How is time banking different from mutual aid? Or volunteering?

In mutual aid, people come together to support one another directly, often in flexible and immediate ways, based on shared need and collective care. In volunteering, people usually give their time to help an organization or cause, often without receiving anything specific in return except the impact of the work and the experience or community they gain.

A time bank is a specific mutual aid practice, where a shared system is used to track exchange through time credits. When you help someone, you earn credits for your time, which you can later use to receive help from others in the network. This makes reciprocity more structured and visible over time, so support can circulate more consistently across a community.