Isn’t it the same as bartering (direct exchanges)?

No! Timebanking involves performing a service for an agreed amount of Hours, based on the time the service takes. Once the service has been completed your worked hours are registered on your bank account. You can use these hours whenever and however you want to.

Can I forget about Euros and just use Hours?

It is not our intention to replace the Euro currency, but to create a parallel economy for the exchange of services rather than products. The .cc of Timebank.cc stands for ´complimentary currency´. Rather than replacing the Euro, the aim is to create a diversified currency system with an extra layer that is based on different values.

Why is an hour of my time equal to an hour of anybody else’s?

Within the Euro economy, income is valued differently based on skill, training, experience etc. However, we want to create a more diverse system, where the motivation for people to help each other is not to produce profit and competition – but to demonstrate the fulfillment of working and helping people. One worked hour is exactly 1,00 Timebank.cc Hour.