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A trade or barter exchange is a commercial organization that provides a trading platform and bookkeeping system for its members or clients. The member companies buy and sell products and services from each other using an internal currency known as barter or trade dollars. Modern barter and trade has evolved considerably to become an effective method of increasing sales, conserving cash, moving inventory, increasing profits, increasing cash flow and making the best use of excess production capacity for businesses around the world.

Businesses in barter earn trade credits (instead of cash) that are deposited into their account. They then have the ability to purchase products or services that they are currently paying cash for from other members utilizing their trade credits – they are not obligated to purchase from who they sold to, and vice-versa.

The exchange plays an important role because they provide the record-keeping, brokering expertise and monthly statements to each member. Commercial exchanges make money by charging a commission on each transaction either all on the buy side, all on the sell side, or a combination of both. Transaction fees typically run between 8 and 15%.

It is estimated that over 500,000 businesses in the United States were involved in barter exchange activities in 2010. Both offer training and promote high ethical standards among their members. Moreover, each has created its own currency through which its member barter companies can trade.

The first exchange system was the Swiss. It was founded in 1934 as a result of currency shortages after the stock market crash of 1929. "WIR" is both an abbreviation of Wirtschaftsring and the word for "we" in German, reminding participants that the economic circle is also a community.