College students know that money is tight. Tuition, meals, student fees – it can all add up quickly. Any option that can cut costs and save money is worth considering, and buying a textbook can often break the bank. Renting textbooks online, therefore, is a viable way to pinch pennies.
Instead of purchasing a book that you will likely only need once, you can choose to rent your books from a selection of respectable websites for a fraction of the cost. Check out our three top rated websites, Campus Book Rentals, BookRenter, and Skyo, and be sure to read our articles on textbook rentals online.
Many factors come into play when considering textbook rentals online. Among website-specific qualities like a rich feature set and ease of use, you should look for various shipping and renting methods, as well as helpful customer support options. Here's a breakdown of what to look for when considering textbook rentals online:
Features
Most rental services provide textbooks on a pay-per-book basis. Others deliver textbooks via a monthly subscription fee. Either way, a good textbook rental service should offer customers various rental options, including flexible per-book rental periods and tiered monthly plans. Rental extensions should also be easily attainable, along with rent-to-buy options. Depending on your own study habits and preferences, you might appreciate a lenient highlighting policy, or you might want to look for more stringent quality-control standards.
Website
A clean, streamlined website will go a long way. In addition to being easy on the eyes, a well-designed website fosters quicker navigation, makes it easier to find help and gives you more time back for what really matters: schoolwork.
Shipping
A textbook does not do you any good if it's stuck in the mail. Multiple shipping options (e.g. standard, express, overnight) make it easy for you to get your books on time. Easily accessible order tracking is also a welcome feature, so you'll never have to wonder where your books are.
Help & Support
If you have any questions about a price, policy or anything else, a quality textbook rental company will take the time to answer them fully and completely. Availability of customer service representatives via phone, email and live chat provide human support when FAQs don’t have the answer. Additionally, keep an eye out for companies with Facebook and Twitter integration.
These are the focus points of our evaluation of online textbook rental companies. Fully featured services, professional websites, flexible shipping options and helpful customer support all coalesce into creating a quality textbook rental experience that can save you money.
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| Rank | #1 | #2 | #3 | #4 | #5 | #6 | #7 | #8 | #9 | #10 |
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Campus Book Rentals | BookRenter | Skyo | Chegg | eCampus | Knetbooks | Textbooks.com | ValoreBooks | Neebo | CollegeBookRenter |
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| Ratings | 9.33 | 9.08 | 8.78 | 8.58 | 8.35 | 7.88 | 7.85 | 7.83 | 7.48 | 7.10 |
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| Rental Options | ||||||||||
| 30 Days | ||||||||||
| 60 Days | ||||||||||
| 90 Days (Quarter) | ||||||||||
| 125 Days (Semester) | ||||||||||
| Choose Your Own Date | ||||||||||
| eTextbook (180 Days) | ||||||||||
| Price Comparison | ||||||||||
| Sample Book A | $20.02 | $10.49 | $10.65 | $13.49 | $11.12 | $11.01 | $10.84 | $20.88 | $27.80 | N/A |
| Sample Book B | $20.02 | $8.99 | $13.69 | $9.99 | $8.92 | $10.00 | $9.99 | $20.88 | $23.35 | $13.79 |
| Sample Book C | $39.13 | $46.45 | $41.91 | $43.99 | $35.60 | $37.19 | $43.99 | $42.98 | $45.00 | $51.61 |
| Features | ||||||||||
| Option to Buy | ||||||||||
| Highlighting Allowed | 50% of pages | 20% of pages | ||||||||
| Mild Writing Allowed | 20% of pages | |||||||||
| Option to Sell | ||||||||||
| Insurance Offered | ||||||||||
| Other Items Sold | ||||||||||
| Website Layout | ||||||||||
| Search Bar & Functionality | 100 | 100 | 95 | 95 | 100 | 95 | 95 | 100 | 80 | 100 |
| Help & FAQ Sections | 85 | 80 | 90 | 85 | 80 | 80 | 75 | 70 | 80 | 85 |
| Design, Appeal & Ease of Use | 95 | 95 | 95 | 90 | 75 | 90 | 80 | 95 | 80 | 85 |
| Help & Support | ||||||||||
| Phone | ||||||||||
| FAQs | ||||||||||
| Twitter & Facebook | ||||||||||
| Live Chat | ||||||||||
| Shipping | ||||||||||
| Express (2-3 Day) | $8 per book | $10 for first, $5 each additional | $8 for first, $4 each additional | $11 + $4 per book | $14 for first, $5 each additional | $11 for first, $6 each additional | $7 per book | $18 per book | $10 + $5 per book | |
| Order Tracking | ||||||||||
| Overnight | $20 for first, $10 each additional | $18 + $7 per book | $23 for first, $10 each additional | $17 for first, $11 each additional | $16 per book | $25 per book | ||||
| Free Shipping | Orders over $59 | |||||||||
| International | ||||||||||
| Fees | ||||||||||
| Damage Fees | Retail Price | $15 and up | Retail price MINUS rental fees | Retail price MINUS rental fees | Company's Discretion | Varies (up to retail price) | Retail Price | Retail price MINUS rental fees | Retail price MINUS rental fees | Retail Price |
| Late Fees | 15-day auto extension fee | 15-day auto extension fee | 14-day auto extension fee | 15-day auto extension fee | 20% (7 days) | 15-day auto extension fee | 15-day auto extension fee | Retail price MINUS rental fees | Retail price MINUS rental fees | 15-day auto extension fee |