Verification of Name and Location

Safety First!

We realize that safety is a number one priority for CouchSurfers - both Surfers and Hosts! At CouchSurfing, we want to do as much as possible to help Hosts and Surfers feel safer and more secure, and to strengthen the CouchSurfing network.

Becoming a verified member is an important step in letting others know that you are serious about safety. When you see the little green lock on a member's profile you know that CouchSurfing has verified the name associated with the credit card or bank account that they used in the verification process. We verify the physical address by sending a verification code by regular mail. In this way, you can feel more comfortable that they are who they say they are.

Benefits of Verification:

• Your profile will come up higher in search results.
  
  
• Members will find you when they check the 'Verified Members Only' box.
  
  
• Potential Hosts are more likely to offer you a couch.
  
  
• Potential Surfers are more likely to surf with you.
  
  
• More verified members creates a much stronger trust network within CouchSurfing.
  
  

We encourage all members to become active CouchSurfers and to use the site for FREE, but offer verification as an additional safety tool.
When you get verified, you let people know that you support the community and are trustworthy, but if you can't afford the verification fee at the moment, there are other ways to let people know that! You can participate in (and even organize!) local meetings and gatherings, get together with other CouchSurfers, and build up a strong profile based on references and vouches. You can fill up your profile with lots of information and pictures to let people know more about you.

To get verified at this time, you will need a credit card or a verified PayPal account (www.paypal.com).