In trade, barter is a system of exchange in which participants in a transaction directly exchange goods or services for other goods or services without using a medium of exchange, such as money. Economists usually distinguish barter from gift economies in many ways; barter, for example, features immediate reciprocal exchange, not one delayed in time. Barter usually takes place on a bilateral basis, but may be multilateral. In most developed countries, barter usually exists parallel to monetary systems only to a very limited extent. Market actors use barter as a replacement for money as the method of exchange in times of monetary crisis, such as when currency becomes unstable or simply unavailable for conducting commerce.

जब किसी एक वस्तु के बदले दूसरी वस्तु का लेना या देना होता है वह वस्तु विनिमय (Bartering) कहलाते हैं। जैसे एक गाय लेकर 10 बकरियाँ देना। इस पद्धति में विनिमय की सार्वजनिक (सर्वमान्य) इकाई अर्थात मुद्रा (रूपये-पैसे) का इस्तेमाल नहीं किया जाता है।