In the context of migration and financial crises, we are witnessing a renaissance of rationing – a limited allocation of goods and services that cannot be paid for with money. The so-called refugee crisis has also brought non-cash settlements (vouchers or food packages) back onto the agenda in Germany. This prompts a theoretical assessment of this form of distribution, along with its principles and problems. Rationing, with all its planning and management fantasies, leads a haunting and often overlooked existence. It is not only employed in state socialism but also during the founding of Israel and Cuba; in the wartime economies of Austria and Denmark; in the Soviet Gulag as well as during the Argentine financial crisis; in disaster relief, in Jordanian refugee camps, and in initial reception facilities for asylum seekers.