The following are some of the most frequently asked questions about the Community Exchange System<\/em> (CES). If you do not find the answers to your questions here, write to info@community-exchange.org<\/p>\n\n\n\n Q. What does joining the CES mean for me?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The CES is not a club or organization but a new money system. Therefore you do not \u201cjoin\u201d and become a \u201cmember\u201d of an club. You register to use the CES as a new way of trading, without using your national currency. You will feel that you are part of a community but this is because you will experience a different spirit among the traders of the CES. The CES is characterized by openness, friendliness, honesty and trust, which is quite different to what you are likely to experience in the ‘old’ money system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Q. Does it cost anything to join the CES?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n There are many CES exchanges. Some charge an annual subscription fee in the national currency, others have no charges in conventional money, or any joining or membership fees in the exchange’s own currency. Where there are no subscription fees, administration costs are covered by a small transaction levy (in the CES currency) that is added to all transactions, but such levies only become effective when you begin trading. Administrations require an income for running and promoting the CES.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Q. How can I begin trading without any money in my account?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n A. The CES does not require that you have anything in your account to begin trading. As \u201cmoney\u201d in this system is just a book entry or ‘point scoring’, there is no need for a supply of it. All new accounts start with a zero balance. You begin either by going into debit (you buy something) or credit (you sell something). A starting debit means your account balance goes below zero but unlike with conventional money you do not have to pay interest on it and there is no stigma attached to it (unless it gets large and is never reduced). Your debit simply means that you owe the community goods and services to the value of the debit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Q. What is to stop me just entering payments into my account so that I get lots of credits?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n A. You don’t need credits to trade so there is no point in this. In any case, your credits are someone else’s debits, and they will question your false trades with them. Your balance, which is open for everyone to see, will also reveal what you are doing. There is no need to cheat in the CES because you can simply go into debit and ‘pay back’ what you have received by delivering goods and services to others at a later time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Q. What if someone exploits the system and then leaves the community without giving anything in return?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n A. This can happen but equally someone who has given more than they have taken can also leave the community. If someone exploits the system, it is the community that bears the burden not any particular member.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Q. What if someone doesn’t pay me for work I have done for them?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n A. That is impossible. You – the seller or provider – are responsible for entering or getting entered the transaction information, and your account will be immediately credited. In the CES, the buyer is usually the passive party.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Q. Is this just a tax dodge?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Definitely not! Our motives are noble. We want to create a more equal and just society where wealth is distributed according to contribution, not according to your ability to ‘make money’. In other countries where these systems have become big, the state has either ignored the tax angle because it saves the state money on welfare payments, or there is an agreement to provide services to the state. Our approach is that when we become big, the state should become a member of the CES and participate in the normal way. In this way the state could credit itself through the services it provides to all members and debit itself by purchasing the services of CES members.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Q. What if someone takes more from the system than they give back?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Before agreeing to trade with someone you should check their balance. If you see they have made a lot of purchases and are running a large debit, then refuse to trade until their standing has improved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Q. What if my service is popular but I can’t find anything I want? What is the use of a large credit balance if I can’t spend it?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n A. Don’t trade unless you feel there is something you can get in exchange. As more and more people join the community, the more likely it becomes that someone will have something you want. Encourage others to join.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Q. What is the currency called and what is it worth?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n A. Each exchange has its own name for its currency. A common name used in the CES is \u201cTalents\u201d. One Talent (or other name) is equal to one unit of the national currency (Dollar, Rand, Pound). This is purely to give it reference. CES currencies are not linked to the national currencies so could deviate over time. CES currencies are also not subject to inflation. Some CES exchanges base their accounting unit on time, e.g. 60 units per hour of service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Q. How are goods and services valued?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n A. Traders value their own goods and services, using the 1:1 relationship between their exchange’s currency and the national currency. The \u201claw\u201d of supply and demand applies, but within the context of a closed group. This frequently differs from the situation \u201coutside\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Q. Is there just one CES exchange?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n A. No, there are many established CES exchanges in different parts of the world, with new ones being introduced all the time. If you would like to start one in your area, go to the registration page and fill in the form.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Q. Is it possible to trade between the different CES exchanges?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Yes! All the CES exchanges are linked and inter-exchange trading is possible. The CES currencies are as versatile as the national currencies. This means you can trade with any participant nationally or internationally, and your offerings are internationally accessible. Currency earned in one place can be spent in another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Questions and Answers The following are some of the most frequently asked questions about the Community Exchange System (CES). If you do not find the answers to your questions here, write to info@community-exchange.org Q. What does joining the CES mean for me? The CES is not a club or organization but a new money system. 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