Welcome to Universal Currency – The UC

The Universal Currency Clearinghouse (The UC) is a central clearinghouse for trade credit transactions among trade exchanges located throughout the world.

The Universal Currency (The UC) was created in 1988 by the International Reciprocal Trade Association (IRTA) a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting just and equitable standards of reciprocal trade and raising the value of reciprocal trade to businesses and communities worldwide. IRTA is celebrating nearly 30 years as the largest, premier trade association worldwide.

The purpose of the UC is to provide a reliable and efficient marketplace in which members can trade with each other and expand trading opportunities for their clients. The UC provides each member trade exchange an opportunity to maximize their clients’ ability to sell into new markets and also expand their purchasing options with trade credits that are universally accepted.

Because trade exchanges use their own trade credit currency, the IRTA sought to promote more efficient global trade by establishing a universally accepted trade credit among member exchanges - a true universal trade credit currency. As such, the UC operates as a central accounting center for corporate barter companies and trade exchanges throughout the world. It allows member trade companies to expand their own members’ ability to sell into new markets and purchase goods and services that are not available within their own system, while eliminating the inconvenience and confusion of individual reciprocal accounting. In this way, the UC is a trade exchange for trade exchanges.