01
做生意，卖家最喜欢的付款方式是TT（电汇），如果金额太大，或者买卖双方互相不信任，会选择L/C（信用证），用银行信用做担保。
年前遇到一个客户，到现在已经接触了四个多月，沟通还算顺利。
价格谈妥了，技术问题解决了，工厂视频也看了。到了付款的时候，他忽然抛出了一个发自灵魂的拷问：
我付款了，你要是不交货，我该怎么办？
客户的顾虑是可以理解的，毕竟我们是第一次做生意，八万多美金也不是小数目。
作为外贸圈的资深老鸟，这个问题自然难不倒我。又考虑到金额不小，我马上胸有成竹地建议：
那就做L/C吧。
接着，客户又给了我一个发自灵魂的拷问：
什么是L/C？
我。。。。。。
不过，本着专业和职业精神，我还是详细给他解释了什么是L/C。
客户听我讲完后，又非常认真地说：
我从不操作自己不懂的东西。
额，一番苦口婆心的解释白费了。。。
02
我的内心一向黑暗，以为他要出什么幺蛾子，于是就静静地等待他出招，看下一步要提出什么要求。
正当我严阵以待的时候，客户说：
“要不，你让银行出个保函，银行出了保函，我就付款。”
银行保函我倒是知道，以前翻译一些大工程的标书（商务标+技术标）的时候，一定会遇到保函这种文件。
银行保函又叫银行保证书，也属银行信用的一种。
银行应申请人或委托人的要求向受益方开出，担保申请人一定履行某种义务。
并在申请人未能按规定履行其责任和义务时，由担保行代其支付一定金额、或作出一定经济赔偿。
做外贸，还是第一次遇到客户要求卖家提供银行保函才付款这种情况。
于是，就让客户把保函样板发过来。结果我看到一半就否了。
我要是在这份文件上签字了，就等于把自己变成了砧板上的一块肉，擎等着被人宰割。
“
……………………… (hereinafter – the “Contracting Entity”) |
Riga, xx.xx.201__.
Advance Payment Refund Guarantee No.Ref. No. 1X-XXXXXX-GF
We, _________, having unified registration No. __________ and registered office at ___________ (hereinafter – the “Bank”), have been notified that our customer ………….., having registration number ……… and registered office at ………………….. (hereinafter – the “Contractor”), and you have entered into Agreement No. ……….(hereinafter – the “Agreement”) on ____ _______ ______________ for ……………….
Pursuant to the terms of the Agreement, in order to secure performance of the Contractor’s obligations in respect of advance payment refund to the Contracting Entity in the events set forth in the Agreement, the Contractor must provide the Contracting Entity with an advance payment refund guarantee (hereinafter – the "Guarantee").
In view of the foregoing, the Bank hereby irrevocably assumes the duty to pay the Contracting Entity, upon demand by the Contracting Entity, any amount of up to:
..................... (currency, amount with words) (hereinafter – the “Guarantee Amount”)
in the event that, subject to the conditions set out herein, the Bank has received a relevant document signed by the Contracting Entity (hereinafter – the “Demand”) in which the Contracting Entity demands the Bank to make a payment on the basis of this Guarantee and which contains a statement by the Contracting Entity that the Contractor is in breach of its obligations under the Agreement, specifying the obligations which are breached.
The Demand shall be presented in the form of a paper-based document or electronically. Electronic presentation shall be in the form of an authenticated message via SWIFT or by sending the Demand to the e-mail address tv and executing it in compliance with the requirements laid down in the Electronic Documents Law. For the purposes of identification, the signatures of the persons signing the Demand shall be notarized on the Demand or, alternatively, the Demand shall be presented through the intermediary of the Contracting Entity’s credit institution which shall attest to the identity of the persons signing the Demand and to their right to sign the Demand on behalf of the Contracting Entity.
The Contracting Entity will be entitled to present the Demand to the Bank from such time as an amount of funds equivalent to the Guarantee Amount is credited to the Contractor’s account No. ____________ with the Bank, provided that information received by the Bank in relation to execution of transfer of such an amount enables the Bank to identify connection of transfer of such an amount with this Guarantee.
This Guarantee is valid until ___ ____________ 201____ (hereinafter – the “Expiry Date”). The Demand must be received by the Bank on or before the Expiry Date in the Bank (at the address _________ or, in case of electronic presentation of the Demand, at the SWIFT address _______ or the e-mail address:
This guarantee will automatically terminate in its entirety if
· the Bank does not receive the Demand on or before the Expiry Date,
· the Bank has received the Contracting Entity’s written notice of the Bank being released from its obligations under the Guarantee and the original or copy of this Guarantee is enclosed with such a Contracting Entity’s notice.
This Guarantee is subject to the Uniform Rules for Demand Guarantees (version of 2010, International Chamber of Commerce Publication No. 758). This Guarantee and the associated legal relationship shall, insofar as the matters in question are not regulated by the aforesaid Uniform Rules for Demand Guarantees, be subject to legislation of the Republic of Latvia. Any dispute arising between the Bank and the Contracting Entity in connection with this Guarantee shall be resolved by the courts of the Republic of Latvia.”
（英文不好的小伙伴，直接打开TESS GIFT智能语音鼠标的“划词翻译”功能，选定段落，即可看到中文译文或者设定的目标语译文）
虽然我否了客户提供的保函，但还是打电话到汇丰，咨询了相关内容。
客服非常热情，说我这种情况，还有别的解决办法。
PS：非常感谢汇丰的客服。一般情况下，我们打电话到银行咨询问题，都是你问什么，客服回答什么，不多说一个字。能站在客户角度，想办法为客户积极解决问题的客服很少见，更不要说银行的客服了。
客服说：
银行可以出具一份你们公司的“信用证明”，向客户证明你们公司在过去12年里都在合法经营。
还不忘顺便见缝插针地游说，让我把账户里的部分美金存个定期
（这已经是汇丰一年内第四次打我美金的主意了，前三次都是打电话过来，一次说可以帮我管理美金，包证达到每年稳定增值；一次是建议我买理财产品，一次是建议我做汇率管理，敬业精神可嘉！）
得到银行的回复后，我跟客户说可以提供银行开具的“信用证明”，问他是否接受。
没想到客户居然二话没说就同意了。
从死胡同到柳暗花明，这转折让我又吃了一惊，深感老外的脑回路之神奇。
最后，顺利填写好申请，快递给汇丰的户口服务部，三个工作日出证。
PS：银行不会给每家申请公司都开信用证明的，审核通过了才会开，收费300港币。
这笔款根据申请人的指示，会在对应的账户里扣除。
汇丰的企业账户上有世界上所有主流货币的账户，这些账户平时是隐藏的，当你收到相应的货币时，对应的账户会被自动冲开。
比如，原始账户只有港币和美金，有一天你收到了一笔欧元，账户就自动生成欧元账户，收到英镑，自动生成英镑账户，以此类推。
除了港币是两个账户（港币往来，港币储蓄），其余的货币都是储蓄账户。
附上“信用证明”申请模板。
总结
Summary
外贸路上，各种趣事，有苦恼，有欢乐，有成功，有挫败。
无论怎么说，有一点是可以确定的，做外贸，长见识。
我到最近才知道，除了信用证，大银行开出的信用证明在欧美客户的眼里也是很管用的。
当大家被常规付款问题卡住的时候，至少还有别的选项。或者说当客户提出一种新东西的时候，不至于眼前一抹黑，不知道如何应对。
年后订单爆发，最近一周每天至少三个新单落地，我去搬砖啦！
祝各位外贸圈的小伙伴工作顺利。
文章转载：Tess外贸Club"
