Top websites for students to buy and sell textbooks
Source: Shutterstock

One way students can save money each semester is to sell old textbooks and buy older copies of new ones, instead of buying them brand new.

Textbooks are one of the highest expenses for students, even though they’re only used for a limited time.

In the rapidly-growing world of e-commerce, selling and buying online today has never been easier and more convenient.

Not all websites are created equal, however, and you don’t want to waste your time on websites where you can’t sell your books at a fair price, or where they cost just as much as in the bookstore.

Here are some good and reputable websites where you can buy and sell books at a reasonable price:

BookFinder

Despite the layout of the website being pretty outdated, this website is one of the most popular catalogs online for textbooks.

A one-stop e-commerce search engine, it connects buyers directly to the original seller, without taking a cut for themselves.

This website is great for buying rare, out-of-print or older editions of a book, as the website is run by book lovers who value old books.

For students in the UK, there’s a search engine specially for you under the same brand, called JustBooks.

Bookbyte

This is one of the oldest textbook websites, where you can sell your used books and also buy some new.

It’s an easy and seamless way to sell your books, as all you need is the title or ISBN to get an offer. Once you accept the quote, all you need to do is click on ‘Continue Sale’, receive a shipping label, and mail out your book. You should receive your payment within 14 days.

For buying, Bookbyte offers plenty of helpful guides and articles about how students can get cheap books, as well as offering textbooks at low prices.

Amazon

Many students would know that Amazon is great for both buying and selling textbooks. They offer great buyback prices for books, and sell at good prices too. Plus, they’re available in several countries such as India, Australia and the UK.

You receive store credit instead of cash when you sell your books through Amazon. This could be useful if you’re going to be buying books too, so plan accordingly.

Amazon offers store credit instead of cash for your books. Source: Shutterstock

Cash4Books

A safe and convenient way to sell textbooks, this is another great option. There’s a barcode scanner app that you can download, so all you need to do it scan the ISBN, ship the book out, and get your payout.

It’s easy and fast, so you can save yourself some time and sell your books efficiently.

Student2Student

While most textbook buying and selling websites go through booksellers and bookstores, this unique website allows you to buy and sell directly to a student.

If you decide to go with this option, you can sell your book locally to another student in your area or campus, meaning you won’t need to fork out shipping fees or wait for your payout.

Just make sure you meet up in a safe and public environment if you decide to sell your books directly to other students.

Textbook Rush

You can either buy, rent, or sell your textbooks at TextbookRush. After entering the ISBN of your book, you receive a quote that’s valid for seven days. If you accept it, you get a prepaid shipping label to send the book.

What sets this website apart is their large catalog, as they offer more than 600,000 e-book titles available to buy or rent. You can also sell used movies and games on this website.

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