Split Payments Under an LC: 80% of Invoice Amount or 80% of LC Amount? Intro Credits that split payment between shipment and installation often cause confusion when partial shipments are involved. The key question is whether payment should be linked to a percentage of the invoice or a percentage of the LC amount. Question Dear Mr. Old Man, We have an LC for USD 10,000, available by payment. The LC provides: * 80% payable … Read More
Insurance Endorsement under an LC: “Endorsed to Bank” or “To the Order of Bank”? Intro Insurace documents under letters of credit often create confusion—especially when beneficiaries apply bill of lading concepts to insurance policies or certificates. One recurring grey area is whether an insurance document should be endorsed “to” a named bank or “to the order of” that bank, particularly when the credit expressly requires the document to be transferable. The following Q&A addresses … Read More
DDP, Insurance Documents, and Unloading Risk: Getting Incoterms® Right in an LC Context Intro One of the recurring sources of confusion in trade finance arises when Incoterms® are mechanically copied into a letter of credit without considering what those rules actually require — or do not require. A typical example is an LC issued on DDP terms that nevertheless calls for the presentation of an insurance policy or certificate. Is that correct? And … Read More
Can a Confirming Bank Refuse When Documents Arrive After Expiry? Intro In practice, documents are often presented to a nominated bank close to the LC expiry date and then forwarded onward to a confirming bank. This raises a recurring question: does the confirming bank have the right to refuse simply because the documents reach its counter after expiry? The following scenario illustrates why forwarding time must not be confused with … Read More
On Board Date Format on a Bill of Lading: Is “25.12.24” a Discrepancy? Intro One of the most common — and often unnecessary — discrepancies raised in document examination relates to the format of dates shown on transport documents. Examiners sometimes hesitate when a date is expressed numerically rather than with the month stated in words. But does such hesitation have any basis under ISBP 821? Let’s look at a straightforward example. __________ … Read More
Must Documents Show the Issuing Bank’s LC Reference — and What About the Negotiating Bank’s Reference? Intro Credits often require that documents “indicate the L/C reference,” but do not always specify which reference is meant. Is it the issuing bank’s LC number? Or could a negotiating bank expect its own reference to appear on the documents? Mr. Old Man looks at this question through the lens of UCP 600 and ISBP 821. Question Dear Mr. Old … Read More
Ocean Bill of Lading with Inland Final Destination — Article 19 or Article 20? Intro One of the most common — and persistent — areas of confusion in document examination arises when a credit requires an ocean bill of lading, but the routing information in the L/C or the transport document refers to an inland final destination. Does this automatically turn the document into a multimodal transport document to be examined under UCP 600 … Read More
Fire, General Average, and LC Obligations Can Documents Still Be Presented — and Should the LC Be Amended? Intro In international trade, accidents at sea are not uncommon. Fires, groundings, and collisions may lead to cargo damage and the declaration of General Average by the carrier or salvor. When such events occur before documents are presented under a letter of credit, issuing banks are often confronted … Read More
Manually Signed Invoice vs. Digitally Signed Invoice When ISBP Default Rules Meet an Express LC Requirement One of the most common misunderstandings in document checking arises from relying on ISBP default provisions while overlooking what the credit itself expressly requires. A typical example is the commercial invoice: ISBP tells us when an invoice need not be signed — but what happens when the LC explicitly calls for … Read More
WHETHER A CONFIRMING BANK IS A NOMINATED BANK — AND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THERE ARE TWO CONFIRMING BANKS INTRODUCTION Questions about whether a confirming bank is also a nominated bank may sound academic at first glance, but in practice they can become critically important — especially when a credit involves more than one confirming bank, a specific place of expiry, and documents moving across several borders. This Q&A examines a real-life scenario involving two confirming banks and explores … Read More