Business Insider
by Rob Price
TransferWise is known for its provocative publicity stunts — particularly those involving nudity.
In January 2015, the Estonian money transfer app sent a dozen nearly naked employees running through London to protest banks’ “unfair exchange rates.” It was at it again in February, leading a 200-strong underwear-only march through Wall Street in New York to celebrate their launch in the US.
Even the founders have had a go: Back in June 2014, Taavet Hinrikus and Kristo Käärmann stripped down to their underpants along with dozens of employees in the City of London to illustrate how, they said, the banks “screw you by charging huge hidden charges.”
But TransferWise is less keen on risqué activities when they’re not helping to promote the company.
Dimo Trifonov is the founder and CEO of 3nder, an alternative dating app. It focuses on polyamory, kink, and alternative sexual preferences, describing itself as a “way to date awesome people around you who are kinky, curious and open-minded.” (It has also been described as “Tinder for threesomes.”) It has 650,000 users — 70,000 of which are in the UK, where Trifonov is based — and handles 3 million messages a month.
However, 3nder’s unconventional audience has caused problems for Trifonov, both in his professional and personal life.
TransferWise refused to let the company open a business account because of the “nature of [his] business,” according to an email seen by Business Insider, with a customer-service representative classifying the dating app as “adult” content, Trifonov says.
And when a landlord discovered what 3nder is, he backed out at the last minute, refusing to rent to Trifonov, the app developer says. He claims the landlord said: “I don’t want this champ in my property” — discriminating against him because of his non-monogomous lifestyle. Cluttons, the estate agents that Trifonov found the property through, did not respond to a request for comment.
Trifonov argues TransferWise is also guilty of “double standards” — presenting itself as progressive while acting just like the banks it seeks to supplant.
TransferWise says that its rejection is down to “the requirements that our payment and banking partners place on us.” In a statement, a company spokesperson said: “Our terms and conditions reflect the requirements that our payment and banking partners place on us, and on that basis we don’t process payments that are connected to adult services. Our Terms of Use make it clear that we reserve the right to refuse users or individual payments at our discretion.” …