Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for managing stocks of consumption units associated with users in a system of document processing devices connected in a network wherein a plurality of stocks of consumption units are kept on each document processing device, each stock on a document processing device being associated with a user. The method comprises transferring, through the network, consumption units of a first stock kept on a first document processing device to a second stock kept on a second document processing device as a reaction to an emitted signal. The apparatus includes a distribution function suited for managing through the network the stocks of consumption units on a plurality of document processing devices, the stocks of consumption units being associated with the same user.