Letters of Credit Presentation Clock
UCP 600 document presentation deadline from bill-of-lading.
These calculators are for informational purposes only and do not constitute legal, financial, or professional advice.
How the Letters of Credit Presentation Clock works
The Letters of Credit Presentation Clock takes the date of shipment and the presentation period your credit allows and returns the last day documents can be presented to the bank. Enter the shipment date, the number of days (21 by default under UCP 600, or a shorter figure if the credit specifies one), and the workweek and bank-country holidays — the tool counts forward and gives you the deadline a documentary presentation has to meet.
The clock starts at the date of shipment, which for ocean freight is normally the on-board date on the bill of lading — not the invoice date or the day documents are collated. UCP 600 Article 14(c) requires a presentation including original transport documents no later than 21 calendar days after shipment, and in any event no later than the expiry date of the credit. Compute the 21-day date, then check it against the credit's own expiry and any shorter stated period; the earliest of the three governs.
Article 29 adds one wrinkle the calendar handling reflects: if the last day for presentation falls on a day the bank is closed for reasons other than force majeure, the deadline rolls to the first following banking day. Selecting the bank's country holidays carries a deadline that would land on a closed day to the next day the bank can actually receive documents.
Worked example
Goods go on board on the 1st under a credit that allows the default 21-day presentation period and does not expire sooner. Counting 21 calendar days forward gives the 22nd as the last day to present. If that day is a Sunday or a bank holiday, Article 29 carries the deadline to the next banking day. Had the credit instead said "present within 10 days of shipment," the deadline would pull forward to the 11th — the shorter stated period wins.
Frequently asked questions
What date does the presentation clock start from?
From the date of shipment — for ocean freight, the on-board date on the bill of lading — not the invoice date or the day you finish assembling documents. Read the shipment date off the transport document itself and use it as day zero, because the count and the discrepancy risk both hang on it.
Is the 21-day window the only deadline?
No. UCP 600 sets 21 calendar days after shipment as the outer limit, but presentation must also be no later than the credit's expiry date, and many credits specify a shorter presentation period in their terms. Compute all three and act on the earliest — the 21-day allowance never extends a credit that has already expired.
What happens if documents are presented late, and is this advice?
Late presentation is a discrepancy, and the bank may refuse to pay unless the applicant waives it — turning a guaranteed payment into a negotiation. This is general information, not legal or financial advice. Confirm any real deadline against the credit's exact terms, UCP 600, and your nominated bank before acting on it.