When Books Become Store Credit

Some used-book shops let customers trade books for store credit. Credit is an amount a customer can spend at that shop instead of paying with money. It cannot be spent at another store. Here is how one example shop handles a trade. Its sign has the heading “Trade Books for Credit.”

First, a customer brings in books. Workers inspect them, checking each book's condition. Are the pages clean? Is the cover attached? Workers also consider which books their shoppers want. A book may be in good shape, but the shop might already have several copies. Since shelf space is limited, the shop cannot accept every book.

Next, a worker makes an offer for the books the shop can use. The offer may be less than the price the shop will charge when it sells those books. That difference helps pay costs such as rent and wages. If the customer agrees to the offer, the worker records the credit in the customer's account.

Suppose the customer receives six dollars in credit and chooses an eight-dollar book. For this example, prices include any tax. The credit pays for six dollars of the price. Because the book costs two dollars more than the credit available, the customer pays the remaining two dollars with money.

After the purchase, the worker updates the account. The balance, or amount of credit left, is now zero. A receipt lists the book's price, the credit used, and the money paid. On a display, a sample receipt has the caption “How the Credit Was Used.” Keeping a receipt helps the customer check the record later.

The shop then places the accepted books on its shelves for other shoppers. The trade has connected several steps: checking books, agreeing on their value, recording credit, and using it. Customers can find something new to read while passing along books they have finished. The shop gains books it can sell.