Bill of Exchange Template
A bill of exchange is a written order from one party to another to pay a fixed sum, either on demand or at a stated future date. In international trade it is the instrument that turns an agreement to pay later into something a bank can act on — and, once accepted, into something that can be discounted for cash before it matures.
At sight of this FIRST Bill of Exchange (SECOND of the same tenor and date being unpaid) pay to the order of the sum of , value received, drawn under documentary collection covering invoice and bill of lading .
Your entries are kept as you move between documents — the parties, ports, container and line items carry across.
Sight drafts and term drafts
A sight draft is payable on presentation: the buyer pays to get the documents. A term draft is payable a stated number of days after sight or after the bill of lading date, which gives the buyer credit and the seller a dated promise. Which one you use is a commercial decision about who finances the gap between shipment and payment.
Acceptance is what gives it value
A term draft becomes an accepted bill when the drawee signs it, and that signature is a commitment separate from the underlying sale. An accepted bill can then be discounted with a bank for immediate funds at a discount to face value. Where a bank adds its own acceptance, the instrument becomes considerably stronger and cheaper to discount.
Documents against payment or against acceptance
Under a documentary collection, the seller's bank releases the shipping documents either against payment or against acceptance of the draft. Documents against payment keeps control until money moves. Documents against acceptance releases the goods against a promise, which is a real credit risk — the buyer can take delivery and still default at maturity.
Prefer to fill it in on screen? Use the bill of exchange generator →
Exporters
Issue the invoice, packing list and origin paperwork for a shipment in one sitting, without re-keying the consignee address four times.
Freight forwarders
Produce a clean set of documents for a client who sent you a spreadsheet, and hand back PDFs that a customs broker will accept.
Customs brokers
Rebuild a missing or unusable document from the particulars you already hold, without waiting on the shipper's software licence.
One shipment in, every document out
| FreightStow | Typical alternative | |
|---|---|---|
| Enter the shipment once, every document fills in | Yes | Re-key per document |
| Document types | 33 | Varies |
| Statutory forms (CMR, ISF, USMCA origin) | Included | Often missing |
| Add, rename or remove line-item columns | Yes | Fixed templates |
| PDF built in your browser | Yes | Upload, then download |
| Works before you create an account | Yes | Usually not |
The right-hand column describes the general pattern in this category, not one named vendor. Features and plans change — check any provider’s current terms before deciding.
Commercial documents · 12
- Packing List — DetailedFull itemised packing list with HS codes, marks and numbers, package types and per-item dimensions.
- Packing List — SimpleMinimal packing list: what is in the shipment, how many packages, and what it weighs. No HS codes or dimensions.
- Packing List — ContainerPacking list broken down by container, for FCL shipments where each line must be traced to a container and seal.
- Packing List — ConsolidatedOne packing list covering several orders or invoices consolidated into a single shipment.
- Commercial InvoiceThe primary customs valuation document: what was sold, to whom, on what terms, and for how much.
- Proforma InvoiceA binding quotation in invoice form, issued before shipment so the buyer can open a letter of credit or arrange an import licence.
- Tax InvoiceInvoice showing the tax charged on a supply, in the form required for the buyer to reclaim input tax.
- Credit NoteCancels or reduces a previously issued invoice, for returns, short shipments or agreed price adjustments.
- Purchase OrderThe buyer's formal instruction to supply goods on stated terms, prices and delivery dates.
- QuotationA priced offer to supply, stating validity, lead time and the Incoterms the price is quoted on.
- Request for QuotationInvites a supplier to price a specified list of goods against stated delivery terms and a response deadline.
- Sales ConfirmationThe seller's acceptance of an order, confirming goods, price, terms and shipment schedule back to the buyer.
Declarations & instructions · 10
- Non Asbestos DeclarationCertifies that the goods contain no asbestos in any form — required by Australia, Saudi Arabia and other markets that ban asbestos outright.
- New and Unused DeclarationCertifies that the goods are new and have never been used — required where the destination restricts imports of second-hand goods.
- Packing DeclarationDeclares the timber packaging and container cleanliness of a consignment — required for Australian and New Zealand biosecurity clearance.
- DeclarationA blank declaration on letterhead, for the one-off statements a buyer, bank or customs authority asks for that have no standard form.
- Declaration of OriginA self-certified origin statement made by the exporter, used where a full chamber-stamped certificate of origin is not required.
- Verified Gross Mass DeclarationThe SOLAS VGM certificate. No container may be loaded to a vessel without a signed verified gross mass from the shipper.
- Shipper's Letter of InstructionThe exporter's instructions to their freight forwarder, including the authority to act as agent for customs purposes.
- Shipping InstructionTells the carrier exactly how the bill of lading should read: parties, routing, cargo description and freight terms.
- Forwarding InstructionBooks a consignment with a freight forwarder: collection details, routing, cargo particulars and who pays which charges.
- Sales ContractThe agreement itself: goods, price, delivery terms, payment and the clauses both parties sign against.
Statutory & customs forms · 11
- CMR — Consignment Note (Sender)The sender's copy of the international road consignment note, retained as proof of what was handed to the carrier.
- CMR — Consignment Note (Carrier)The carrier's copy of the road consignment note, evidencing the contract of carriage.
- CMR — Consignment Note (Consignee)The consignee's copy of the road consignment note, travelling with the goods and signed on delivery.
- Bill of LadingThe carrier's receipt for the goods, evidence of the contract of carriage, and a document of title the consignee must surrender to collect the cargo.
- Certificate of OriginCertifies where goods were produced. Usually stamped by a chamber of commerce and required to claim tariff treatment or satisfy a letter of credit.
- Certification of Origin (USMCA/CUSMA/T-MEC)The free-trade certification for US–Mexico–Canada shipments. Has no prescribed form, but must carry all nine required data elements.
- Importer Security FilingThe ten data elements a US importer must file with CBP at least 24 hours before cargo is laden aboard a vessel bound for the United States.
- Phytosanitary CertificateCertifies that a consignment of plants or plant products meets the importing country's phytosanitary requirements.
- Form 6 — Transboundary Movement DocumentMovement document accompanying a transboundary shipment of hazardous waste, tracking it from exporter to disposal facility.
- Form 9 — Transboundary Movement DocumentMovement document for transboundary shipments of hazardous recyclable material, tracking custody through to the recovery facility.
- Bill of ExchangeAn unconditional written order requiring the drawee to pay a fixed sum on demand or at a stated future date — the instrument behind documentary collections.
+What is the difference between a bill of exchange and a promissory note?
A bill of exchange is an order by one party directing another to pay. A promissory note is a promise by the maker to pay themselves. One is drawn on someone else; the other is a commitment by the writer.
+Who are the drawer, drawee and payee?
The drawer writes the bill, usually the seller. The drawee is ordered to pay, usually the buyer or their bank. The payee receives payment, often the drawer or their bank.
+What does accepting a bill mean?
Signing it to acknowledge the obligation to pay at maturity. Acceptance creates a liability on the bill itself, independent of any dispute about the underlying goods.
+Is a bill of exchange the same as a letter of credit?
No. A letter of credit is a bank's undertaking to pay against compliant documents. A bill of exchange is an order to pay, often used within a collection or a credit but not itself a bank guarantee.
+Can a bill of exchange be transferred?
Generally yes, by endorsement, unless it is marked otherwise. That transferability is what allows it to be discounted or sold before maturity.
Judge it by the document, not the feature list.
The generator on this page is the product, prefilled and editable. Fill it in and download the finished PDF — then decide.
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