Being in international business, you might be very well aware of the concept of bank guarantee and letter of credit but sometimes, it becomes difficult to differentiate between these two as both the terminologies look similar but they are very different from each other. Both the financial instruments are the legal guarantees from the lending institution that the exporter will be paid on-time for delivered goods & services. Plus, both assure that the importer will be able to pay the debt, no matter what the financial circumstances are. But in case, if the buyer is unable to pay, the lending institution will step in and pay the amount. Both instruments provide financial assistance and reduce risk factors and grow global transactions.
Difference Between Bank Guarantee And Letter Of Credit
So, how to differentiate bank guarantee vs letter of credit? The key difference is that letters of credit are widely used in international trade & transactions due to the risk factors involved in global trade, for example, distance, different laws, and unfamiliarity of the parties to the contract towards one another, etc. While bank guarantees, on the other hand, are often used in real estate and infrastructure contacts to mitigate the credit risks in the domestic market.
