An exchange acts as a third party record keeper, providing monthly statements to clients, which reflect all trade purchases, sales and a current trade dollar balance. A credit line, offered by a growing number of barter exchanges, is basically an extension of barter credits, which allow a business to buy essential items from other network members before selling its own goods into the system. Although you'll pay interest on purchases you make with your credit line, you'll be able to pay back interest and principal with bartered goods rather than precious cash. Nationally, over 250,000 businesses are involved in barter. Include on this list are PepsiCo, Inc., Pizza Hut, Casio, General Electric, IBM, Amoco, Caterpillar, 3M, Goodyear, Xerox, Pan-Am, Chrysler, and Hilton.
Office space is a Hot trade.
A recent innovation is bartering goods and services for excess office space. Trading advertising time, hotel rooms, or office equipment, among other goods and services, for tenant subleases on unused space across America. Real estate can bring an awareness to senior management that a merchandise deal might not. It's a hard asset that the corporate controller will be well aware of and trying to figure out how to use. Some barter firms are venturing into entirely different areas.