How to Lease College Textbooks Online

Leasing can help defray the cost of college textbooks.

Struggling to pay for college tuition and college-related expenses such as textbooks is nothing new. Yet, there is an alternative to purchasing the textbooks you need for your college classes. If you choose to utilize the services of a book rental or leasing business, you can save money. In addition, you don't have to worry about trying to sell your book back to the vendor at the end of the semester. With textbook rentals, you simply mail the books back when you are done. All you have to do is package the books, print out a free shipping label and return them.

Instructions

1. Navigate to a website that rents or leases books (see Resources section).

2. Click on the tab or link that states "Rent textbooks."

3. Enter the book's International Standard Book Number (ISBN), author and title in the search bar to see if the book you want is available.

4. Choose the amount of time you will need to rent the book. Some companies will offer a certain number of days, such as 30, 60, 90 or 130 days. Others will offer a semester or quarter rental, while others will offer a combination of both.

5. Add the book to your virtual shopping cart by clicking on the button labeled "Rent," "Add to cart" or "Add to bag." Continue shopping on the site or click on the "Checkout" button to pay for your purchase.

6. Register for an account with the rental or leasing service. You will be asked for your name, email address, mailing address and other personal information.

7. Pay for your purchase with a form of payment accepted on the website.

Tips & Warnings

• Shop around for the books you need to get the best price. Not all rental or leasing services offer the same prices on the same books. There also may be differences in the length of rental or leasing terms.

• If you find that you want to keep the book at the end of the rental term, ask the rental service if you can purchase the book from them.

References

• Higher Ed Morning: Handling the Rising Costs of Textbooks
• Sacramento State University: Renting Textbooks Saves Money, Environment

Resources

• Chegg: Homepage
• College Book Rental: Homepage
• Book Renter: Homepage