Frequently Asked Questions
What does Book Price do?
Book Price compares prices for new and used books from online bookstores and marketplaces. Search once by ISBN and you see every offer we have for that book side by side, with the price, shipping cost and condition, so you can pick the best deal.
When you choose an offer, you buy it directly from that store.
How do I search for a book?
Type the book's ISBN (10 or 13 digits) in the search box on the homepage, or at the top of any book page, and press Scout. Spaces and hyphens are fine, for example 978-0-13-468599-1.
We check that the number is a valid ISBN. If the book is in our catalogue you go straight to its page; if not, we explain why and how to try again.
How do I find the ISBN on my book?
Look on the back cover, usually printed above or below the barcode, or on the copyright page inside the book.
An ISBN has 13 digits (starting with 978 or 979) or, on older books, 10 digits. A 10-digit ISBN can end with the letter X. Both kinds work in our search.
What if my book doesn’t have an ISBN?
Books published before the 1970s, and some self-published books, may not have an ISBN. For now Book Price finds books by ISBN only, so we can’t show prices for books without one.
If you are looking for a particular book, try searching for the ISBN of another edition of the same title.
Why can’t I find my book?
Either the ISBN was mistyped, or the book is not in our catalogue yet. Check the number on the book and try again; if it has both an ISBN-10 and an ISBN-13, either one works.
If you still see “No Matches”, the book may simply not be listed yet. You can let us know which book you were looking for.
Do I buy books from Book Price?
No. Book Price does not sell books. When you click Buy, you go to the store’s own website to place your order.
Payment, delivery, returns and customer service are handled by that store, so check its terms before you buy.
Is Book Price free to use?
Yes. Searching and comparing prices is free and you don’t need an account.
Some of the stores we list pay us a small commission when you buy through our links. This never costs you anything extra and does not change the prices we show.
Are the prices up to date, and do they include shipping?
We update our prices regularly, but stores can change their prices at any time. The final price is always the one shown on the store’s website, so please check it before you buy.
Where a store gives us a shipping cost we show it next to the price, and we take it into account when we pick the best price.
What do the book conditions mean?
Each offer shows the condition given by the seller, from new to different grades of used (for example “Very Good” or “Acceptable”). You can filter the offers by condition on the book page.
Conditions are described by each seller, so read the details on the store’s page if the condition matters to you.
What is the watchlist?
The watchlist keeps the books you are interested in in one place. Log in, then click the heart (“Add to Watchlist”) on any book page.
Your watchlist shows each saved book with its current best price, and you can remove books or set price alerts from there.
How do price alerts work?
Set the price you want to pay for a book, on its book page or in your watchlist. We check prices regularly and send you an email as soon as the book’s best price reaches your price or drops below it.
You get one email per alert. To be told again, change your alert price or switch the alert off and on.
Do I need an account?
Not to search and compare prices. A free account lets you save books to your watchlist and set price alerts. You can sign up with the Sign Up button at the top of any page.
Is there a mobile app?
Not at the moment, but Book Price works on phones and tablets: just open the website in your browser.
I know a store you don’t compare yet. How can I tell you?
We’d love to hear about it. Send us the store’s name and website through our contact form. The same form works for any other question, problem or suggestion, and we reply by email.