Supporting the book trade for
over 75 years
Batch has been supporting the book industry for generations
What began in 1948 as a manual clearing house created by the Booksellers Association to simplify payments between booksellers and publishers has grown into a trusted technology provider serving the industry today
Over the decades, Batch has continually evolved – from the early days of processing handwritten cheques and reconciliation of paper invoices to today’s digital payments, returns management and integrated data exchange systems. While the technology has changed, our purpose has remained the same: to make it easier for the book trade to work together.
Today, Batch supports booksellers, publishers and distributors with practical, reliable solutions that reduce administration, improve accuracy and help the book supply chain run smoothly.
Acting as a hub for the industry, we connect publishers and booksellers through technology that simplifies trading and collaboration — helping ensure that books find their way into the hands of readers everywhere.
From a small manual clearing house in 1948 to the digital platforms used across the book trade today, Batch has grown alongside the industry it supports. The timeline below highlights some of the key milestones that have shaped our journey and the services we provide to booksellers and publishers around the world.
The Booksellers Association sets up a clearing house to support publishers. Cheques and invoices from over 300 booksellers are manually reconciled and consolidated into a single payment per publisher, simplifying administration and creating a central function for the industry.
By 1978, over 800 booksellers and 400 publishers are regularly using the service. The process remains fully manual, requiring a team of 17 people working seven days each month, to reconcile accounts and handwrite each cheque.
The Clearing House safely transfers £55.2 million from 800 booksellers to 400 publishers in its 40th year. Over four decades, a total of £835 million has been redistributed, simplifying payments and supporting the publishing industry.
The Booksellers Association creates BATCH (Booksellers Association Transactional Clearing House) to embrace digital transactions. With the rise of dial-up internet, the system shifts to EDI, enabling publishers and booksellers to exchange data more efficiently and modernising payments for the digital era.
The Batch Payments portal consolidates invoices by publisher and enables electronic approvals. Increasingly, payments are made via electronic banking, streamlining and simplifying the approval and payment process.
A 1998 BIC report reveals returned stock across the industry is valued at £98 million. Batch Returns is designed and launched to manage requests, authorisations, and confirmations for returned stock, clarifying stock movements, speeding up credits, and reducing administrative burden throughout the supply chain.
With support from the American Booksellers Association (ABA), the Batch payment system is launched in the US, bringing proven efficiency and streamlined processes across the Atlantic.
Following the loss of Bertrams, BATCH acquires BertLine to maintain an ordering system for 200 booksellers. Renamed BatchLine, it becomes a comprehensive stock management and Point of Sale (POS) system integrated with other Batch services.
The publisher payment portal relaunched with a fresh design and simplified user interface.
BATCH launches a modern, user-friendly website for UK and international users, showcasing Batch’s central role in the industry and helping publishers, booksellers, and customers identify solutions that simplify their operations.
