Skip to main content

Trade-In Program

Accept used books from customers in exchange for store credit or cash.

How Trade-Ins Work​

Customer Brings Books​

  1. Customer brings books to your store
  2. Staff evaluates books for condition
  3. System provides pricing guidance
  4. Customer chooses credit or cash
  5. Transaction completes

Value Options​

Offer customers:

  • Store Credit: Higher value (e.g., 50% of selling price)
  • Cash: Lower value (e.g., 25% of selling price)

Processing Trade-Ins​

Starting a Trade-In​

  1. Go to Shop > Trade-Ins
  2. Tap New Trade-In
  3. (Optional) Look up customer account

Adding Books​

For each book:

  1. Scan ISBN
  2. Book info appears
  3. Assess condition
  4. System suggests value
  5. Accept or adjust price
  6. Add to trade-in

Condition Assessment​

ConditionDescriptionTypical Value
Like NewMinimal wear, like new50% of retail
GoodSome wear, fully readable35% of retail
FairNoticeable wear, complete20% of retail
PoorHeavy wear, may have issuesDecline or minimal

Completing Trade-In​

  1. Review all items
  2. Show total to customer
  3. Customer selects: Credit or Cash
  4. If credit: Added to their account
  5. If cash: Pay from drawer
  6. Print receipt

Trade Credit Accounts​

Customer Accounts​

Trade credit is stored in customer accounts:

  • Linked to their BookWish profile
  • Can be used at POS or online
  • Balance visible to staff

Account Lookup​

Find customer accounts:

  • Search by name
  • Search by email
  • Scan membership card (if applicable)

Creating Accounts​

If customer doesn't have account:

  1. Ask for email
  2. Create account during trade-in
  3. Credit automatically applied

BooksRun Integration​

What is BooksRun?​

BooksRun is a used book buyer. Books you can't sell can be flipped to them.

How It Works​

  1. During trade-in, check BooksRun offer
  2. If BooksRun offers more than your store
  3. Mark book for "Flip to BooksRun"
  4. Give customer the BooksRun value
  5. Ship books to BooksRun monthly

Configuration​

Set up BooksRun in Shop > Settings > Integrations:

  • Connect BooksRun account
  • Set flip threshold
  • Configure shipping preferences

Pricing Strategy​

Setting Values​

Configure trade-in values:

  1. Shop > Settings > Trade-Ins
  2. Set percentage by condition
  3. Set credit vs. cash differential

Example Pricing​

ConditionCredit %Cash %
Like New50%30%
Good35%20%
Fair20%10%

Books Not Accepted​

Configure rejection criteria:

  • Damaged beyond use
  • Not in demand
  • Duplicate copies
  • Age/edition limits

Inventory from Trade-Ins​

Adding to Inventory​

Accepted books can be:

  • Added to inventory immediately
  • Held for review
  • Sent to processing area

Pricing Trade-In Inventory​

Options for pricing used books:

  • Automatic based on condition
  • Manual review required
  • Fixed markup from trade value

Reporting​

Trade-In Reports​

Track trade-in activity:

  • Volume of trade-ins
  • Credit vs. cash ratio
  • Average value per trade-in
  • Books accepted vs. rejected

Inventory Source​

See where inventory comes from:

  • Wholesale/distributor
  • Trade-ins
  • Consignment

Best Practices​

Customer Experience​

  • Be transparent about values
  • Explain condition assessments
  • Offer both credit and cash options
  • Make the process quick

Quality Control​

  • Inspect books carefully
  • Check for damage, writing, missing pages
  • Verify editions match listings
  • Watch for water damage

Inventory Management​

  • Don't accept too many duplicates
  • Consider demand before accepting
  • Process trade-ins promptly
  • Keep trade-in area organized