National Association of Trade Exchanges

What National Association of Trade Exchanges does

The National Association of Trade Exchanges (NATE) is a US-based non-profit 501(c)(6) trade association founded in 1984 that serves independent barter exchange operators across North America. Its stated mission is to promote, educate, and train member exchanges in the barter industry while upholding ethics and federal compliance standards. NATE offers annual membership at $495 covering voting, non-voting, and associate tiers, and operates the BANC (Barter Association National Currency) system — a common trade currency that lets member exchanges trade nationally without arranging direct reciprocal accounts, providing access to over 50,000 trading partners worldwide.

The organization's core technology stack comprises the BANC trading platform and the TradeStudio Marketplace login portal, handling intercity transaction authorization, account management, and daily broadcast email of BANC offers. Complementary products include the Registered Trade Broker (RTB) entry-level training program (launched September 2010), the Certified Trade Broker (CTB) accreditation co-developed with the International Reciprocal Trade Association (IRTA), an annual convention series held across US venues since 2003, and a Lead Sharing Program distributing new client opportunities to members.

NATE generates revenue through three streams: annual membership dues ($495), BANC monthly participation fees ($50 cash + $25 trade per participant), and BANC transaction fees of 0.25% for independent exchanges and 1.0% for corporate barter companies and media brokers. The association is governed by a volunteer board of directors elected by the membership, with current President Kim Ames (since 2019), Treasurer Gary Oshry, Secretary Rebecca Wick, and Directors Sharon Connelly and Fred Detwiler. NATE operates from Irvine, California with a 1-10 employee footprint.

Name

National Association of Trade Exchanges

Legal name

National Association of Trade Exchanges

Website

https://natebarter.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

NATE is a US non-profit trade association founded in 1984 serving independent barter exchanges, operating the BANC national trade currency system, certification programs, and annual conventions for its member exchange network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Malden

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. NATE Membership Dues: Annual membership fee for trade exchanges to join NATE. Provides access to networking, conventions, certification programs, and BANC trading system.
2. BANC Transaction Fees: Transaction fees charged on purchases and sales through the BANC system. Independent trade exchanges pay 0.25% on purchases and 0.25% on sales. Corporate barter companies pay 1% on purchases and 1% on sales.
3. BANC Monthly Fees: Monthly membership fees for BANC participants: $50 cash and $25 trade per month. Additional interest charged at 0.5% in trade per month on outstanding credit line balances.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

NATE is a nonprofit trade association that promotes, educates, and trains independent barter exchanges across North America. It provides annual membership, industry conventions, certification programs (RTB and CTB), and operates the BANC (Barter Association National Currency) system that allows member exchanges to trade nationally without arranging direct reciprocal accounts.

Product overview

The National Association of Trade Exchanges (NATE) operates as a membership-based trade association for independent barter exchanges, offering a portfolio of interconnected products and services. The core offerings include NATE Membership ($495 annually) providing networking, conventions, and industry representation, and the BANC (Barter Association National Currency) system enabling nationwide barter trading among members. Professional development products include the Certified Trade Broker (CTB) and Registered Trade Broker (RTB) accreditation programs. Additional services encompass the annual NATE Convention, NATE Marketplace online platform, and a Lead Sharing Program. These products work together to support independent trade exchanges in marketing, compliance, and cross-regional barter transactions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BANC (Barter Association National Currency): A common trade currency system allowing NATE members to trade with each other without the need to arrange direct reciprocal trade accounts. BANC functions as a trade exchange for trade exchanges.

Products and services

• NATE Annual Membership
• BANC (Barter Association National Currency)
• Certified Trade Broker (CTB) Accreditation
• Registered Trade Broker (RTB) Program
• NATE Annual Convention
• NATE Marketplace (TradeStudio)

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• BANC Member ExchangescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBANC membership is open only to NATE member businesses. Independent trade exchanges, corporate barter companies, and media brokers that are NATE members are eligible to join BANC and trade nationally with other members using BANC dollars.
• International Reciprocal Trade Association (IRTA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIRTA co-accredits NATE's Certified Trade Broker (CTB) certification program alongside NATE, providing international recognition for the professional designation.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Florida Barter Inc. Florida Barter is a long-standing independent trade exchange in the NATE network, serving SMBs across Florida with traditional barter services and BANC clearing.
• National Association of Trade Exchanges (peer regional exchanges): Other NATE member exchanges (e.g., New England Trade, Arizona Trade Exchange, Carolina Trade, Exchange Enterprises) collectively form the competitive set in the independent barter exchange segment that NATE represents.
• International Reciprocal Trade Association (IRTA): IRTA is the global counterpart to NATE, representing the broader barter and reciprocal trade industry. It co-accredits NATE's CTB certification program and serves an overlapping member base of trade exchanges and corporate barter companies.
• The Barter Company: The Barter Company operates a 2,500-client barter network and is a NATE member exchange. It directly comparable for SMB barter services and BANC participation, with documented million-dollar-club transactions.
• TradeAmericanCard: TradeAmericanCard is the Southern California member exchange owned by NATE President Kim Ames. It is a voting NATE member and uses BANC, offering same SMB barter services as other member exchanges.
• Barter Business Exchange (BBE): BBE is a NATE member exchange operating in North Carolina, featured in NATE success stories. It serves local SMBs with barter services and processes BANC transactions across its multi-state network.
• ITEX Corporation: ITEX is one of the largest publicly-traded barter exchange networks in North America, with a proprietary trade dollar and a network of member offices. It competes with NATE member exchanges for SMB barter clients and operates intercity clearing.
• BizX, Inc. BizX (formerly BarterTrust, based in Washington) is a NATE member exchange operating in the Pacific Northwest. It is directly comparable as an independent regional barter exchange serving small businesses through the BANC network.
• Alamo Barter: Alamo Barter is a NATE voting member exchange based in San Antonio, TX, operated by NATE Secretary Rebecca Wick. It is a comparable independent regional barter exchange serving SMBs.

Emerging players

• U-Exchange: U-Exchange is a digital-first barter marketplace that competes with traditional NATE member exchanges by offering online listings without a membership exchange structure. It represents an emerging model that could disrupt the organized exchange model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/natebarter
• Facebookfacebook.com/natebarter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/national-association-of-trade-exchanges

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about National Association of Trade Exchanges