Not having to do things in cash is nice. Having a Letter of Credit covers both parties when purchasing a product from overseas or across borders. It needs to be issued by a financial institution promising that payment will be made on behalf of the buyer for any goods purchased. Even if the buyer is unable to pay for whatever reason the amount will still be deposited into the sellers account within a certain amount of time.

The first step for any transaction to take place is for the buyer and seller to make a deal. They will both need to agree on a price as well and quantity and how these goods will be transported. It is normally the seller that will ask the buyer to use a LOC if domestic.

The reason that the buyer will insist on this is so that he will feel more confident that he will actually get paid. Working with a person one does not know can be a risk in itself and at times the buyer will pull out for whatever reason leaving the seller without payment. Sometimes the order can be very large and has the potential to cause financial difficulties if things don’t go according to plan.

Many people might be a bit confused about the Sales Agreement and LOC. These two are not the same as the agreement does not include a financial institution but is only between the buyer and seller. The next step is to obtain the letter from the bank in the buyer’s home country. It is easier if one has already got an account where one is about to apply.

In order for this to be supplied details of how much the payment will be as well as the name and address of the seller needs to be added. The exact time it will be transported or shipped as well as how this will be done. The country of docking is also very important. All of these will need to be correct as this is a binding document.

Once this is issued the bank has now promised that the money will be sent on condition that the buyer has the financial means to pay. Depending on the bank one will then need to deposit an agreed amount or the bank might have offered to give a loan. Once all these details have been finalized the letter is then sent to the seller’s bank to be looked over. It is in the seller’s best interest to then go over it making sure that it is what was agreed upon.

Capital does not only mean finances that are needed to run a company but can also mean type of goods that can help to make other goods in the future. Fixed capital is referred to as those things that help to increase the productive potential for years to come. These will be all machinery, equipment, computers and even software.

If by some chance the ship carrying the goods never makes it to port, the seller will still get the money as the bank has now made a promise to them that payment will be made no matter what. The Credit Letter is a binding document that no one should try and bypass. It is there for the buyer as well as the seller for their peace of mind.

Read more about Major Transactions Should Be Secured With A Full Letter Of Credit.