Should you pay the “Verification Fees” in Couchsurfing?

Most of you know about the incredible platform of Couchsurfing. And this post is in the perspective of a surfer (mostly). I have been a very active user of the platform and always suggest fellow travellers to use it for their travel. So far I have been a guest to 15 incredible hosts and few not so incredible ones.

I have unfortunately hosted only once, as I now live outside India, and in a university dorm, where hosting guests is not allowed. Hopefully, I'll have a place of my own soon, and then will try to host as many people as possible. I have also made a lot of friends through the hangouts and meets that are organised through this platform.

Most often, I am asked this question, “is it worth paying the verification cost in Couchsurfing?”.

When I started  indulging in CS, the verification charge used to be for a year. I know that I will not be travelling regularly, especially not solo. And, I never look for a host if I am travelling with someone, as I find that it becomes very hard to connect with your host. So, I decided not to have my account verified by paying 25$. I know, if your account isn't verified, you can't send more than 10 requests a week. For me, this was sufficient. My thinking was, if I don't get confirmation of staying within this limit, I'll probably not get any, no matter how many requests I send. I always choose whom to send stay requests and whom to host with much deliberation.

Also, I don't know how many of you are aware of this, if you host someone, and your account is not verified, CS gives your account a verified status for a certain duration of time.

Enjoying a BBQ with my Hosts and
their friends in a quaint little town of
Baden in Switzerland

I came to know about the lifetime verification payment option in CS sometime around the Christmas holidays of 2018. By this time, I had already stayed with around 8-10 hosts around Europe and was seeing Europe in a way I hadn't ever thought I would. For me  now, it was not a matter of its worth. It was a matter of giving back to this community. 60$ is a very inconsequential amount when you consider what you get for it. A verified account doesn't necessarily improve your chances of finding hosts, or it doesn't necessarily make this community safe. My personal opinion is that references in your profile are much more legitimate than a paid verification. Do not fall for the claim by CS that verification makes finding/giving a stay easier. There is no backing up of this claim by CS. I know a certain host, who only hosts non verified profiles, because for them, this scheme of verification is eroding this platform.

So the question, is it worth paying the verification cost in CS, is very subjective and depends on the people's perspective. Many seasoned members of the community are against the whole verification thing, and for them, the community was much more fun when it was running only under donations. For me, this 60$ was a donation to the community, and based on the future developments, I would be willing to pay more to help it sustain and grow.

So, should you pay the “Verification Fees” in Couchsurfing? Yes and no, depending on how active you are already. Hospitality exchange is all about trust, a network of trust. Just because you're verified DOES NOT automatically mean hosts will all of a sudden open their doors to you.  Most hosts will judge you based on how active you are and whether you have hosted yourself.  The idea of karma and passing it forward are key to CS.  If you have no friends as a newbie, not even being verified helps.  The best course of action is to attend CS meetups in your local city and make friends so your potential hosts know you're not a stranger.  Most hosts trust this type of informal "verification" from your list of friends more than a badge at the top of your profile.

View this post on Instagram

#wierdbutinteresting On the left of the river is the town of Baden and on the right is Ennetbaden. Two cities, divided by just a river. This phenomenon is quite prevalent in Switzerland. You can see 3-4 towns from a hilltop and can barely make any difference between them.

A post shared by Mudit Acharya (@_tidum) on Jul 3, 2019 at 1:51am PDT