The charge transfer in Li-intercalation compounds of the polyaromatic hydrocarbon perylene was examined. It was found that the valence and core-level photoelectron spectroscopies characterized the bonding configuration of the alkali metal atoms. The effect of intermolecular polarization on the ionization potential of Li atoms was compensated by a screening of the Madelung energy. The data collected illustrated that the large charge transfer in the a-perylene was due to the lower ionization potential of lithium atoms.