million, while average revenue per paying user (ARPPU) rose 1.2% to $21.96 from $21.69.

TechRound says the ARPPU rise did not offset the revenue decline. The numbers now sit beneath the all-cash take-private by Ithaca Holdings, agreed on 13 October at about a 138% premium to the 9 October unaffected close.

### The DII Take

ARPPU is the most flattering line in the release, and it is the weakest argument available. A 1.2% gain per payer set against a 16.4% loss of payers is not a pricing story. [Match Group](https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/companies/match-group) (MTCH) shows the same pattern at a gentler slope: payers down 6% to 13.3 million, revenue per payer up 6% to $21.13, according to Zacks. Bumble's payer base is shrinking at nearly three times that rate.

### Bumble App carried the ARPPU gain

The split matters. Bumble App ARPPU was $27.55 against $26.85, while Badoo App and Other slipped to $11.21 from $11.57. Bumble App payers fell to 2,077.1 thousand from 2,499.8 thousand; Badoo App and Other fell to 1,080.1 thousand from 1,277.4 thousand.

Total revenue fell 15.2% to $210.5M from $248.2M in the quarter, according to Bumble's release.

> Total revenue fell 15.2% to $210.5M from $248.2M in the quarter, according to Bumble's release.

The trend is not uniform. Q1 payers fell 21.1% with ARPPU up 8.9% to $22.04, so Q2's payer decline was narrower while the ARPPU gain shrank. TechRound also cautions that the figures cover Bumble and Badoo and members of all ages, so they cannot show whether young people are leaving dating apps.

### What to watch

Bumble will not issue a Q3 earnings release or hold a call, and plans to file its 10-Q by 9 November. That filing may be the last detailed look at payer and ARPPU trends before closing. Benzinga reported a Q4 2026 close subject to regulatory approval; the press release gives no date. Shareholders will receive a Schedule 14C information statement, and a Schedule 13E-3 will be filed. DII has covered the [law firm probes into the price](https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/law-firms-probe-fairness-bumble-6-05-take-private-price). TechRound says Bumble's AI profile guidance and a Canada "Suggest a Date" test are too early to judge.

- Bumble's 1.2% ARPPU rise against a 16.4% payer fall means monetisation per member is not compensating for lost subscribers.
- Bumble's 10-Q, due by 9 November, is the next scheduled source of payer data, since no Q3 call is planned.
- Match Group's 6% payer decline offers a benchmark: Bumble's payer losses are running well ahead of it.

**Sources:** [Bumble Inc. Announces Second Quarter 2026 Results (Bumble Inc. / SEC)](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001830043/000183004326000099/bmbl-ex991prxq22026.htm); [Bumble Inc. to Be Acquired by Ithaca Holdings (Bumble Inc. / SEC)](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001830043/000095010326015480/dp254907_ex9901.htm); [Bumble Inc. first quarter 2026 results (Bumble Inc. / SEC)](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001830043/000183004326000046/bmbl-ex991prxq12026.htm); [Bumble's Losing Users: Are Dating Apps Losing Their Appeal Among Young People? (TechRound)](https://techround.co.uk/business/bumbles-losing-users-are-dating-apps-losing-their-appeal-among-young-people); [Match Group Q2 Earnings & Revenues Miss Estimates (Zacks via Yahoo Finance)](https://finance.yahoo.com/markets/stocks/articles/match-group-q2-earnings-revenues-163100369.html); [Deal Dispatch: Ithaca Holdings Buys Bumble For $1.3B (Benzinga)](https://www.benzinga.com/m-a/26/10/62420293/deal-dispatch-ithaca-holdings-buys-bumble-for-1-3b-the-knot-acquires-zola-character-ai-bankruptcy)

## Key takeaways

- Bumble's 1.2% ARPPU gain against a 16.4% paying-user decline shows higher revenue per payer did not stop total revenue falling 15.2% in Q2 2026.
- Bumble will not hold a Q3 call, so its 10-Q due by 9 November is the next scheduled disclosure of paying-user and ARPPU trends before the Ithaca deal closes.
- Match Group's 6% payer decline sets a benchmark that makes Bumble's 16.4% decline look steeper, though Q2's drop was narrower than Bumble's 21.1% in Q1.

## FAQ

### How many paying users did Bumble lose in Q2 2026?

Bumble's total paying users fell 16.4% to 3.2 million in Q2 2026 from 3.8 million a year earlier, according to its second-quarter release.

### Did Bumble's revenue per paying user rise in Q2 2026?

Yes. Total ARPPU rose 1.2% to $21.96 from $21.69, but total revenue still fell 15.2% to $210.5M.

### What is Ithaca Holdings paying for Bumble?

Ithaca Holdings agreed on 13 October 2026 to buy Bumble in an all-cash deal valuing it at $1.3B, or $6.05 per Class A share. The deal has not closed.

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