Usance Letters of Credit & UPAS (30–180 Day Tenors)
Suppliers want sight cash. Importers need time. Price padding, missed shipment windows, and tense renegotiations creep in when terms clash. Usance LCs and UPAS close the gap: the supplier is paid at sight after compliant presentation while reimbursement flows at 30, 60, 90, 120, or up to 180 days. The result is predictable working capital for the buyer and clean, on-time cash for the seller under UCP600.
Pain points this solves
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Supplier markups for long terms or weak assurance
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Cash conversion strain between shipments
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Bottlenecks from vague LC wording and timing
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Disputes over who pays usance interest
How a UPAS LC behaves
Documents are presented under UCP600. A nominated or confirming bank pays the supplier at sight. The issuing bank reimburses that paying bank at a set maturity. The importer settles with its bank at tenor. Charges and interest are handled per the LC.
Commercial outcomes
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Sight payment to supplier without pricing games
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30–180 day buyer terms set in the LC
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Clear settlement and responsibility for interest
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Eligibility for confirmation or discounting if needed
Key structures
Usance payable at sight (UPAS)
Supplier receives sight funds after compliant presentation. Issuing bank reimburses at a future date. Buyer repays at 30–180 days per LC terms.
Usance with acceptance
Time draft accepted by the issuing or confirming bank. Supplier can hold to maturity or discount the accepted draft at market.
Confirmed UPAS
Confirmation adds a second obligated payer. Useful for higher-risk issuers or to support without-recourse funding.
Eligibility and common rejection points
Eligible when structured correctly
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Irrevocable LC under UCP600 with UPAS or acceptance terms defined
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Acceptable issuer, country risk, and tenor length
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Standard transport and inspection documents
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Full SWIFT trail and any amendments available
Common rejection triggers
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Ambiguous or open-ended inspection clauses
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Nonstandard certifiers or unclear issuer authority
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Sanctions or ownership red flags
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Lapsed shipment or presentation windows
Wording that supports UPAS vs clauses that add risk
Supportive wording
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“Usance payable at sight” and the reimbursement date stated
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Nominated or confirming bank named for sight payout
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Clear charges clause allocating usance interest
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Defined shipment and presentation periods
Risk-creating wording
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Vague quality triggers and bespoke certificates
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Conflicting dates or inconsistent Incoterms
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Restrictions forcing negotiation with unknown banks
Pricing example in plain numbers
Assume LC face of 1,000,000, tenor of 120 days, UPAS interest at 6.5 percent per annum, optional confirmation fee of 0.75 percent flat, and processing of 0.20 percent. Time fraction equals 120 divided by 360 or 0.3333. UPAS interest equals 1,000,000 multiplied by 0.065 multiplied by 0.3333 which is about 21,667. Confirmation is 7,500. Processing is 2,000. Payout at sight is 1,000,000 less any supplier-allocated charges. The importer settles interest and fees per the LC charges clause at or before maturity.
Process from intake to first shipment
- Intake and eligibility. Share draft LC text, SWIFT formats, contract or PO, shipment plan, bank names, and KYC.
- Indicative route. Tenor, charges clause, nominated or confirming bank, and controls are proposed with pricing bands.
- Wording alignment. Rules, document set, shipment windows, and reimbursement mechanics are finalized.
- Bank approvals. Issuing, nominated, and any confirming bank issue fee letters and conditions.
- Issuance and notices. LC is issued with UPAS mechanics and settlement instructions confirmed.
- Presentation and payout. Documents are presented. Supplier is paid at sight. Reimbursement occurs at maturity.
Frequently asked questions
What is a UPAS LC?
A usance LC where the supplier is paid at sight and the issuing bank reimburses at a future maturity stated in the LC. Interest for deferment is allocated per the charges clause.
Who pays the UPAS interest?
The LC defines this. Many structures place the cost on the applicant, but other allocations work if they are reflected in the contract and LC text.
Do I need confirmation for UPAS?
Not always. Confirmation can broaden bank appetite and enable without-recourse funding, subject to bank and country risk and wording quality.
Can UPAS be combined with discounting?
Yes. Where a nominated or confirming bank pays at sight, discounting can be integrated or priced alongside UPAS when documents are compliant and controls are agreed.
Request a UPAS & Usance LC Assessment
Share the draft LC wording, SWIFT formats, contract or PO, shipment plan, bank names, and KYC. We will confirm eligibility, align terms, and issue indicative pricing.
Request Indicative Terms
Financely acts as advisor and arranger on a best-efforts basis. All transactions are subject to KYC and AML, sanctions screening, document compliance, and approvals by counterparties. Nothing here is a commitment to lend or an offer of securities. Terms depend on bank names, jurisdiction, tenor, and documentary quality.