Intro In LC practice, dates on documents often matter more than the facts behind them. One of the most common traps is assuming that a document must reflect the “real” event date. In reality, banks can only judge what appears on the face of the document, not what happened in the warehouse or at the port. This short Q&A looks …

A Swift sent before expiry does not mean you’ve made a valid claim. In standby business, “documents will follow” can be the most expensive sentence of the year… A banker sent me a case that looks simple — until you read it carefully. And as always in standby LCs, the devil is hiding in one small word: “and”. The Case …

Intro Questions surrounding insurance documents remain one of the most frequent sources of discrepancy under documentary credits. One recurring issue is whether an insurance certificate showing the assured as “to order” – and endorsed by a party other than the beneficiary – is acceptable when the credit does not name an assured. The following case highlights how ISBP 821 and …

Introduction In practice, the terms negotiation and discounting are often used interchangeably in letter of credit (LC) transactions. However, under UCP 600, they are not the same. This Q&A clarifies the distinction—especially when an LC is available with a nominated bank by negotiation.  QUESTION Hi, I would like to understand the difference between negotiation and discounting, particularly in cases where …

Intro In SWIFT MT 700, Fields 39A and 39B are often referred to as “tolerance Fields”. Although both relate to the credit amount, they serve different purposes and lead to very different practical outcomes. This Q&A explains the distinction and when each Field is typically used. Question Dear Sir, Good day! I have some doubts on Tolerance Field39A and 39B. …

Intro In LC practice, the term “cable negotiation” is sometimes mentioned by beneficiaries and banks, even though it does not appear in UCP 600. This Q&A clarifies what “cable negotiation” means in practice, how it works, and the benefits and risks involved for each party when discrepant documents are presented. QUESTION Dear Mr. Old Man, My name is HY. I …

Intro  Letters of Credit sometimes contain additional conditions that blur the line between presentation by the beneficiary and document handling between banks. When such clauses are poorly drafted, the question inevitably arises: can an issuing bank turn an internal routing instruction into a discrepancy? The following Q&A addresses one such situation involving Fields 47A and 48. QUESTION Dear Sir, LC …

Intro Differences between the amount in words and the amount in figures are among the most common issues encountered in document examination under letters of credit. At first glance, such inconsistencies appear to be straightforward discrepancies. However, practice shows that the answer is not always the same, particularly when a bill of exchange (draft) is involved. While UCP 600 establishes …

INTRO In practice, bank guarantees are often treated as if they must be issued or advised through a local bank in the beneficiary’s country. This assumption frequently leads to confusion between legal possibility and market or tender requirements, especially when physical bank guarantees are involved. The following question raises a simple but important issue: Can a bank issue a physical …

Intro  Time calculations under Letters of Credit often look simple, yet the word “within” continues to cause confusion — especially when readers focus on the example given in ISBP 821 paragraph A14(b)(i) and wonder whether the permitted period should extend both before and after the shipment date.  The following Q&A addresses a very practical question: When an LC requires documents …