Back to NewsWe’ve all been there—sometimes you just need to get out and shop. Whether it’s a new outfit, a gadget for the house, or a gift for someone special, “retail therapy” is a real way to de-stress. But for business owners, that hit of dopamine often comes with a side of “cash guilt” as you watch your hard-earned profits leave your bank account.
What if you could shop using your business’s wholesale cost instead of your retail cash? Welcome to the Barter Mall—Canada’s only online marketplace where your “spare capacity” becomes your shopping currency.
Shopping at Your Wholesale Cost
The biggest secret to the Barter Mall is the math. When you buy something using Barter Credits, you aren’t paying the retail price in “real” dollars; you are paying with the cost of fulfillment of your own product or service.
For a Media Owner (0% Cost): If you trade empty ad space for 500 Barter Credits to buy a new watch, that watch essentially cost you $0 out-of-pocket because the ad space would have otherwise expired at zero value.
For a Restaurant Owner (35-40% Cost): If you use 500 Barter Credits earned from filling empty tables, that same watch only cost you about $175-$200 in actual cash (the cost of the food and labor you provided to earn those credits).
By using the Barter Mall, you are effectively getting a massive discount on everything you buy, because you’re “paying” with your own downtime or idle inventory.
What’s in the Bag?
The Barter Mall is a diverse marketplace that changes daily. While less than 10% of the total BarterPay network is listed in the Mall at any given time (for the rest, you’ll want to check the full directory), you can find a huge range of items ready for immediate purchase:
Fashion & Accessories: Clothing for the whole family, jewellery, watches, and designer sunglasses.
Health & Beauty: Supplements, skincare, and salon products.
Home & Office: Art, Decor, furniture, and even big-ticket items over 1,000 BP.
Gift Certificates: Access to restaurants, hotels, and attractions through the separate gift card portal.
Personal Shopping, Done Professionally
Many business owners worry about the tax implications of using company-earned Barter Credits for personal “therapy.” The solution is simple: buy the Barter Credits from your company at a 1:1 ratio. This allows your business to “sell” the credits to you personally for cash. Your company gets a cash injection, its taxable income is reduced, and you get “Barter Dollars” to spend at the Mall. It’s a clean, CRA-compliant way to enjoy the fruits of your labor without draining your personal savings.
Pro Tip: Don’t See It? Ask!
The Barter Mall is the “express lane” for shopping, but it’s just the tip of the iceberg. If you have a specific “retail therapy” goal in mind that isn’t listed, call your Barter Coach. They are your personal shoppers who can hunt down specific items or services within the wider network that haven’t hit the Mall shelves yet.
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