Export payment terms
Advance TT · LC at sight · part advance with balance against documents
Most export enquiries stall on the same question, and it is rarely the price. It is how the money moves. This page states our terms plainly so you can check them against your own treasury rules before you ask for a quotation, rather than three emails in.
The three terms we work on
| Term | How it works | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Advance TT | Full value by telegraphic transfer against our pro-forma invoice. Goods are booked on receipt. | First orders, smaller values, and buyers who want the simplest route with no bank charges beyond the transfer. |
| LC at sight | Irrevocable letter of credit, payable at sight, through a bank acceptable to ours. We ship and present documents; you pay against compliant documents. | Larger orders, and buyers whose own procedures require documentary security on both sides. |
| Part advance, balance against documents | An agreed percentage by TT with the order; the balance against shipping documents before release. | Repeat buyers, and orders where the goods are made or packed to your specification. |
Which of the three we offer on a given order depends on the value, the destination and whether we have traded before. Ask, and we will tell you before you invest time in a specification.
What the terms do not cover
Payment terms and delivery terms are separate agreements and it is worth keeping them separate in your head. The Incoterm decides who carries cost and risk at each leg — we quote EXW, FOB, CFR and CIF, and the choice is yours. The payment term decides when the money moves. A CIF quotation on advance TT and a CIF quotation on LC at sight are the same goods at a different cash-flow shape, and the prices will not be identical.
What to send with an enquiry
The four things that let us quote firm rather than indicative: the product and grade or its specification, the quantity and pack size, the destination port, and your preferred Incoterm and payment term. If you do not know the last one yet, say so and we will quote on advance TT with the alternatives priced beside it.
We normally come back within one working day with price, lead time, packing detail and the documents that will accompany the shipment.
Documents
Commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading or airway bill, certificate of origin, and the manufacturer’s test or analysis certificate where the product carries one. Where your buyer or your customs need something further — a specific certificate of origin form, pre-shipment inspection, legalisation — tell us at enquiry stage and it is priced in rather than sprung on you at shipment. See industrial export supply for how an export order runs end to end.
A word on currency and bank charges
We invoice in US dollars unless you ask otherwise. Bank charges outside India are for the buyer’s account on TT, and LC charges follow whatever the credit itself states — read that clause, because it is the one that most often differs from what the parties assumed.
These are our standard terms and they are the starting point for a discussion, not a contract. The terms that apply to your order are the ones written on the pro-forma invoice we issue you. Related: export supply · export division · contact.