BCI purchases can be made in three different ways: BCI trade draft, BCI scrip or gift certificate, or signing an invoice from the seller. Occasionally, it is okay to call in the transaction to a BCI Trade Broker or the accounting office. BCI’s vendors choose exactly how they would like to get paid. Most accept all three forms of payment.

When becoming a member, you will be issued BCI checks that you can use, just like a regular bank check, at BCI establishments. BCI restaurants often issue vouchers/scrip in denominations of $20 to $100. Vouchers or “scrip”, or BCI gift certificates, can be purchased with your BCI account through the BCI office and mailed to you, with your UPS or FED EX number. BCI is not responsible for any gift certificates, scrip, or tickets of any kind that may be lost in the mail.

Service oriented companies typically will accept a BCI trade draft, or you may sign an invoice with your name and account name and number.

By law, taxes must be paid on barter income. On retail barter sales, we recommend you collect the tax at the time of purchase, in cash—just the same as you would for any other sale.

BCI’s monthly accounting statement keeps track of your year-to-date totals for purchases and sales. The IRS considers barter sales as income, exactly the same as cash. Trading should be considered a marketing tool, rather than a tax tool. BCI provides your company with a 1099B at the end of the year for all of the sales you have transacted on our network. Cash purchases that are normally tax deductible as business expenses are also tax deductible when purchased with barter dollars.

BCI members receive a detailed accounting statement each month. As you can see on the sample statement below, you get a full accounting of BCI sales, purchases, fees, balances, credit line, year to date total.

We constantly remind our members to tip a minimum of 18% in cash at restaurants where they use their BCI barter dollars. Restaurants are the MOST USED of all of our categories through BCI, and it is imperative to treat them with respect and keep them happy.

BCI restaurants do have the option of adding an 18% cash tip onto your check when the bill is paid. Taxes are also paid in cash

Cash tips are generally expected for therapeutic massages, hair styling, and other services, bought with BCI dollars, which normally incorporate tipping in the cash world.

While 80 percent of our client will typically take your barter business at any time, there may be seasonal and other considerations that require you to closely regulate the amount of barter business you do. You are always free to tell a BCI client that is inquiring about your service that you are not currently taking BCI business and that you will call them back when you are. If you do accept a BCI member’s barter, you are expected to treat the sale with the same professionalism and fair pricing as a cash client.

BCI management can also regulate your account directly through one of our staff brokers. This is called A BROKER MANAGED ACCOUNT. BCI members will not call you directly. Your account will be managed through the BCI office, in conjunction with you.

We guarantee to improve your lifestyle and save your cash….or we will refund the $395 signup fee! To pay for all the benefits we bring to your doorstep we charge a 6% cash fee on your sales and 6% cash fee on your purchases. There is also a monthly maintenance fee of $15 in cash, and $15 in barter dollars. That’s it! The cash fees are charged automatically to your credit card or debited from your checking account. That way you don’t have to worry about mailing checks, etc.