Jul 29, 2019
In this episode, we explore the evolution of the commercial trade exchange industry, which over the past 50 years has proven the workability of credit clearing as a way of doing business without the need for money payment.
Ron Whitney, who has long been at the center of this industry, shares his knowledge and insights about its current challenges, prospects, and opportunities, including a description of the benefits of trade exchange membership and the increasing use of Universal Currency (UC) to enable purchases and sales over an extended trade exchange network.
Ron Whitney is the President and CEO of IRTA, the International Reciprocal Trade Association, which is the premier trade association of, and advocate for, the commercial trade exchange industry. Prior to assuming the leadership of IRTA in 2007, Ron founded and ran his own exchange for 15 years, and during his twelve year tenure as head of IRTA, Ron has managed to build up the association membership from 32 to about 100 today. Ron also has a BA from George Washington University and a JD from the Delaware Law School of Widener University.
Often referred to as “barter exchanges,” the scores of commercial trade exchanges operating around the world today provide their member businesses with a way of trading with each other without the need to use conventional money. They do this by maintaining a ledger of member accounts on which credits from sales offset debits from purchases in a process called “credit clearing.” Together, the scores of trade exchanges operating around the world enable moneyless trades worth several billions of dollars annually.
A wide range of educational resources pertinent to the commercial trade exchange industry, and moneyless exchange generally, can be found at
Ron Whitney can be found online at
This interview with Ron Whitney was recorded July 27, 2019.