Members often have questions about what is allowed as far as "Commercial Use" on Couchsurfing.
Our Policies and Terms of Use state that members should not post content that "contains unsolicited promotions, political campaigning, advertising or solicitations."
Simply put, members may not use Couchsurfing to make a profit or to promote a group, organization, or cause. Commercial use includes:
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Unsolicited advertising of services, products, and goods
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Posting of job offers or volunteer opportunities for one’s business or charity.
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Any commercial content that benefits the content poster (such as club events posted by the party promoter)
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Listing any paid accommodation or requesting "in-kind" donations as a condition for hosting
- Letting members know about a non-profit or another type of organization
- Sending members links to external websites when they did not ask for this information (promoting an external website)
We understand that many things in life have some sort of cost, and it does not mean that members cannot organize events that require money - local weekly meetings are often held in public spaces where people can order food and drinks, and there are some community-oriented events that have an entry fee.
If a member creates an event that involves some sort of payment, that's perfectly acceptable - as long as they (or the company they work for) is not the party making a profit and they are upfront about any costs.
For direct assistance from our safety team, please submit a confidential report and we'll be happy to help.
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