Alternatives to Letter of Credit: There are several situations where a business is either unable to get access to a letter of credit, perhaps due to a low credit score, or, because the supplier or customer does not want to use aLetter of Credit to finance the transaction. Given that open account trade cover 80% of cross-border trade, businesses with good commercial relationships often won’t use Letter of Credits. Alternatives to Letter of Credits are often used to finance small purchases, perhaps those under $100k, given that they are significantly cheaper and faster to set up. Revolving Vendor Accounts: In cases where a business has a good trading history, as well as paying its vendors and suppliers in time, revolving vendor accounts can be used to extend payment terms. Using these tools, a business can order supplies, materials, and services in advance on credit. Once all the necessary materials are ordered, a business can forward them to end users or customers, paying the supplier b...