A Private Reference is a way to share feedback about a stay directly with the Couchsurfing team, without the other member ever seeing it. It's your space to flag something that didn't sit right, even if it doesn't feel serious enough to report.
Who Can See My Private Reference?
Only the Couchsurfing team. The member you stayed with or hosted will never see it, and it won't appear on anyone's profile.
How Do I Leave a Private Reference?
You'll see a notification in your Activity Center a few hours after the last day of a completed stay. It comes first, before the public Stay Reference, and you'll get a notification when it's time. You can also find it in your Library under your completed stays.
On mobile:
- Tap Library
in the bottom navigation bar
- Under Your Stays or Your Guests, tap the completed stay
- Complete the Private Reference steps
- Continue to the public Stay Reference
On the web:
- Click Library
- Under Your Stays or Your Guests, click the completed stay
- Complete the Private Reference steps
- Continue to the public Stay Reference
Can I Leave a Private Reference Without Also Leaving a Stay Reference?
Yes. You can submit your Private Reference without writing a public Stay Reference. That said, we'd encourage you to leave a Stay Reference too if you can. Other members rely on them when deciding who to stay with or host.
A Couple Things to Know:
- Private References are available during the same 14-day window as Stay References
- They're available after every completed stay, even if you've stayed with or hosted the same member before
- At any point while writing your Private Reference, you'll have the option to report the other member directly if you need to flag more serious concerns
Need more help? Get in touch. You can also reach us anytime through Settings → Contact Support.