A short-term financing method where a business sells its trade receivable (bill of exchange) to a bank at a discount to receive immediate cash before the bill's due date.
Bill Discounting allows businesses to convert trade receivables into immediate cash. The seller draws a bill of exchange on the buyer, gets it accepted, then presents it to a bank for discounting. The bank pays the face value minus a discount charge (interest for the remaining period) and collects the full amount from the buyer on maturity. It's a form of receivables financing that improves cash flow without taking on traditional debt. The bill can be 'with recourse' (seller liable if buyer defaults) or 'without recourse' (bank bears the risk). It differs from factoring in that individual bills are discounted rather than the entire receivables ledger.
A bill of exchange for ₹5,00,000 due in 90 days is discounted at 14% p.a. Discount = ₹5,00,000 × 14% × (90 ÷ 365) = ₹17,260. The business receives ₹4,82,740 immediately. The bank collects ₹5,00,000 from the buyer after 90 days.
glossaryTermPage.reasons.accuracy
glossaryTermPage.reasons.compliance
glossaryTermPage.reasons.decisions
glossaryTermPage.reasons.efficiency
Bill discounting uses formal bills of exchange (accepted by the buyer). Invoice discounting uses regular trade invoices without buyer acceptance. Bill discounting is more secure for the bank because the buyer has formally accepted the obligation. Invoice discounting is quicker and more flexible.
If discounted 'with recourse', it creates a contingent liability and the receivable remains on the balance sheet. If 'without recourse', it's treated as a true sale — the receivable is derecognized and no liability is recorded (under Ind AS 109).
Money owed to a business by its customers for goods or services delivered but not yet paid for.
A form of short-term borrowing where a business uses its unpaid invoices as collateral to receive immediate cash from a financier, while retaining control of collections.
A written guarantee from a bank (on behalf of the buyer) promising payment to the seller upon presentation of specified documents proving shipment of goods.
The difference between a company's current assets and current liabilities, representing the short-term liquidity available for day-to-day operations.
glossaryTermPage.cta.subtitle