College is expensive and the need for new textbooks each semester adds to the financial pain. A college board survey estimates that the average student spends $1,240 on textbooks and supplies each academic year.
Fortunately, renting textbooks is an easy way to save money on college. let’s be honest; you just need to save some books for future classes.
You are reading: Place to rent books
If you only do minimal highlighting and annotating, renting may be better than buying textbooks online.
Textbook rental sites make it easy and cheap to rent physical and online editions.
Editor’s Best Picks
the best sites to rent college textbooks
renting textbooks can cost less than buying a book and selling it in a few months. most rental sites allow some highlights but no writing. and only select online textbook rentals allow you to make digital highlights and notes.
However, textbook rentals do not typically include supplemental material or digital access codes. so you can buy a used copy if you need additional material.
Whenever possible, renting books can save you time and money over buying them. for example, a 90-day rental might cost $30 but you pay $65 to buy the book.
leasing also means you don’t have to worry about low buyback prices when the semester is over.
1. book browser
bookscouter allows you to compare the prices not only of textbooks, but also of all types of books from more than 20 suppliers with a single search.
You can rent physical and digital textbooks online or through the mobile app. but please note that you may still need to purchase supplemental material or digital access codes.
It is possible to search for the required texts by book title or isbn. Bookscouter lists the lowest rental prices first.
each bookcouter listing shows these rental details:
- provider name: the textbook rental site where you can rent the book
- rental duration: amount of days you can rent the book
- condition: physical books are new and used, and e-books are also available
- coupons: discount codes available to reduce your rental price
- price: your initial cost for the rental period
Pay attention to prices as rental periods can range from 60 to 180 days for most books. longer rental periods can cost the same or slightly more than a shorter period.
you ship the physical books to the supplier after the rental period ends. by comparison, your digital license effortlessly expires once your e-textbook rental term ends.
Because bookscouter is a price comparison tool, you need to choose which provider to rent from. some providers offer discount codes, which means your final cost may be less than the bookscouter price.
It is also possible to buy or sell textbooks on bookscouter when renting is not profitable. If you sell a book, the Bookscouter app scans the barcodes on the books and lists the current prices for multiple buyback providers.
2. chegg
chegg is a leading provider of online study aids and tutors. the well-known company also allows you to rent e-books and e-textbooks. you can purchase digital access codes as most rentals do not come with additional material.
shipping is free on orders of at least $30. it’s easy to meet this minimum if you rent at least two books. physical textbooks have a 21-day risk-free return window.
You can return your books in any box using chegg’s prepaid shipping label once the rental period is over.
what if you need to extend the lease? chegg allows you to renew your rental online or purchase a rental if you feel the book is worth keeping long-term.
chegg allows a minimal amount of highlighting on textbook rentals. most rental sites allow up to a third of the book to have highlights. however, writing on the book is not allowed.
Your chegg rentals can also include a free four-week trial of the chegg studio. This premium feature allows you to ask for help with textbook and homework questions.
chegg study is $14.95 per month if you decide that access to expert tutoring can help you improve your score.
3. ecampus
Another low-cost rental site is ecampus. In addition to renting books to save money, you can redeem discount codes for extra savings.
See Also: Frequently Asked Questions – Getting Published – Meg Cabot
ecampus rewards loyalty program rewards you with gift cards for future purchases. every textbook rental earns three points for every dollar you spend. earning 175 points earns you $5 off your next $30 purchase.
You can save up to $20 once you accumulate 400 points.
You can also earn points by buying books, selling books, interacting with ecampus on social media, and referring friends to use ecampus.
You can choose a rental return date that fits your schedule, and ecampus offers free return shipping. plus, shipping is free on all ecampus orders of at least $35.
4. amazon
It may not surprise you that amazon offers textbook rentals. the standard rental period is one semester. some books offer shorter rental periods of 30, 60 or 90 days.
You can rent physical books and electronic textbooks. all rentals require payment by credit or debit card. amazon does not currently accept amazon gift cards for textbook rentals.
One semester rentals offer free returns within the first 30 days if you want a refund. instead, short-term rentals offer risk-free returns for the first 15 days. otherwise, you can return the book using free prepaid return shipping.
You can extend your rental period for another semester. And, if you decide to buy the book, Amazon applies the rental fees paid to the purchase amount.
having prime student allows you to receive your textbooks with free two-day shipping. however, if you are a basic member, you will need to pay to ship. plus, you’ll wait up to a week to receive your books.
5. value books
Every textbook rental from valorebooks includes free return shipping and a price match guarantee. you must find a lower rental price within seven days to receive a partial refund.
It is possible to rent physical books for a quarter or a semester. however, digital rentals are not available.
Unlike other textbook rental sites that offer free shipping on most rentals, Valorebooks charges shipping fees. standard shipping is $3.95 per book and expedited shipping is $6.95.
Each valorebooks rental comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee. you can return your rental within the first 30 days for a refund, regardless of why you’re not happy with it.
Although you pay shipping for each order, Valorebooks can make it easy to compare prices. you can search for books by isbn, title or author. each query shows new and used rental purchase prices, plus any alternate versions.
The alternate version of the textbook may be a previous edition or an international edition. these options can cost significantly less than the rental price. while the book may not exactly match the course syllabus, the potential savings may be worth it.
more information: review of valorebooks
6. knetbooks
knetbooks offers free shipping on all orders, whether you rent for a short period, a quarter or a semester.
With no minimum, knetbooks are a good option for those random one-time rentals under $30. for example, maybe you need to rent a book for $24 for a month. Most lenders charge shipping fees on small orders.
In addition to free shipping, you can redeem coupon codes to further reduce your expenses. for example, knetbooks will send you a discount offer for your first offer.
You can find additional codes by checking knetbooks articles, for example how to take care of your rented textbooks.
You can return your rented textbooks using the free ups prepaid tag. Other rental sites offer returns via the US Postal Service. uu. or fedex if you don’t live near a ups delivery location.
knetbooks sends you text message reminders so you don’t forget to return your books on time. you can extend your rental as other rental sites offer.
7. slug books
slugbooks is an innovative price comparison site as you can compare multiple isbn’s at once. many textbook rental sites only research one isbn at a time. In particular, searching for multiple books can save time if you need to rent a package of textbooks for a single class.
You will see the purchase price and rental price of the major textbook websites. amazon, chegg and ecampus are some of the comparison options.
an electronic textbook can be rented depending on the book you need. Like other comparison tools, you must compare your options and complete the purchase with the associated website. possibly rent from multiple sites if you have a lot of books to rent.
Your possible shipping costs and rental terms depend on the carrier you choose. most rental sites offer free return shipping, but you may have to pay shipping to receive your book.
another unique feature is being able to search for prices in canada, britain and australia as well. international students can enjoy these in-depth comparison options.
slugbooks compares the buyback prices of any books you decide to sell after you no longer need them.
8. change
cengage is different from most textbook rental sites. offer learning materials for instructors and students at all grade levels. resources are available for more than 20 countries.
students can purchase print copies or rent digital textbooks for many subjects. however, cengage’s textbook selection may not be as extensive as other rental sites. you can also purchase access codes for specific textbooks.
One way this option can save you money is to join cengage unlimited. pay $119.99 for four months, $179.99 for one year, or $239.99 for two years of access.
Cengage Unlimited Membership includes these benefits:
- physical textbook rental with access codes
- online access to all cengage e-textbooks
- cengage online course materials ( mindtap, webassign, etc.)
- chegg tutoring pack of 30 days and 60 minutes of tutoring
- six months of quizlet plus
- other study guides and exam preparation
Students may only be able to get up to four free physical textbook rentals per semester. each hard copy rental also has a shipping charge of $7.99.
In addition to free textbook rentals, cengage rewards you for taking online surveys. You can win prizes and gift cards from cengage exchange surveys.
9. textbook rental
textbook rentals compare the rental prices of the physical and online versions of various sites. You’ll see the best rental cost for the number of rental days, such as 60, 90, or 125 days. Each comparison also lists the lowest price for new and used textbooks.
It is possible to search for books by title, author and isbn. but there is no advanced search filter like some comparison tools offer.
Textbook rentals make it easy to determine shipping costs. each search lists the rental rate, shipping costs, and the total cost of the rental.
You’ll see current discount codes and shipping options without visiting the merchant’s website.
10. cheaper textbooks
cheapesttextbooks allows you to compare textbook rental prices from over 15 textbook rental sites.
it is possible to search by keyword in addition to isbn, book title and author. this additional search feature can be an easy way to find alternate editions or custom prints.
Most dealers that associate with cheaper textbooks offer session, quarter, and semester rental periods. it is likely that you can extend the rental period if necessary. and you can return your rental with a prepaid shipping label once you finish the class.
Like other price comparison sites, you’ll see active discount codes, rental price, shipping costs, and return due date.
11. vital source
vitalsource allows you to rent or purchase electronic textbooks. While you can’t rent physical copies, you can download textbooks to your smart devices or laptops for offline access.
You can download vitalsource’s book reader app to make digital notes and highlights on your rentals. some rentals include built-in flashcards and study groups as well. bookshelf also allows you to listen to an audiobook version if you don’t have time to read.
Activating a rakuten shopping session is another way to save money with vitalsource. You can earn cash rewards at vitalsource from your online purchases.
Your first online purchase of at least $25 with rakuten earns you a one-time $10 cash bonus.
12. mcgraw hill
mcgraw hill is one of the largest producers of textbooks for college and lower grades. students can buy or rent books directly from mcgraw hill. it is true that rentals are not available for all courses.
You may want to consider this option if you need access codes or supplemental materials. digital content is available by purchasing a connection pass. When rentals are available, McGraw Hill fulfills your request through a rental partner like Chegg.
because mcgraw hill is expensive, you should first consider an app like bookscouter.
summary
Renting books is one of the easiest ways to keep variable college costs as low as possible. By renting, you eliminate the time it takes to buy and then sell your textbooks.
With these sites, you can avoid spending a lot of your college money on textbooks. instead, use your cash for more essential expenses or to save for the future.
See Also: Most Valuable Comic Books of the 1970s – Personal Finance Advice