Membership of the Association

The association shall be comprised of sole proprietors, partnerships and corporations, hereinafter referred to as businesses, engaged in the trade and barter industry, either directly or indirectly, worldwide.

Admission to the Association for Voting Members. Applicants shall submit a complete NATE membership application, along with the first year's membership dues. Applicants must receive approval by a majority vote of the board of directors. Admission to the association for Non-Voting and Associate Members Application for associate membership shall be submitted to the association.

Upon receipt of a completed membership application, a check for the first year's associate membership dues, and approval by a majority vote of the board of directors, the Associate Member shall be admitted to the association.

Classifications of Membership

Voting Members: Voting members shall be limited to those businesses which are directly involved in the day-to-day running or operating of an independent trade or barter exchange.

An independent trade exchange is defined as a barter network that may have one or more company-operated offices, but has not sold franchises, dealerships, broker licenses, or any other similar instrument; does not claim to have its own national currency; or does not have its own accreditation program or host its own national conventions or seminars.) or: A national barter network that has sold franchises, dealerships, broker licenses, and/or does have its own national currency, accreditation program or conventions may become a voting member provided that 100 percent of the company's licensed offices also join the association as non-voting members as outlined in point 2 below. Any company-owned and operated exchange with multiple locations is entitled to only one (1) vote.

Non-voting Members: Non-voting memberships will be available to all franchisees, licensees or broker offices of national barter networks. Each such individual office will be required to pay the full association annual dues. (As described in point 1b above, 100 percent of a company's branch offices must join the association in order to allow participation by the parent company or any other branch office.)

Non-voting memberships are available to those members who otherwise qualify, but have not yet attained the one-year requirement to vote.

Qualifications for Voting and Membership

• A voting member must have a physical business location, which shall be open during established business hours.
• A voting member shall employ at least one full-time employee, or the equivalent thereof, in addition to him or herself.
• A voting member must have a listed business telephone number for his or her trade or barter exchange.
• A voting member may not have been convicted of a felony involving fraud or securities violations.
• A voting member agrees to abide by the code of ethics and bylaws of the National Association of Trade Exchanges.
• A voting member agrees to comply with all 1099B reporting requirements.
• A voting member agrees to comply with any and all laws, both state and federal, that govern the operations of a trade or barter exchange.
• A voting member may not have gone out of the trade exchange business or filed bankruptcy where members have lost money or have been defrauded by said trade exchange's owners/operators.
• A voting member must have been a member of the association for at least the twelve consecutive months preceding the vote.
• If a previous voting member of the association membership has lapsed and they were a member in good standing in at least 3 of the last five years. Voting privileges will be granted after 90 days of renewal of membership.
• A voting member must be current on all monies owed to the association. Renewal of dues and other assessments must be paid and cleared at least (30) days prior to any business meeting of the association.