This posting has been motivated by the difficulty I have had in receiving the referral bonus for referring a host to the platform. I've been going back and forth with the Airbnb support team and the conversations have not been clear. This bonus is intended to incentivize hosts to recommend their family and friends to utilize the platform and, hopefully, deliver a great experience to guests. This program is a great way to motivate current hosts to reach out to their friends and family to host and promote the platform. However, under the current terms and conditions, I believe it is strongly biased towards Airbnb's benefit.
The terms and conditions listed on Airbnb to qualify for the referral program introduces many pitfalls and caveats for Airbnb to disqualify the current host from a referral bonus. For example, a host who connects 3rd party software (i.e. pricing tools) to their listing disqualifies the referring host from receiving this incentive. Whilst, Airbnb gains a new host who has the potential to increase their revenue and platform. Hosting can be quite competitive, so to persuade our friends and family to risk their property on this platform, hosts need to minimize the outlook of risk for our skeptical peers. By informing potential hosts of certain 3rd party tools that integrate seamlessly into Airbnb's platform, we do the heavy lifting of turning a skeptic into an enthusiast who believes in Airbnb's mission.
Overall, I am happy that Airbnb offers referral bonuses to hosts who advocate for their platform. But I am disappointed with the policy that constitutes what is a proper referral. To foster a community of hosts who care about delivering a warm and personalized stay, I believe Airbnb should provide the same hospitality to hosts to participate on their platform.
