IRTA — the International Reciprocal Trade Association — is the global trade association for the modern commercial barter industry. Founded in 1979 and headquartered in the United States, IRTA represents trade exchanges, currency providers, and platform vendors across roughly 30 countries.
What IRTA does
- Maintains industry standards and ethics for barter exchange operators
- Operates the IRTA Code of Ethics — a self-regulatory framework that member exchanges agree to uphold
- Hosts annual conferences and regional events that bring operators together
- Publishes industry research, including periodic estimates of global barter trade volume
- Advocates for the barter industry with regulators and policymakers (especially around tax treatment)
- Certifies brokers through the Certified Trade Broker (CTB) and Master Broker certification programs
Who's a member
Member organizations include commercial trade exchanges (most of the major networks in North America, Europe, and Australia), corporate-barter brokerage firms, software vendors that serve the industry, and individual brokers and consultants.
Membership tiers include trade exchange member, individual member, vendor member (for software providers and service vendors), and corporate member. Most member exchanges run their networks under the IRTA Code of Ethics, which is referenced in their member agreements.
Why operators care
For an operator, IRTA membership signals legitimacy. Prospects can verify your standing, regulators recognize the framework, and the certifications give your brokers a credential they can show prospective members. The annual conference is also one of the few places to meet other operators outside your geographic market and learn from people who've been through the same operational problems you're facing.
Software vendors like XO Software are vendor members of IRTA. The platform's compliance and reporting features (especially 1099-B in the US) are designed to align with IRTA's standards.
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