Document sets
A Document Instruction is the document set of one leg: what the credit's 46A asks for, the 47A rules every document must meet, the buyer's bill-of-lading instructions, the checks of the drafts, the approvals of trade finance and the buyer, the non-negotiable copies, and the originals couriered to the bank. A back-to-back trade has two sets: the supplier's set under the purchase credit and your own set under the sale credit; the bill of lading is shared by both.
To open the list: Documents › Document Sets › Document Instruction.
1. The documents a credit usually asks for (46A)
| Document | Issued by | Originals + copies | Purchase set | Sale set |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial Invoice | The beneficiary | 1 + 3, manually signed | The supplier | You |
| Bill of Lading | The master or agent | 3/3 + 3 non-negotiable | Shared | Shared |
| Certificate of Sampling and Analysis | The surveyor | 1 + 3 | Supplier's surveyor | Buyer's surveyor |
| Certificate of Weight | The surveyor | 1 + 3 | Supplier's surveyor | Buyer's surveyor |
| Draft Survey Report | The surveyor | 1 + 3 | Supplier's surveyor | Buyer's surveyor |
| Certificate of Hold Cleanliness | The surveyor | 1 + 3 | Supplier's surveyor | Buyer's surveyor |
| Certificate of Origin | The surveyor or chamber | 1 + 3 | Supplier's surveyor | Buyer's surveyor |
| Beneficiary's Certificate | The beneficiary | 1 | The supplier | You |
Insurance certificates, packing lists, phytosanitary and inspection certificates are supported too.
2. Create the instruction
- Automatically with the rule Prepare document instructions when an LC is issued or advised.
- Manually: New:
- Title (for example Purchase leg documents T.0101), Trade, Leg, Letter of Credit, Beneficiary Type (Supplier on the purchase leg; Company when you are the beneficiary, on the sale leg) and Beneficiary.
- Save. From the credit the app copies:
- Documents (46A): each required document with its issuer, originals, copies and the wording it must carry;
- Rules (47A): each condition with its type.
- Bill of Lading Instructions (from the buyer): Consignee (for example To Order), Notify Party, Freight Clause (Freight payable as per Charter Party), HS Code, Buyer's Instructions.
- Non-Negotiable Documents To (the e-mail addresses in the credit) and Within Working Days of Shipment (for example 5).
NN Documents Due = the B/L date plus that many working days (Monday to Friday, less the company's holidays).
3. 47A rules the app checks
Each 47A condition is recorded with a type; these types are checked on every document of the set:
| Rule type | Check |
|---|---|
| Only Invoice and Draft Show LC Details | No other document shows the LC number, the issuing bank, or the unit price or value |
| Surveyor Certificates Without Consignee or Notify | Surveyor certificates show neither |
| Originals Only (No Photocopies) | No document is a photocopy |
| No Document Dated Before the LC | No document is dated before the credit's issue date |
| Analysis Shows Listed Parameters Only | The analysis certificate shows only the listed parameters |
| Language | Documents are in the stated language |
| Typing Errors Accepted | A spelling or typing error in a name that changes neither meaning, value nor quantity is reported as Info, not a discrepancy (a B/L number is never a typing error) |
| Equivalent Terms | Terms the credit declares equivalent (MT = M/TONS = METRIC TONNES, COA = certificate of sampling and analysis, DSR = certificate of draft survey…) are read as the same |
| Split Documents Allowed, Split B/Ls Allowed | Several B/Ls are not a partial shipment; a document may cover one B/L or the total |
| Partial Shipments, Transhipment | Checked against 43P and 43T on the bills of lading |
| Free Text and the others | Kept for the record and shown on the instructions |
4. Send the instructions
- Print › Document Instructions and send the PDF to the supplier (purchase leg) or keep it for your own team (sale leg).
- Click Send Instructions (state Sent).
5. Receive the drafts
The supplier sends draft invoice, B/L and beneficiary's certificate; the surveyor sends draft certificates. Record each as a Trade Document of the trade and leg (Stage: Draft), with what it shows: vessel, B/L number and date, quantity, ports, amount, and the wording flags (shows LC number, shows consignee, photocopy…). Attach the file. Fill from a document can read a PDF into the form.
Click Drafts Received (state Checking Drafts).
6. Check the drafts
Actions › Check the documents checks every document of the set (the leg's and the shared ones, ignoring superseded versions) and lists the Findings:
| Check | What it finds |
|---|---|
| Consistency | Vessel, B/L number, B/L date, quantity and load port read differently on two documents (the B/L is the reference). A different B/L number, date or quantity is a discrepancy |
| 46A Completeness | A required document missing |
| 47A Rule | A document breaking one of the rules above |
| Dates | A document dated before the credit |
| Rejection Limit | An analysis result beyond the contract's rejection limit (discrepancy) or within 2% of it (warning) |
| 43P Partial Shipment, 43T Transhipment | Several shipments or transhipment the credit does not allow |
| Draft Survey | The cargo by draft survey (final less initial net displacement) differs from the stated quantity or the B/L by more than 0.5% |
| B/L Set | Not a full set of originals, wrong endorsement, a named consignee where to order is asked, or no signer stated |
| Certificate Identity | A surveyor certificate without its issuer's accreditation, or a verification code not yet checked |
| Typing Error (47A: accepted) | A typing error the credit accepts (information only) |
Each finding shows the document, the field, what was found, what was expected and its severity (Info, Warning, Discrepancy). Tick Resolved when dealt with. The check also ticks Received against each required document and links it.
Example: the supplier's despatch note quotes B/L BL/0101/26 while the bill of lading reads BL/0101/2026: a consistency discrepancy. The analysis certificate's GCV of 4,036 is within 2% of the 4,000 rejection limit: a warning, passed to the settlement.
- Wrong drafts: Reject Drafts (back to Sent) and ask for corrections. A corrected document is entered as a new version (see Trade documents).
- Clean drafts: Route for TF Approval.
7. Approvals
| Step | Action | Who |
|---|---|---|
| Pending TF Approval | Approve (TF) (not the requester) / Reject (TF) | Trade Finance Executive, Trade Finance Manager |
| Pending Buyer Approval | E-mail the drafts to the buyer, then Buyer Approved / Buyer Rejected | Documentation Executive, Trader |
| Drafts Approved | Request Finals | Documentation Executive |
| Awaiting Finals | Issue Final Documents | Documentation Executive |
8. Your own documents (sale leg)
On the sale leg you are the beneficiary (Beneficiary Type: Company):
- Make the sale leg's commercial settlement first: your invoice is built from it.
- Actions › Prepare our invoice and certificate creates:
- Our commercial invoice (number and date from the settlement, the settlement total, the vessel, B/L, quantity and ports), allowed to show the LC number, bank and price;
- Our beneficiary's certificate, with the wording the credit asks for (or a standard statement that the non-negotiable documents were e-mailed within the working days).
- Actions › Draw the bill of exchange creates the draft the credit calls for: drawn for the invoice amount, at the credit's Drafts at (42C) tenor, on its Drawee (42A).
- Print each from its design (Print › Trade Document).
On the purchase leg the supplier issues its own (The beneficiary of this leg issues its own invoice and certificate).
9. Non-negotiable copies and originals
- E-mail one set of non-negotiable copies to the credit's address before NN Documents Due and fill NN Documents Sent.
- Courier the originals to the negotiating bank within the presentation period and fill Courier, AWB No., Sent On and Sent To (Negotiating Bank).
- Click Issue Final Documents. The set is Documents Issued and ready for presentation.