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💼intro to business review

Documentary Collections

Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025

Definition

Documentary collections refer to the process of international trade where a seller instructs their bank to release goods to a buyer only upon the buyer's payment or acceptance of a draft. This method is used to mitigate the risk of non-payment in cross-border transactions.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

  1. Documentary collections help mitigate the risk of non-payment in international trade transactions by requiring the buyer to pay or accept a draft before receiving the goods.
  2. The seller's bank acts as an intermediary, holding the shipping documents until the buyer pays or accepts the draft, ensuring the seller is paid before the goods are released.
  3. Documentary collections are often used in situations where the buyer and seller do not have an established relationship or trust in each other's ability to fulfill the transaction.
  4. The documents required in a documentary collection typically include the commercial invoice, bill of lading, and other shipping documents that prove the goods have been dispatched.
  5. Compared to a letter of credit, documentary collections offer a simpler and less costly method of payment, but also provide less protection for the seller against non-payment.

Review Questions

  • Explain how documentary collections work to mitigate risk in international trade transactions.
    • In a documentary collection, the seller instructs their bank to release the shipping documents to the buyer only upon the buyer's payment or acceptance of a draft. This process helps mitigate the risk of non-payment for the seller, as the goods are not released until the buyer has fulfilled their financial obligation. The seller's bank acts as an intermediary, holding the documents until the buyer completes the required payment or acceptance, ensuring the seller is paid before the goods change hands.
  • Analyze the key differences between documentary collections and letters of credit in international trade.
    • While both documentary collections and letters of credit are methods of payment in international trade, they differ in the level of protection they provide. Letters of credit offer more security for the seller, as the buyer's bank guarantees payment upon presentation of the required documents. In contrast, documentary collections rely on the buyer's willingness to pay or accept the draft, providing less protection for the seller. However, documentary collections are generally simpler and less costly to implement than letters of credit, making them a more attractive option in some situations where the buyer and seller have an established relationship and trust in each other's ability to fulfill the transaction.
  • Evaluate the role of bills of exchange and sight drafts in the documentary collections process.
    • Bills of exchange and sight drafts are important components of the documentary collections process. A bill of exchange is a written order directing the drawee (the buyer) to pay a specified amount to the payee (the seller) on a certain date. A sight draft is a type of bill of exchange that requires the drawee to pay the full amount upon presentation, as opposed to a time draft which allows for payment at a later date. In a documentary collection, the seller will typically include a bill of exchange, often in the form of a sight draft, which the buyer must pay or accept before receiving the shipping documents and the goods. This helps ensure the seller is paid in a timely manner and mitigates the risk of non-payment in the international trade transaction.