Currency

:For current exchange rates, see Exchange links.

Privately-issued currencies

Several large companies issue points to their customers, to be redeemed for products and services produced by that company. Often, a network of companies will join to share in the offering and redemption of points. While these can hardly be considered stable currency systems, they present many of the same features as "legitimate" currency: they are a store of value, issued in discrete units; they are controlled by a central issuing authority; and they have varying rates of exchange with other forms of currency. For example, frequent flyer miles can be bought using U.S. dollars.

Related Topics:
Network - Frequent flyer miles

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• Frequent Flyer Miles: A type of private currency, different versions of which are issued by most major airlines to encourage customer loyalty. Other customer loyalty incentives have followed this model, including points systems offered by soft drink manufacturers such as PepsiCo. Subway tokens, issued by city transit authorities, can be considered a highly specialized form of currency.
• E-gold: Privately issued digital currency backed by gold
• Scrip: A type of private currency where a certain value is captured, and used to purchase goods from a company. Examples of scrip include gift certificates, gift cards, and Disney Dollars or Canadian Tire Money. However, scrip is not considered a currency in itself, but merely a store of value, denominated in another currency.
• Liberty Dollar: A currency backed by silver, with a one-to-one exchange rate with the U.S. Dollar.