If someone is promising a “no upfront fee” standby letter of credit, they are not describing how real issuance works. A genuine SBLC is created through underwriting, compliance checks, documentation, and bank operations. Those steps cost money before any message is released, including before an MT760 is sent through SWIFT. If you want the basics first, read the full guide to a standby letter of credit.
A bank does not “print” an SBLC because a sponsor asked nicely. The bank needs a credit-approved obligor, enforceable documentation, and cleared KYC and AML. Even when an SBLC is issued under standard rules like ISP98 or UCP 600, bank operations still need verified instructions, text, and approvals. If you want to understand the rules side, see the UCP 600 letter of credit guide and the practical overview on SBLCs and guarantees under ISP98, URDG 758, and UCP 600.
Many pitches skip the boring parts: credit file, legal basis, and bank controls. If the provider cannot explain who the issuer is, which rules apply, and how the bank gets comfortable, you are not in a real issuance track. A credible starting point is understanding what an MT760 provider workflow looks like, explained here: MT760 SBLC provider process (ISP98 / UCP 600 compliant).
Sponsors sometimes want the instrument to “unlock funding” with zero preparation. Banks and serious lenders work the other way around: they want bankable documents, verified counterparties, and a defensible use of proceeds. If your immediate need is proof or comfort for a counterparty, start with real artefacts, not buzzwords: proof of funds services.
If you cannot fund any upfront work, the answer is not “find a provider willing to do it for free.” The answer is to change the transaction until it becomes financeable. That can mean using a documentary letter of credit instead of a standby, changing the collateral package, reducing ticket size, or raising sponsor equity. If you are unsure whether you need a standby or a documentary credit, read SBLC vs DLC: which letter of credit fits your deal and the practical explainer on issuance, confirmation, and discounting.
If you have a real transaction, a credible counterparty, and you can fund underwriting and third-party work, we can outline the route, timing, and required evidence.
Apply For A QuoteDisclaimer: This page is for general information only and does not constitute advice, an offer, or a solicitation. Financely acts as advisor and arranger through regulated partners and is not a bank or lender. Any instrument or facility is subject to underwriting, KYC, AML, sanctions screening, legal review, perfected security, and approvals by relevant stakeholders.
Financely advises growth-focused businesses on accessing capital by introducing their opportunities to professional investors. Financely is not a securities broker or dealer. Where appropriate, engagements are coordinated with regulated broker-dealers, investment banks, legal counsel, and other specialists.
Financely does not solicit, offer, or accept orders to buy or sell securities and makes no assurance regarding capital-raising outcomes.
Services are strictly business-to-business. Financely does not provide personal finance, consumer credit, or retail advisory services.
Advisory services are reserved for post-revenue companies that recognize the time and resources required for professional underwriting.
All mandates start with an RFQ. We review submissions, issue a brief Go/No-Go memo, and where bankable, release a Term Sheet that leads to funding. We arrange capital across Senior Secured, Unitranche, Second Lien/Mezzanine, Preferred Equity, and Gap Solutions. We do not process deals by email or chat.
Letters of Credit, Standby LCs, Confirmations, Receivables Finance, and Inventory Lines with control.
Funding arranged for trade flows with instruments sized to your cycle and aligned to delivery and settlement.
Move forward to secure working capital and keep goods moving. Submit the RFQ to start underwriting for funding.
Limited or non-recourse structures for energy and infrastructure with lender-ready materials.
Funding solutions aligned to project cash flows with credible covenants and conditions to reach notice to proceed.
Advance the file to termable status. Submit the RFQ so we can underwrite and secure funding.
Debt and Preferred solutions anchored on cash flow, Quality of Earnings, and clear closing mechanics.
Funding across senior, unitranche, and preferred to match stable cash flows and acquisition timelines.
Get financed on workable terms for closing. Submit the RFQ to start underwriting.
Acquisition, development, bridge, and refinance with lender-ready packs and third-party reports managed.
Funding calibrated to DSCR, leverage, and tenancy with terms designed to close.
Move to a financeable package. Submit the RFQ to initiate underwriting for funding.
KYC and Source of Funds required. Engagements are best-efforts and subject to underwriting. Preference for operating companies with meaningful revenue. See our FAQ and Procedure.
Financely Inc. (“Financely”) provides corporate-finance advice and is wholly owned by Aurora Bay Trust, a trust formed under Bahamian law, together with its authorized affiliates. Depending on deal structure, jurisdiction, and local rules, engagements may be carried out through Financely Group LLC, a non-deposit-taking, non-banking financial company; Ashford Capital Advisory LLC; or another related entity.
Financely and its affiliates are not registered as securities broker-dealers and do not execute securities transactions or hold client funds or securities. When a mandate involves the purchase or sale of securities and a registered intermediary is required, any orders are introduced to and executed by one or more independent U.S. broker-dealers registered with the SEC and FINRA. Those broker-dealers are solely responsible for trade execution, custody, and related regulatory obligations. Nothing in this material constitutes an offer, solicitation, or recommendation to buy or sell any security or to engage in any specific transaction. Before engaging Financely Group LLC, Ashford Capital Advisory LLC, or any affiliate, you are responsible for confirming that such engagement complies with your own legal, regulatory, tax, and other requirements. In the United States, certain advisory activities may be conducted in reliance on exemptions available under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, including the “foreign private adviser” exemption where applicable. Our services and regulatory status may vary by jurisdiction and by transaction type.
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