The methods of payment in foreign trade can be divided into three kinds, listed as follows:
　　國際貿易結算中的三種基本方式：
　　1. Remittance; 匯付
　　2. Collection; 托收
　　3. Letter of credit. 信用證
　　Remittance and collection belong to commercial credit. Letter of credit belongs to banker’s credit. The word “credit” means who takes the responsibility of paying money and surrendering the shipping documents which represent the title to the goods in handling over the transacted goods and paying the above-mentioned money.
　　匯付和托收屬于商業信用，信用證屬于銀行信用。所謂“信用”意思是在對外貿易中貨物的交換和貨款的支付由誰來承擔付款和提供貨物所有權的責任問題。
　　In remittance or collection transaction, the buyer is responsible to make payment, the seller to surrender documents.
　　在匯付和托收項下，買方負責付款，賣方負責提交單據。
　　Telegraphic Transfer (T/T): At the request of the buyer, the local bank sends a trust deed for payment by cable to a respondent bank at the seller’s end and entrusts him to pay money to the seller. This method is quicker than mail transfer. The seller can receive the money at an early date.
　　電匯（T/T）付款方式是進口地銀行按買方（客戶）要求，直接用電報發出付款委托書給出口地往來銀行，委托其向賣方（指定的外匯銀行賬號）付款。這種方法比信匯快，賣方可以提早收到貨款。來源：考試大
　　Collection is the second mode of payment in foreign trade. The seller issues a draft, to which the shipping documents are attached, sends the draft to a bank in his place (i.e., the remitting bank) to collect the purchase price from the buyer through its correspondent bank abroad (i.e., the collecting bank). Collection can be divided into two kinds:本文來源:考試大網
　　托收是第二種國際支付方式，由賣方開具匯票并隨附單據，交給當地銀行（托收行或受托行）并提出申請，委托該行通過它在進口地的代理行（代收銀行），代向進口人收款。托收可分為兩種。
　　a. Documents against payment (D/P)
　　Under this payment method, the exporter is to ship the goods ordered and delivered the relative shipping documents to the buyer abroad through the remitting bank and collecting bank with instructions not to release the documents to the buyer until the payment for the goods is made.
　　b. Documents against acceptance (D/A)
　　Under this method, the collecting bank will release the shipping documents to the buyer without any payment but merely against a written promise of the buyer to honor the draft at a certain future date agreed upon between the seller and the buyer.
　　Under D/A terms of payment, just time (usance) draft is used. The draft usually ranges from 30 to 150 days.　　
　　a.付款交單（D／P--documents against payment）。出口方在委托銀行收款時，指示銀行只有在付款人（進口方）付清貨款時，才能向其交出貨運單據，即交單以付款為條件，稱為付款交單。按付款時間的不同，又可分為即期付款交單（D／P Sight）和遠期付款交單（D／P after Sight）　　
　　b.承兌交單（D／A---documents against acceptance）。承兌交單指出口方發運貨物后開具遠期匯票，連同貨運單據委托銀行辦理托收，并明確指示銀行，進口人在匯票上承兌后即可領取全套貨運單據待匯票到期日再付清貨款。承兌交單和上面提及的“付款交單，憑信托收據借單”一樣，都是在買方未付款之前，即可取得貨運單據，憑以提取貨物。一旦買方到期不付款，出口方便可能銀貨兩空。因而，出口商對采用此種方式持嚴格控制的態度。　　
　　In L/C transaction, the banker is responsible to pay money and tender documents on behalf of both parties.
　　信用證(L/C---lettle of credit)是一種有條件的銀行付款承諾，承擔第一付款責任，是一種銀行信用，代替買賣雙方負責付款和提交單據，對進出口雙方（特別是彼此不熟悉的客戶）的利益較有保障。