Frequently Asked Questions

Your books will have a barcode, an ISBN, or both. Either scan the barcode using the app or type all of the numerical digits above or under the barcode into the search box, including any at the beginning or end of the sequence that may be smaller. The ISBN might be on the publishing details page at the front of your book. If it does not have an ISBN, then we cannot accept it.

The ISBN is a 10 or 13 digit number that is unique to each book. It appears next to the barcode on most books and in instances where it doesn't it can be found on the publishing page.

A barcode is a machine-readable representation of the ISBN. This information relates to the product it is attached to. It looks like a series of vertical lines differing in thickness.

Yes, we also offer a similar service in the UK. Our head office is based in the UK.

From scanning your items to payment, the Ziffit service is completely free of charge. The idea is that you can earn money from your unwanted items.

Yes, we do! Download our app here for android and here for IOS.

Our US warehouse is located in Montgomery, IL. Our customer service team is based at our head office in the UK. World of Books US customers can contact our support team by emailing sellbooks@worldofbooks.com.

We accept a wide variety of books. Unfortunately we can only accept books that have an ISBN number.

Please refer to our condition guidelines page for further details on condition requirements.
Items that do not closely follow our guidelines as above will be rejected. Please note that we cannot return rejected items, so please ensure you only send in items that meet the criteria, to avoid disappointment.

This is not something we offer at this time.

Unfortunately we cannot accept ex-rental media products.

Unfortunately we can't take your promotional or not for resale items.

We try to accept as many items as we can. However, our acceptance rate is based on several factors including current market demand and availability, so this does frequently change.

Our offer prices change frequently depending on market demand, and how many of the items we have in stock currently. We offer good value alongside our free drop-off service.

You automatically accept the offer price when you press 'complete trade.' Remember, you need to meet a minimum $7.50 value to complete a trade. You can always remove individual items from the trade if you're not happy with our offer price, by clicking the minus button next to the item.

Once you complete a trade, the prices offered for your items will be fixed for 28 days. If you choose to save a trade or leave items in your basket, the offer price will be guaranteed until midnight on the day the offer was made.
What does it mean when I save a trade?

It may not always be convenient to complete a trade or you may have additional items you want to add to your trade at a later stage. For your convenience you can save your trade and come back to it whenever you want to. In order to save a trade you need to be a registered user.

We offer fair value and don't take competitors offers into consideration so we are unable to price match.

If you visit 'My Account' and view the expired trade there will be an option called 'Recalculate'. Upon pressing this button we will re-check the current value of your expired trade and add it to your basket (some items may be rejected).

With our bulk uploader tool, you can scan up to 500 ISBNs in one go. You’ll just need to request access in the ‘My account’ page. Once approved by our team, you’ll be able to see the bulk upload icon below the ‘Log Out’ button. Click on the icon, and you’ll find all of the information on how to get started.

There is no limit on how many items you can send us. You will need to reach a minimum value of $7.50 before you can complete your trade.

Once you've submitted your World of Books trade on our website or app, how you send it in depends on the option you chose at checkout.

If you chose "Print label at home" (or standard "UPS" / "FedEx" / "USPS")
You'll receive an email from us within 24 hours with your shipping label attached. Please print the label and firmly attach it to your package. If the email doesn't appear in your inbox, check your junk folder and add us to your safe senders list.

If you need additional labels for multiple boxes, you can request these from your account page. Select 'View' next to the relevant trade, then choose the option to generate more labels. The number of labels available depends on your trade size. We'll email any additional labels to your registered email address — please print them and firmly attach one to each box.

UPS
When you're ready, take your box(es) to a UPS Store, another staffed UPS location or a UPS Access Point. You can find your nearest locations on your Complete or Trade Details page, or on our Find your UPS drop-off page. UPS Access Points only accept boxes up to 44 lb (longest side 38 in), so boxes between 44 and 50 lb need a UPS Store or another staffed UPS location. Ask for a receipt for your package and keep it safe as proof of shipping.

FedEx
When you're ready, take your box(es) to your nearest FedEx drop off location. You can find your nearest stores here. You'll be given a receipt for your package - remember to keep this safe for proof of shipping.

USPS
When you're ready, take your box(es) to your nearest USPS drop off location. You can find your nearest stores here. You'll be given a receipt for your package - remember to keep this safe for proof of shipping.

We're moving US drop-offs from FedEx to UPS gradually, so you may see UPS at checkout before other sellers do. Your steps stay the same: submit your trade, print your label and drop off your box.

Use the carrier shown at checkout and on your trade. A trade you've already submitted stays with the carrier it was created with.

Yes. If your trade came with a FedEx label, you can still use it. Print it, attach it to your box and drop it off at your nearest FedEx location as normal. You don't need to do anything differently.

One thing to remember: each trade keeps the carrier it was created with. If your trade has a FedEx label, use FedEx. If it has a UPS label, take it to a UPS location. Please don't swap labels between carriers, as the label will only work with the carrier named on it.

Any new trades you create may offer UPS instead of FedEx, so check the carrier shown on your label before you head out.

You can use UPS Stores, other staffed UPS locations and UPS Access Points, as long as they can take your box.

UPS Access Point: up to 44 lb per box, longest side up to 38 in
UPS Store and other staffed locations: up to 50 lb per box, longest side up to 108 in

Length plus girth must be under 130 in for all locations.

To see what's near you, search by ZIP code on our Find your UPS drop-off page.

Use the map on your Complete or Trade Details page to find the nearest location, or search by ZIP code on our Find your UPS drop-off page. It shows which locations can take your heaviest box.

Yes. UPS uses a printed label for now, so you'll need to print it and attach it firmly to your box. If you don't have a printer, a library, copy shop or office supply store can usually print it for you.

Not yet. The printerless (QR code) option is not available right now but under consideration to be added in the future.

To ensure that your package reaches us safely, choose a strong box that'll hold everything in your trade and keep your books safe on their journey. Pack them snugly so nothing shifts around. We can't be held responsible for items damaged in transit due to substandard packaging.

One thing to watch: keep each box under 50 lb. Once a box goes over 50 lb, our carrier adds a hefty surcharge, and we would much rather put that money into the prices we pay you. For UPS trades, a $27.00 surcharge is deducted from your trade total for any box over 50 lb. Books are heavier than they look, so a single box of hardbacks can tip over the limit fast. If your trade is on the heavier side, split it across two or more boxes rather than cramming it into one. You can request and download an extra shipping label for each box from your account.

If you're sending more than one box, split your items evenly and label each box "Box X of N". UPS Access Points only accept boxes up to 44 lb (longest side 38 in), so boxes between 44 and 50 lb need a UPS Store or another staffed UPS location.

Keep every box under 50 lb including packaging. UPS Access Points only accept boxes up to 44 lb (longest side 38 in). If your box is between 44 and 50 lb, take it to a UPS Store or another staffed UPS location.

Not sure which location can take your heaviest box? Enter its weight on our Find your UPS drop-off page and it will show which locations can take it.

If a box is over 50 lb, UPS charges a handling surcharge and we deduct $27.00 per box from your trade total. A box over 44 lb can't go to a UPS Access Point.

Splitting your items evenly across boxes keeps every box under the limit and protects your full payment.

To check where your box can go, enter its weight on our Find your UPS drop-off page. Locations that can't take your box are greyed out.

Unfortunately we're unable to return any items or parcels once they've been sent.

If you haven't sent your parcel yet and you've changed your mind, you can cancel your trade from the trade details page in 'My Account' — see "Can I cancel my trade?" above.

Yes — as long as we haven't started processing your items yet.

Go to 'My Account' on the website, open the trade you'd like to stop, select Cancel Trade and confirm. We'll email you to confirm the trade has been cancelled, and you'll see the status update in your trade history straight away.

You can cancel any time before your items are booked in at our warehouse — once processing begins, the option is no longer available. Cancelling releases the prices we quoted and can't be undone, so if you change your mind you'll need to start a new trade at the current offer prices.

Cancelling is available on the US website now, with our iOS and Android apps to follow.

Yes, and for bigger trades we'd recommend it. Every box needs its own shipping label, so just request an extra label for each one from your account and pop it on the right box.

Splitting isn't only about labels, though. It's the easiest way to keep each box under 50 lb, which is the point where the carrier starts charging a surcharge. Two nicely packed, comfortable to lift boxes will always travel better than one overloaded one. As a rough guide, if you can't lift a box easily, it's probably time to start a second.

You can drop all your boxes off together in one visit. If you're using UPS, boxes between 44 and 50 lb need a UPS Store or another staffed UPS location, as Access Points only accept up to 44 lb.

As many as your trade needs, as long as each box has its own label. You can drop them all off in one visit.

We email your label shortly after you complete your trade, and you can also download it from your Trade Details page. If you need to split your items into more boxes, go to your account, select 'View' next to the trade, then choose "Generate more labels" on the website. Each box needs its own label.

As part of our lease terms our facilities are not open to the general public, which is why you need to use our FREE UPS, FedEx or USPS drop off service.

Of course you can, feel free to pack your books, DVDs, CDs and games all in the same box. As long as the items are all included in your trade we will do the rest.

Unfortunately, it is not possible to have your package collected.

Yes, your items are insured up to the value of the offer price that you accepted at the time of completing the trade.

We need to receive your package within 28 days from the day that you completed the trade. Otherwise your trade will expire. We will email a week before your trade is due to expire to remind you.

You can choose between the following payment methods:

Bank Transfer (BACS) — 5 working days after processing

PayPal — 3 working days after processing

Check — mailed after processing

Donate to a Charity — send 100% of your trade value to a US charity of your choice instead of taking cash. This option is currently available on our website only — it's coming to the app soon.

Yes. At the "Get paid" step on our website, choose "Donate to a Charity" instead of a cash payment method. You can search over 2 million registered US 501(c)(3) charities by name, EIN, location or category — or pick one of our featured causes. If you can't find yours, look up its EIN on Google and paste it into the search box. Choose your charity, complete your trade, and we'll send 100% of your accepted trade value to them on your behalf — we cover all processing costs, so every dollar reaches the cause.

This option is currently available on our website only — it's coming to the app soon. If you're using the app, just sign in to the website with the same details to donate.

Once we've received, checked and accepted your items, we send a check to your chosen charity, so it may take a little while for them to receive it. The amount donated is your final accepted trade value.

Donations to a verified 501(c)(3) charity are tax-deductible in the US — the charity's EIN is shown on your payment-processed email, which you can use when filing your return.

A few things to note: you choose one payment method per trade (we're exploring split cash/donation payouts for the future), and your payment method is fixed once you submit your trade — so choose "Donate to a Charity" before completing if that's what you'd like.

We aim to process your payment as quickly as possible. BACS payment can take up to 5 working days to show in your account. Paypal payment can take up to 3 working days. If the payment is taking longer than expected, feel free to get in touch with our customer services team by emailing sellbooks@worldofbooks.com.

Once we receive your items into our warehouse, we will aim to process them as soon as possible, usually within 3 days. You will receive an email when processing is complete. The payment method you chose will determine how quickly you receive your payment after processing is complete.

All of the items we receive are thoroughly checked by our quality control team. They will assess the item for any damage or significant wear and tear. Unfortunately we will have to reject any items that do not meet our guidelines. Please closely follow the condition guidelines on our ‘Sell my stuff’ pages, to avoid disappointment.

If you had an account on SellBackYourBook or Ziffit, you should still be able to use your old login details to access the Sell Your Books platform. SellBackYourBook, Ziffit and Sell Your Books are connected, so your existing SellBackYourBook or Ziffit credentials will work allowing you to access to your trades history and save trades.

Unfortunately not, your World of Books account cannot be used to access the Sell Your Books platform. These platforms operate separately, and each requires its own account.

If your Sell Your Books account is registered with your Google account's email address, you can use the "Continue with Google" button on the login page for quick access.

Simply click "Continue with Google," choose your account, and you’ll be logged in.

If you don’t have a registered Sell Your Books account, selecting "Continue with Google" will automatically create one using your Google account's email address.

If your Sell Your Books account is registered with your Apple ID's email address, you can use the "Continue with Apple" button on the login page for quick access.

Simply click "Continue with Apple," choose your account, and you’ll be logged in.

If you don’t have a registered Sell Your Books account, selecting "Continue with Apple" will automatically create one using your Apple ID's email address.

This feature will be available soon!

If your Sell Your Books account is registered with your Facebook account's email address, you can use the "Continue with Facebook" button on the login page for quick access.

Simply click "Continue with Facebook," choose your account, and you’ll be logged in.

If you don’t have a registered Sell Your Books account, selecting "Continue with Facebook" will automatically create one using your Facebook account's email address.

Our FREE FedEx or USPS drop off service is safe and secure. The service is designed for your convenience so once you have sent your package you can relax.

We don't share your personal details with any third party. Your information is protected by our extended verification system. For more information please see our Privacy Policy.

On the website, open your Shelf. To remove a single item, tap the delete icon — you'll see a confirmation with a set of reason chips; tap the one that best fits and the item is removed.

To remove several at once, use the checkboxes to select the items you want — or select everything in the current view — then remove them together with "Clear Shelf." You can also add a selected set straight to your trade in one go. Before anything is removed, we'll show you how many items will go, so you can confirm first.

This is currently available on the UK and US websites — we're working on rolling it out to iOS and Android.

You may receive push notifications through the World of Books app as part of our service; these may include service messages, updates on your trade and promotional notifications. To stop receiving notifications, you can update the settings on your device to opt-out of future messages.

You have the option to delete your account both on the Sell Your Books website and in the Sell Your Books mobile apps.

The Delete Account function is available in the Account details menu.

To finalize your account deletion, you need to enter your password so we can verify it is you.

Please note: you will NOT receive any payment for any open trades that you send after deleting your account and your trade history will be deleted forever too. The deletion takes 48-72 hours.