BAG Buchhändler-Abrechnungs-Gesellschaft

BAG Buchhändler-Abrechnungs-Gesellschaft is a German service provider for the book trade whose core business is clearing and central settlement (Zentralregulierung) between publishers and booksellers. Originally founded as a cooperative, it was converted into a GmbH in 1956, became BAG Buchhändler-Abrechnungsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG in 2010, and since 2014 has operated as an independent business division of Buchwert GmbH & Co. KG in Bielefeld. Its service compresses several million invoices per year into 24 collective settlements for booksellers and publishers, greatly reducing administrative bookkeeping on both sides. The mechanism is straightforward: publishers submit their invoices electronically to BAG, which collects them and condenses them into two monthly statements, so that a bookseller pays only two collective amounts per month instead of hundreds of individual invoices. The bookseller pays the amount due from the BAG statement to BAG, and the publisher receives payment from BAG rather than from the bookseller. This gives publishers fewer bank account fees and predictable liquidity because their receivables are settled on time, while booksellers save bookkeeping effort and account fees and generally gain 14 extra days beyond publishers' payment terms such as discounts or value dates. A prerequisite is the so-called BAG number, usually identical to the book-trade traffic number (Verkehrsnummer), which uniquely identifies participating booksellers and publishers. Since DZB Bank GmbH acquired shares in BAG in 2010, the clearing company has expanded its range of financial services. In addition to clearing and central settlement, it now offers services such as textbook deferrals (Schulbuchstundungen) for booksellers and early-payment disbursements (Vorfälligkeitsauszahlungen) for publishers. As part of Buchwert GmbH & Co. KG, BAG sees itself as a service provider that optimizes bookkeeping processes in the book trade and publishing and regularly adapts its offering to the current needs of the book industry.

BAG Buchhändler-Abrechnungs-Gesellschaft was originally founded as a cooperative. In 1956 it was converted into a GmbH. In 2010 it was transformed into BAG Buchhändler-Abrechnungsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG, and in the same year DZB Bank GmbH acquired shares in the company. Since 2014 it has been an independent business division of Buchwert GmbH & Co. KG, Bielefeld. Its core service, clearing or central settlement, compresses several million invoices per year into 24 collective settlements for booksellers and publishers, easing administrative bookkeeping on both sides. Since the acquisition by DZB Bank GmbH in 2010, the company has expanded its financial services, adding textbook deferrals for booksellers and early-payment disbursements for publishers. As part of Buchwert GmbH & Co. KG, BAG continues to adapt its offering to the needs of the book industry.

• Originally founded as a cooperative.

• Converted into a GmbH.

• Transformed into BAG Buchhändler-Abrechnungsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG; DZB Bank GmbH acquired shares.

• Became an independent business division of Buchwert GmbH & Co. KG, Bielefeld.

Service provider optimizing bookkeeping processes in the book trade and publishing.

• Clearing / central settlement (Zentralregulierung)

  Bundles invoice and payment transactions between bookshops and publishers; publishers submit invoices electronically, which are collected and compressed into two monthly settlements.

• Textbook deferrals (Schulbuchstundungen)

  Financial service for bookshops.

• Early-payment disbursements (Vorfälligkeitsauszahlungen)

  Financial service for publishers.

1. 1BAGbag-bank.de
2. 2Über unsbag-bank.de
3. 3BAG Buchhändler-Abrechnungs-Gesellschaftwikidata.org
4. 4BAG Buchhändler-Abrechnungs-Gesellschaftde.wikipedia.org