The Best Sites to Rent Textbooks [November 2019]

When you’re a student, the costs of new books can be a bit too much to handle. Renting a textbook is usually easier and cheaper than buying a new one and then trying to resell it afterwards.

That’s why the textbook rental websites are on the rise. With this service, you can find all the books that you need and rent them during the course of your semester for an affordable price. That way, you can get everything you and save up some money.

On top of that, some of these websites offer additional perks. Let’s check them out.

Amazon Rentals

Amazon provides a top-notch service when it comes to textbook rentals. Since it’s one of the biggest and most popular e-commerce businesses in the world, it’s understandable why it has an unmatchable database of available books for rent.

Renting a book with Amazon doesn’t differ much from buying one. You just need to search for a book title or author’s name (or the ISBN code) as you usually would on Amazon. Then, when you go to the product page, just select “rent” instead of “buy used (or new)” and add it to the rental cart.

Amazon’s rental service offers various perks. For example, the company experts will determine whether a book is in an acceptable rental condition (no water damage, torn pages, burns, odors, etc.) and once you receive it, you can apply for a refund anytime in the following 30 days. In addition, you’re obliged to pay the shipping cost, but if you are subscribed to the “Prime Student” membership, the shipping is free.

Finally, if you own a Kindle or a Kindle app on your smart device, you can rent an e-book instead. This way, you don’t pay the shipping fees and the costs are generally cheaper. The book will remain on your Amazon account during the rental period after which it will disappear.

Campus Books Rentals

The Campus Books Rentals has more than a decade of trustworthy service during which they’ve significantly grown their library, as well as their reputation. They boast with one of the biggest book collections among all the online textbook rental services.

However, you should know that the service is mainly dedicated to students. Therefore, it has both amazing upsides and certain things that may discourage you. For example, the shipping is completely free, regardless if you’re receiving a book or sending it back. On the other hand, the book quality may be below your required standard, as the service allows writing and highlighting the book pages.

Some other interesting features include live support at all times and an extremely user-friendly interface. If you’re unsure about certain regulations or if you have any other questions, you can easily find help. Additionally, the service offers a 3-week refund period.

To rent a book, simply search it via the bar, click on it, and choose the rental period. The period ranges between 55 and 130 days and you can choose your preferred dates.

Chegg

The great thing about Chegg is that it has a stricter rental policy than the other services from the list. The textbooks are mostly in a tidy shape since writing on books is prohibited and you may get charged if caught doing so. On the other hand, highlighting the books isn’t discouraged, but you should try to keep it at the minimum. In addition, you’ll get free access to the e-book version of your textbook for a week (estimated shipping period) so you don’t lose valuable studying time.

There are a few things to consider when it comes to delivering and returning books. You need to pay the shipping fee in both directions unless your cart is over a certain amount. This depends on the period of the year since special offers are included, but the fee should usually be above $50. When you return the book, you must return it with the prepaid shipping label that you’ve got upon receiving the package.

On top of this, the Chegg website offers a study program where you can answer questions and problems from more than 9,000 textbooks. You can even ask an online tutor for help at any time if you need help understanding the material. Apart from that, the website offers lists of available internships and career paths that you can look up and maybe even apply for some.

Textbook Rush

Textbook Rush was founded in 1994 and in 2002 they started their online bookstore and online book rental service. The site has a huge catalog of study books – over a million titles. It is interesting to note that they also offer movie and video game rentals, too.

This service has several major upsides – It has a 30-day, no-questions-asked return policy if you’re unsatisfied with your book. Moreover, if your order is above $35, you’ll be spared the shipping costs while the return is always free. When the time comes to return the book, you may extend the rental period for an additional 10 days for a small fee.

The service is one of the easiest to use. The website’s intuitive layout makes it easy to rent a book, extend the rental period, and even buy a book. Yes, you can buy a book that you’ve rented at any time. On top of that, Textbook Rush has an app where you can sell your used books. So, not only can you rent a book, but you can also earn some money selling a book that you no longer need.

Cheaper and Easier Learning

The reviewed websites are some of the best textbook rentals, but you should keep an eye on a bunch of up and coming sites. As textbook rentals are becoming the best way to study cheaply and quickly, you can only predict that the number of these services will rapidly grow.

Which site would you pick and why? Why is renting a textbook your preferred option? Drop us a line in the comments section below.