信用证付款终局性及其例外--基于信用证根本属性的视角  

Finality of Payment under Letters of Credit and Its Exceptions:Perspective of the Hallmark of Letters of Credit

作　　者：王金根 WANG Jingen

机构地区：[1]泉州师范学院陈守仁商学院

出　　处：《武大国际法评论》2024年第3期141-157,共17页Wuhan University International Law Review

基　　金：福建省社科联一般项目“独立保函不当拒付损害赔偿责任研究”(FJ2021B054)的阶段性成果。

摘　　要：信用证下开证人与保兑人对受益人承担了相符交单下的确定付款义务。此所谓确定,不仅仅是强调开证人或保兑人的付款条件必须清楚明晰,而且要求开证人或保兑人据此作出的付款是终局的。开证人与保兑人付款终局性本质上是信用证付款确定性价值追求的体现,是信用证融资功能的最终要求,也是信用证风险分配机制的必然结果。故此,信用证付款终局性构成了信用证的根本属性,开证人与保兑人在开立或保兑信用证时不得擅自改变信用证付款终局性,否则不构成真正意义上的信用证或信用证保兑。但在开证人或保兑人超额支付款项、受益人信用证欺诈等情形下,开证人或保兑人不受信用证付款终局性拘束而有权向受益人追索,是为例外。此例外并不是对信用证付款终局性的“背叛”,而是其内涵的有益补充。信用证付款终局性及其例外无论是对法院审判实践还是对银行实务操作都具有重要指导意义。Under the letter of credit,the issuer or confirmer has undertaken a definite obligation to pay the beneficiary when complying documents are presented.Here“definite”indicates not only that the payment terms and conditions must be clear and specific,but also that the issuer and confirmer’s payment is final.The fi-nality of payment is derived from the certainty of payment pursued by the letter of credit,and is necessitated for the realization of financing function of the letter of credit.What’s more,it is the logical outcome of the risk allocation mechanism of the letter of credit.Finality of payment is the hallmark of the letter of credit and the issuer or confirmer may not reserve its right to recourse whenever it is-sues or confirms the letter of credit.Otherwise such letter of credit or confirma-tion with right to recourse will not constitute a real letter of credit or confirmation under the law of letter of credit.However,under the exceptional circumstances,like when the issuer or confirmer has paid the beneficiary in excess of the amount due by mistake or the beneficiary has committed a letter of credit fraud,the finali-ty of payment shall not be an obstacle for the issuer or confirmer to claim refund against the beneficiary.However the exceptions shall not be considered as a devia-tion from,but as a supplement to,the finality of letter of credit payment.The fi-nality of payment under letter of credit and its exceptions have great significance on courts’adjudications and banks’operations.

关 键 词：信用证 信用证付款终局性 终局性例外 

分 类 号：D996[政治法律—经济法学]