It’s fair to say that relationship-based economy is a bit like barter-based economy, where a “double confidence of wants” is usually needed.
It is less efficient, compared with the modern economy where a mutually agreed intermediary “currency” is used.
And relationship-based transactions can often span a very long time frame – any immediate “payment” is not required. Although this can be see as a “credit”, usually it can not be used to “pay” for other things. Thus, one person is actually “maintaining” many accounts with people around him/her, where bilateral relationships are recorded.
One reason that relationship-based transactions have been popular in Asia cultures might due to the taxes.
In ancient times, when taxes could be high and unpredictable, relationship-based transactions are not obvious to others outside the transaction.
Technically speaking, it’s probably not a “transaction” under modern definition. It’s just “I help someone and he/she might help me some day”.