Commercial Letters of Credit

Reduce your risks when doing business internationally

Commercial Letters of Credit are designed to ensure that payments to or from overseas sources are transmitted and received on a proper and timely basis.

Typical conditions

Conditions typically involve the presentation of documents showing shipment has been made (i.e., negotiable bills of lading), insurance documentation, invoices and inspection certificates.

Two forms of payment

Sight payments demand immediate disbursement when the required documents are presented, examined and approved. Time payments delay payment until a future date following document approval and release.

Specific details

Letters of credit also specify details on the purchase or sale of goods including price, required shipping documents, payment terms, shipping terms, time frames and other transaction details contained in the underlying contract.

Import letter of credit

The issuing bank substitutes its credit standing for yours or that of your business resulting in enhanced purchasing power, reducing the seller’s risk and improving cash flow.

Export letter of credit

The foreign bank substitutes its credit standing for that of your buyer, reducing your risk and improving cash flow.

We Can Help

What we can do

First Citizens can make your overseas transactions easier and more efficient.

Issue import letters of credit, ensuring compliance with international trade practices
Carefully examine all documents to ensure compliance with the letter of credit
Make payment only when documentation conforms to the terms of the letter of credit
Consult with you on the proper structure of letters of credit and relevant documentation
Provide you with competitive rates and industry expertise

Application Agreement

Commercial (Import) Letter of Credit Application (PDF)

Amendment Request

Letter of Credit Amendment Request (PDF)

Amendment Instructions

Letter of Credit Amendment Request Instructions (PDF)

Foreign Currency

Make business and travel abroad secure and simple

Get the foreign currency you need to do business in other countries.

Remote Image Deposit

Deposit money from anywhere

Deposit checks remotely for faster processing and extended deposit hours.

Normal credit approval applies.

Links to third-party websites may have a privacy policy different from First Citizens Bank and may provide less security than this website. First Citizens Bank and its affiliates are not responsible for the products, services and content on any third-party website.

Bank deposit products are offered by First Citizens Bank. Member FDIC and an Equal Housing Lender. icon: sys-ehl.

Bonus Offer

Offer is valid on new accounts only. Company must spend $3,000 within the first three months of account opening to receive the bonus. 10,000 bonus points will be credited within 60 days of qualification under the description: Commercial Spend Bonus.

Earning Points

Accelerated Rewards Tier: Earns one and a half (1.5) points for each dollar you spend for net retail purchases (gross retail purchases less any returns or credits).

There is no monthly point cap and points do not expire as long as you remain in the Accelerated Rewards Tier.

Rewards Redemption

Businesses in the Accelerated Rewards Tier may redeem points for (i) cash back to a First Citizens checking or savings account or credit card statement credits, (ii) credit towards a First Citizens personal loan or mortgage principal, (iii) Pay Me Back statement credits, (iv) travel rewards, including airline tickets, hotel, car rentals, cruises and tours, (v) retail gift cards and certificates and (vi) merchandise and (vii) donations. Businesses in the Accelerated Rewards Tier have access to additional experiential rewards and a fixed point value airline travel reward.

These Terms are only a summary. Other restrictions and requirements apply. The full First Citizens Rewards® Program Rules will be provided upon enrollment and are accessible via the program website at FirstCitizensRewards.com at log in.

Program Rules are subject to change or cancellation without notice.

Bonus Offer

Offer is valid on new accounts only. To qualify, company must spend $3,000 within the first three months of account opening to receive the bonus. $100 rewards dollars will be credited within 60 days of qualification under the description: Commercial Spend Bonus.

Earning Cash Back

Cash Back Rewards: Earns (i) one (1) reward dollar for each one hundred (100) dollars you spend for net retail purchases (gross retail purchases less any returns or credits), (ii) five (5) reward dollars for each one hundred (100) dollars you spend for net retail purchases in the following rewards categories: utilities and wireless phone (4 additional reward dollars on top of the 1 reward dollar for each one hundred dollars earned on net retail purchases) for the first twelve (12) months from account opening; three (3) reward dollars for each one hundred (100) dollars you spend for net retail purchases thereafter (2 additional reward dollars on top of the 1 reward dollar for each one hundred dollars earned on net retail purchases), (iii) two (2) reward dollars for each one hundred (100) dollars you spend for net retail purchases in the follow rewards categories: gas and office supplies (1 additional rewards dollars on top of the 1 reward dollar for each one hundred dollars earned on net retail purchases).

Rewards Categories: Merchants who accept Visa credit cards are assigned a merchant code, which is determined by the merchant or its processor in accordance with Visa procedures based on the kinds of products and services they primarily sell. We group similar merchant codes into categories for purposes of making reward offers to you. We make every effort to include all relevant merchant codes in our rewards categories. However, even though a merchant or some of the items that it sells may appear to fit within a rewards category, the merchant may not have a merchant code in that category. When this occurs, purchases with that merchant won't qualify for rewards offers on purchases in that category.

There is no monthly point cap. Reward dollars earned are available for redemption for a 3-year term. Reward dollars expiring during the year will be cleared from the Program Account on the last day of the month in which they expire.

Rewards Redemption

Businesses may redeem reward dollars for (i) cash back to a First Citizens checking or savings account or credit card statement credits and (ii) Pay Me Back statement credits.

Program Rules are subject to change or cancellation without notice.

Bonus Offer

Offer is valid on new accounts only. To qualify, company must spend $3,000 within the first three months of account opening to receive the bonus. 10,000 bonus points will be credited within 60 days of qualification under the description: Commercial Spend Bonus.

Earning Points

Base Rewards Tier: Earns (i) one (1) point for each dollar you spend for net retail purchases (gross retail purchases less any returns or credits), (ii) three (3) points for each dollar you spend for net retail purchases in the follow rewards category: gas stations (2 additional points on top of the 1 point per dollar earned on net retail purchases), (iii) two (2) points for each dollar you spend for net retail purchases in the following rewards categories: restaurants and travel (airlines, auto rental, and lodging) (1 additional point on top of the 1 point per dollar earned on net retail purchases).

Businesses may earn up to 10,000 points per calendar month, excluding bonus points. Points earned are available for redemption for a 3 year term. Points expiring during the year will be cleared from the Program Account on the last day of the month in which they expire.

Rewards Redemption

Businesses in the Base Rewards Tier may redeem points for (i) cash back to a First Citizens checking or savings account or credit card statement credits, (ii) credit towards a First Citizens personal loan or mortgage principal, (iii) Pay Me Back statement credits, (iv) travel rewards, including airline tickets, hotel, car rentals, cruises and tours, (v) retail gift cards and certificates and (vi) merchandise and (vii) donations.

Program Rules are subject to change or cancellation without notice.

Let's get started

A few things to know before opening an account:

You'll need to be an existing First Citizens Business Customer with a Business Digital Banking login to open an account.
Your business must be a sole proprietorship, an LLC or a corporation. If you have any other business structure, you’ll need to visit a branch to open an account.

Find a Branch

Let's get started

A few things to know before opening an account:

You'll need to be an existing First Citizens Business Customer with a Business Digital Banking login to open an account.
Your business must be a sole proprietorship, an LLC or a corporation. If you have any other business structure, you’ll need to visit a branch to open an account.

Find a Branch

Let's get started

A few things to know before opening an account:

You'll need to be an existing First Citizens Business Customer with a Business Digital Banking login to open an account.
Your business must be a sole proprietorship, an LLCor a corporation. If you have any other business structure, you’ll need to visit a branch to open an account.

Find a Branch

Let's get started

A few things to know before opening an account:

You'll need to be an existing First Citizens Business Customer with a Business Digital Banking login to open an account.
Your business must be a sole proprietorship, an LLC or a corporation. If you have any other business structure, you’ll need to visit a branch to open an account.

Find a Branch

Thank you. We'll be in touch.

You'll receive an email response within 60 days.

The following questions will allow us to assess and review information about your organization and hold in our active file for Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) evaluation.

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Enter your organization's tax Employer Identification Number (EIN)*

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Purpose of Community Development

What percent of your organizational client population served is low income?*

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What percent of your organizational client population served is moderate income?*

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Expected number of low- or moderate-income individuals to be served with grant*

Expected number of jobs created/retained for low- or moderate-income individuals*

What amount are you applying for?*

Comments

Upon selecting Submit, we'll process the information for CRA qualification and respond to you within 60 days or less. Thank you.

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Thank you for your request.

We'll process your request and respond within 45 days. Our response may either:

Include documentation responsive to your request
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If you didn't make this request or have questions, please call us toll free at 888-FC DIRECT (888-323-4732). Our representatives are available Monday through Sunday between the hours of 7 am and 11 pm ET. Thank you for contacting First Citizens Bank. We appreciate your business.

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Looking to open a small business account? Get started

2,500 New Enrollment Bonus

The new enrollment bonus offer is available at account opening to new cardholders in the Accelerated Rewards Tier of the First Citizens Rewards® credit card or existing cardholders who upgrade to the Accelerated Rewards Tier. Not valid with any other promotional offers.

Earning Points

At the Accelerated Rewards Tier, you will earn 1.5 points for each $1 you spend for all net retail purchases (gross retail purchases less any returns or credits). Earned points are calculated on actual dollars spent rounded up or down to the nearest point. Points will be deducted from the available rewards account balance for all returned purchases. There is no monthly point cap and points do not expire as long as you remain in the Accelerated Rewards Tier.

Redeeming Points

Each point is worth $0.01, which means that 100 points equals $1 in redemption value. Redemptions start as low as 10,000 points. Some limitations may apply.

You may redeem points back into other First Citizens banking products:

Cash Back to an existing First Citizens Bank checking account, savings account or credit card account
Account credits towards a First Citizens personal loan or mortgage

Cash back and account credit redemptions must be completed through the Program website, however a statement credit back to your First Citizens Card can also be redeemed through the First Citizens Rewards Call Center. The redemptions will post within 2-8 business days. No First Citizens card or mortgage account credit will be applied, in whole or in part, against any monthly minimum payment due, however, account credits to your First Citizens consumer loan will be applied first to your outstanding interest and any remaining amount will be applied to your principal.

Cardholders in the Accelerated Rewards Tier may redeem 50,000 points for one continental flight when the flight is booked at least 21 days in advance and includes a Saturday night stay. This reward is only available for redemption on coach tickets priced below $1,000.00. Tickets priced above $1,000.00 are not eligible for this reward.

Redemptions are also available for travel, including airline tickets, hotel, car rentals, cruises and tours, retail gift cards and certificates, donations and merchandise.

You may use points for a Pay Me Back® redemption, meaning a statement credit for the corresponding dollar amount will be applied to your First Citizens Rewards card that was used for the purchases over $100. Some exclusions apply to certain categories of transactions. No statement credit will be applied, in whole or in part, against any monthly minimum payment due.

These terms are only a summary. Other restrictions and requirements apply. The full First Citizens Rewards® Program Rules will be provided upon enrollment and are accessible through the program website at FirstCitizensRewards.com at log in.

Program rules are subject to change or cancellation without notice.

Earning Reward Dollars

With Cash Back Rewards, you will earn 1 reward dollar for each $100 net dollars you spend for net retail purchases (gross retail purchases less any returns or credits). Earned reward dollars are calculated on actual dollars spent rounded up or down to the nearest point. Reward dollars will be deducted from the available rewards account balance for all returned purchases.

There is no monthly earnings cap. Reward dollars earned are available for redemption for 3 years. Reward dollars expiring during the year will be cleared from your Program Account on the last day of the month in which they expire.

Redeeming Reward Dollars

Each reward dollar is worth $1, which means that $100 reward dollars equals $100 in redemption value. Redemptions start as low as $25 rewards dollars.

You may redeem reward dollars back into other First Citizens banking products:

Cash Back to an existing First Citizens Bank checking account, savings account or credit card account
Account credits towards a First Citizens personal loan or mortgage

Cash back and account credit redemptions must be completed through the program website, however a statement credit back to your First Citizens Card can also be redeemed through the First Citizens Rewards Call Center. The redemptions will post within 2 to 8 business days. No First Citizens card or mortgage account credit will be applied, in whole or in part, against any monthly minimum payment due, however, account credits to your First Citizens consumer loan will be applied first to your outstanding interest and any remaining amount will be applied to your principal.

You may redeem rewards dollars for account credits to be deposited to your First Citizens checking or savings account or applied to your First Citizens credit card, consumer loan or mortgage.

You may use reward dollars for a Pay Me Back® redemption, meaning a statement credit for the corresponding dollar amount will be applied to your First Citizens Rewards card that was used for the purchases over $100. Some exclusions apply to certain categories of transactions. No statement credit will be applied, in whole or in part, against any monthly minimum payment due.

Program rules are subject to change or cancellation without notice.

Earning Points

At the Base Rewards Tier, you will earn 1 point for each $1 you spend for all net retail purchases (gross retail purchases less any returns or credits). Earned points are calculated on actual dollars spent rounded up or down to the nearest point. Points will be deducted from the available rewards account balance for all returned purchases.

At the Base Rewards Tier, cardholders may earn up to 10,000 points per calendar month. Points earned are available for redemption for a 3-year term. After the 3-year term, points expire and can no longer be redeemed. Points expiring during the year will be cleared from your Program Account on the last day of the month in which they expire.

Redeeming Points

Each point is worth $0.01, which means that 100 points equals $1 in redemption value. Redemptions start as low as 10,000 points. All rewards redemptions can be made through the First Citizens Rewards Center by telephone or through the program website. Some limitations apply.

You may redeem points back into other First Citizens banking products:

Cash Back to an existing First Citizens Bank checking account, savings account or credit card account
Account credits towards a First Citizens personal loan or mortgage

Redemptions are also available for retail gift cards and certificates, donations and merchandise.

These Terms are only a summary. Other restrictions and requirements apply. The full First Citizens Rewards® Program Rules will be provided upon enrollment and are accessible through the program website at FirstCitizensRewards.com at log in.

Program Rules are subject to change or cancellation without notice.

Get pre-qualified online in 4 steps

When you select the link below, you'll be taken to the login page for our mortgage application system.
On that page, select the Create Account button located below the Log In button. Even if you have a First Citizens digital banking account, you'll need to create an account for our application system.
Once you've created an account, you can log in to fill out and submit your application. Submitting an application doesn't mean you're agreeing to a loan.
After receiving your application, a mortgage banker will reach out to you to discuss your options.

Or contact a local mortgage banker

If you'd prefer to talk with someone directly, you can call 877-627-5688 or search our local directory to find a mortgage banker near you.

What are you looking for most in a credit card?

Flexible Rewards

Cash back

A low interest rate

Do you plan to use this card for everyday purchases?

Yes

In addition to cash back, are you also interested in earning points redeemable for gift card, merchandise and more?

Yes

Are you also interested in earning rewards?

Yes

Based on your answers, here's what we recommend

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Accelerated Earnings Card

Earn 50% more points on everyday purchases and get exclusive travel rewards.

Earn rewards faster
Use rewards for exclusive travel experiences
Get an introductory balance transfer offer

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Rewards Card

Earn points by making everyday purchases and pay no annual rewards program fee.

Earn rewards
Pay no annual fee
Get an introductory balance transfer offer

Recommended

Cash Back Card

Transform everyday purchases into unlimited cash back.

Earn cash back
Use rewards as statement credits
Get an introductory balance transfer offer

Recommended

Smart Option Card

Get our lowest available rate.

Consolidate higher interest rate balances
Pay no annual fee
Get an introductory balance transfer offer

Still not sure? Compare Accounts

Need to make a change?

Commercial Letters of Credit

Reduce your risks when doing business internationally

Procedures you need to know about

Typical conditions

Two forms of payment

Specific details

Import letter of credit

Export letter of credit

What we can do

Application Agreement

Amendment Request

Amendment Instructions

Make business and travel abroad secure and simple

Deposit money from anywhere