1. Reference information such as invoice number, invoice date, letter of credit number, contract number, etc.
The invoice number is uniformly compiled by the exporter, and is generally a sequential number for easy checking.
The invoice date should be earlier than the bill of lading date and not later than the validity period of the letter of credit. According to the provisions of UCP600, if there is no special provision in the L/C, the bank can accept invoices with an issuance date earlier than the opening date.
The letter of credit number is prepared with reference to the letter of credit.
The contract is the basis of a business, and an invoice with more complete content should include the contract number. The contract number should be consistent with that listed on the letter of credit. If there are several contracts for a transaction, they should all be printed on the invoice.
2. Place of departure and destination
This column is not required and can be omitted. If not omitted, the place of departure and destination should be clear and specific, not general. For example, if the letter of credit requires “from a Chinese port to a Japanese port”, the specific port name should be printed when preparing the invoice, such as From Shanghai To Osaka. If there are ports with the same name, the country name shall be added according to the provisions of the letter of lading.
The origin and destination of the invoice shall be consistent with the bill of lading. If the goods need to be transshipped, the transshipment location shall also be clearly indicated. For example: the goods are transshipped from Shanghai, China to London, UK via Rotterdam, Holland. This column should be filled in as follows:
From Shanghai, China to London, UK with transshipment (W/T) at Rotterdam, Holland.
3. Marks and Quantity
If there are specified marks on the letter of lading, they must be marked verbatim in accordance with the regulations. If there is no designation, the exporter can design the marks by himself. The marks are generally based on the principle of simplicity and easy identification. The contents of the marks include the abbreviation of the name, contract number (or invoice number), port of destination, and item number. If there is no mark, N/M (No Mark) can be marked.