Abstract: China's time bank old-age service model still has some practical problems， such as small coverage and low participation. Taking social exchange theory as the analytical framework， this paper is based on a large sample survey conducted in Shanghai and finds that the main factors affecting the development of time bank in China include the currency of time bank， the financial support of the government， the active participation and contribution of other members， etc. Therefore， we should increase government credit support and enhance the trust level of the time bank old-age service model; we should encourage public input to enhance the timeliness of social exchange of time bank old-age service model; we should apply advanced technologies to optimize the characteristics of time currency in order to strengthen the security of the social exchange and the currency; we should strengthen the construction of “filial piety culture” and consolidate the value basis of social exchange.

Key words: time bank, social exchange theory, old-age service model, government credit, currency