# Balance of trade The instantaneous balance $b_{M_i}$ of a club member $M_i$ is the running sum of its credits received minus its credits issued/spent. Likewise, the balance of the a club $C_j$'s intertrade account $b_{C_j}$ is the cumulative total of all transactions that have passed through it (total credit received externally by members of the club minus total credit sent). This represents the balance of the club seen as a member of the 'club of clubs' it is a part of. See [here](https://matslats.net/credit-commons-accounting) for a detailed description of intertrade.