商务英语付款及结账函

Chapter6

LettersAboutPaymentandSettlementofAccounts

付款与结帐函I.IntroductionPaymentisanimportantissueinbusiness.Acompanycannotkeeprunningwellwithoutgettingpaymentsforitsproductsorservice.Notransactioncanberegardedsuccessfuluntilthemoneyhasbeenpaidforthegoodsdeliveredandproceedshavebeensafelycreditedtotheiraccounts.Ininternationaltrade,fourmainpaymentmethodsarecommonlyused:Openaccount;prepaid;documentarycollection—DocumentsAgainstPayment(D/P),DocumentAgainstAcceptance(D/A)andLettersofCredit(L/C).Lettersofpaymentsusuallydiscussthemethodofpaymentortalkaboutgettingthepaymentdocumentsprepared,expeditedorchanged.

Lettersofpaymentandsettlementofaccountsusuallyadoptsthefollowingpatternofwriting:▼Intheopeningparagraph,statedirectlyandclearlywhichletteryouarereferringto.▼Inthemiddlepart,mentionthemethodofpaymentyourcompanyusuallyadopts,thingsaboutpaymentdocumentsoraccountsdue,mistakesormisunderstandingintheaccounts,suggestingoptiontoresolvetheproblemandetc.

▼Intheclosingpart,expressyourhopethatthemethodofpaymentwillbeacceptabletoyourbusinesspartner.LetterA

PaymentforaConsignmentDearSirsReferringtoyouradviceofOctober5th,weencloseshippingdocumentsfortheconsignmentof20balesofcottontoBrooklynCompany.Asrequiredbythemwehaveincludedallchargesinourinvoice,whichamountstoUSD14,580andencloseourdraftat60daysforthissum.Weshallbegladif,afteracceptanceyouwilldiscountitatthecurrentrateandremitthenetamounttoouraccountwiththeNationalBank,NY.Thankyouforyourhelpinthismatter.YoursfaithfullyLetterB

SettlementofAccountsDearMr.Browning:YourcheckforusofUSD2500insettlementofyouraccounttoJune30thisyearhasreachedus,butwefindthatyouhavededucted5%asdiscount.Weregretwecannotallowthis.Ourtermsare2.5%forpromptcashand2%onmonthlyaccounts,andthesetermswerestatedwhenacknowledgingyourorder,andareprintedonourinvoices.Theaccountistenweeksold,andthereforenotsubjecttocashdiscount.Weshallbeobligedifyouwillletuskindlyhaveacheckforthebalance,viz.,USD2625,whenwewillsendyoureceiptforthefullamount.Faithfully,Sample6-1AcceptingD/PPaymentforaTrialOrderDearSirsHaierWashingMachines

（1.事由）ThankyouforyourletterofFebruary20andappreciateyourintentionofpushingthesaleofHaierWashingMachinesinJakarta,Indonesia.（2.感谢来函，感谢对方对自己产品感兴趣。）

Althoughyourtrialorderfor1000setsofHaierWashingMachineisappealing,yourrequestforpaymentunderD/Atermsisbeyondwhatwecando,thereasonbeingthatwegenerallyaskforpaymentbyLetterofCredit.（3.拒绝接受对方提出的付款条件，并给出理由。）Inconsiderationofyourcase,wearepreparedtoacceptpaymentforyourtrialorderonaD/Pbasis,whichismuchmorefavorabletoyouthanonL/Cbasis.（4.提出另一种选择，说服对方接受。）Wehopethatyouwillaccepttheabovepaymenttermsandlookforwardtoclosecooperationbetweenus.（5.提出殷切希望。）.Yourstruly例6-1是一封拒绝对方要求D/A付款条件的信函。如果一开头就直接拒绝，读者有可能由于心生不快，就不再往下读信了，从而失去了潜在的贸易机会。所以，该信采用中性标题，且信的开头没有直接拒绝，只是提及回复的是哪封信，并用赞扬的口吻提及对方要销售该产品的意向。然后很婉转提及对方的D/A付款要求超出作者可接受的能力范围，暗示不接受D/A，同时告知自己通常可接受的付款条件是L/C。但这次作为特例，可接受比L/C优惠的D/P，暗示已经给对方照顾,最后希望对方接受D/P，期望双方能密切合作。信写得有理有据。

QuestionsforComprehensionQuestionsforComprehension1.Whydothelettersusedirectorder?2.

Howdoesthefirstparagraphineachletterbegin?3.

Dothelettersincludenecessaryexplanationsabouttheirpurposes?4.

Dotheybothendwithgoodwillwordsadaptedtotheparticularcase?5.

Whatisthepurposeofeachletter?6.Howdotheauthorsfulfilltheirtask?7.

Whatareincludedineachletter?8.

Listtheoutlinesforeachletter.9.Inwhatsituationisaninquirywritten?10.

Canyousumuptherequirementsforlettersofpaymentandsettlementofaccounts?1.AmendmentofL/C

PoorDearSirs:WehavegotyourL/CissuedbytheNationalBank,Greensboro,covering1000dozenChildrenToyCars.Onperusal,wefindthattransshipmentandpartialshipmentarenotallowed.Astherearefewdirectsteamerstoyourport,wehavetoshipviaHongKong.ThereforeweaskyoutoamendtheL/CtoreadTRASNSHIMENTALLOWEDWehopeyoucanamenditimmediatelysoaswecaneffecttheshipmentasthegoodsareready.Yourssfaithfully，ImprovedDearSirs:WouldyouamendtheL/CNo.124/12toallowtransshipmenttoourmutualbenefit?ThankyouforyourL/CNo.124/12issuedbytheNationalBank,Greensboro,fortheamountofUSD13567covering1000dozenChildrenToyCars.ThesaidL/Creachedusyesterday.Onperusal,wefindthattransshipmentandpartialshipmentarenotallowed.Butastherearefewdirectsteamerstoyourport,itisalmostimpossibleforustoeffectshipmentundersuchcircumstance.OurusualpracticeistoshipviaHongKong.SoitisimperativetoamendtheL/CtoreadTRASNSHIMENTANDPARTIALSHIMEENTALLOWED.Pleasesendtheamendmentbycablewithoutanydelayasthegoodshavebeenpackedforshipment.Yourunderstandingandcooperationarehighlyappreciated.Yourssfaithfully，这是一封关于修改信用证装运条款的信函。第一封信采取的是间接写法，先说明原因，最后提出要求。第二封信采取的是直接法，一开始就要求对方修改装船条款，允许转运，开门见山，如果对方很忙，甚至可以不往下看，马上知道做什么，因而，这样节省了对方时间。此外，第一封信中的信息不全，连信用证号、金额，这么重要的信息都没写，不妥;用词比较生硬，读上去令人感到不亲切。第二封则大不相同，语气友好，在要求对方做事的同时，考虑对方的感受，这样能会给对方留下好的印象，有利于未来的合作。UsefulSentencePatterns

OpeninganirrevocableL/CbybuyerTheBuyersshallopenthroughabankacceptabletothesellersanirrevocablesightletterofcredittoreachthesellers…daysbeforethemonthofshipment,validfornegotiationinChinauntilthe15thdayafterthemonthofshipment.买方应通过卖方所接受的银行于装运月份前XX天开立并送达卖方不可撤消即期信用证，有效期至装运月份后第15天在中国议付。2.)Thebuyersshallarrangewith…bankforopeninganirrevocable(transferable)letterofcredit(confirmedby…bank)infavorofthesellersbefore…(orwithin…daysafterreceiptofseller’sadvice,orwithin…daysaftersigningofthiscontract).Thesaidletterofcreditshallbeavailablebysightdraft(s)forfullinvoiceandremainvalidfornegotiationinChinauntilthe15thdayafterdateofshipment.买方应于XX年X月X日前（或接到卖方备货通知后X天内或签约后X天内）通过银行开出卖方为受益人的（由XX银行保兑的）不可撤消的（可转让的）全部发票金额的即期信用证，信用证议付有效期延至上述装运期后15天在中国到期。有效期延至装运日期后15天在中国到期。ProvidinginformationofopeningL/CThisistoinformyouthattodaywehaveopenedanirrevocableletterofcreditinyourfavorforUS$10,000withtheBankofChina,DalianBranch.Pleasetakespecialnotethatthegoodssuppliedmustbeexactlythesameasyoursamples.WewillexpectyourconsignmentbeforetheendofOctober.谨通知贵方我们今日已通过中国银行大连分行开出以贵方为受益人的不可撤消的信用证,金额为10000美元。请贵方务必特别注意所供货物必须与货样完全相符。我们希望贵方能于10月底前交货。WehavebeenrequestedbytheBankofAmericaSeattle,Washington,USAbylettertoadviseyouthattheyhaveestablishedtheirirrevocableletterofcreditNo.350/41120inyourfavorfortheaccountofPanAmericanImportTradingCorp.Seattle,Washington,USA.我行应美国华盛顿州西雅图市美国商业银行之请求，特通知贵方该行已为该市泛美进口贸易公司开出以贵方为受惠人的第350/41120号不可撤消信用证。3.RequestingforextensionofanL/C1.)Weregrettoinformyouthatoursupplierscannotgettheshipmentoutherebeforetheexpirationoftheshippingtime,June30,2012.Weshallappreciateit,therefore,ifyouwillkindlyextendtheshipmentdatetoJuly20,2012andtheexpirationdateofL/CtoAugust5,2012respectively.我们遗憾地通知贵方，我们的供应商未能在2012年6月30日止的装船期内装运，因此贵方如能分别把装船期延长到2012年7月20日，信用证有效期延长到2012年8月5日，我们将不胜感激。2.)ItwouldbeverymuchappreciatedifyoucouldextendtheshipmentdateofyourL/CtoMay10andvaliditytoMay25.如贵方能把信用证装船期延长到5月10日，有效期延长到5月25日，我们将不胜感激。4.AskingfortransshipmentandpartialshipmentOnexamination,wefindthattransshipmentandpartialshipmentarenotallowedintheL/C.AsdirectsailingstoLimassolareinfrequent,wehavetoshipviaRotterdammoreoftenthannot.Withregardtopartialshipment,itwouldspeedmattersupifwecouldshipimmediatelythegoodswehaveinstockinsteadofwaitingforthewholeshipmenttobecompleted.本公司核查后发现该信用证列明不容许转运或部分装运有关商品。直航利马索尔的班次甚少，往往需经鹿特丹转运。关于部分装运，如能先行装运库存货品，将比等候全部货品一次装运迅捷。5.Informationabouttermsofpayment1.)Ourtermsofpaymentarebyconfirmedirrevocableletterofcreditbydraftatsight.ThegoodsunderS/CNo.369havebeenreadyforquitesometime.Pleasehavetheletterofcreditopenedassoonaspossible.我们的支付方式是以保兑的、不可撤消的、凭即期汇票支付的信用证。第369号合同项下货物早已备妥，请赶快开立信用证。2.)Inordertoconcludethebusiness,wehopeyou’llmeetushalfway.Whatabout50%byL/CandthebalancebyD/P?为了做成这批生意，希望双方都作些让步，按百分之五十信用证，其他按付款交单，如何？3.)Thebuyersshalldulyacceptthedocumentarydraftdrawnbythesellersat…dayssightuponfirstpresentationandmakepaymentonitsmaturity.Theshippingdocumentsaretobedeliveredagainstacceptance.