When a merchant needs financing to buy products, suppliers often rely on the business’s reputation when deciding whether to extend it credit. This is relatively easy to do when the supplier has worked with the same buyers for years, or they have a strong standing in the industry. When the business is half the world away, however, lending can be a riskier proposition.

One way to resolve this issue is the use of banker’s acceptances. These are time drafts that a business can order from the bank. The financial institution promises to pay the exporting firm a specific amount on a specific date, at which time it recoups its money by debiting the importer’s account. A banker’s acceptance, or BA, works much like a post-dated check, which is simply an order for a bank to pay a specified party at a later date. The holder may choose to sell the BA for a discounted price on a secondary market, giving investors a relatively safe, short-term investment.

BAs are frequently used in international trade because of advantages for both sides. Exporters often feel safer relying on payment from a reputable bank than a business with which it has little if any history. Once the bank verifies, or “accepts”, a time draft, it becomes a primary obligation of that institution.

The importer may turn to a banker’s acceptance when it has trouble obtaining other forms of financing, or when a BA is the least expensive option. The advantage of borrowing is that it receives the goods and has the opportunity to resell them before making payment to the bank.

Discounting the Acceptance

To understand banker’s acceptances as an investment, it’s important to understand how businesses use them in global trade. Here’s one fairly typical example. An American company, Clear Signal Electronics, decides to purchase 100 televisions from Dresner Trading, a German exporter. After completing