How Trade Financing Works on an Order
This guide explains how sellers create an order with trade financing and what happens on both sides once it's issued. It covers how sellers set initial financing terms, how buyers can adjust those terms before agreeing, and how Alethium handles payment and settlement.
Before you start
You'll need the following ready before you begin:
- Both the seller and buyer need active Alethium accounts
- The buyer must have applied for and been approved for trade financing (if not, financing options will show as N/A)
- The seller should have their invoice details ready (items, quantities, prices)
Seller: Creating a financed order
Start a new sale
Navigate to the Selling module and click New Sale in the top right corner.
Select buyer, currency, and line items
Choose the buyer you're invoicing and the currency you'll bill in. Then add your line items — item names, quantities, and prices.
Check buyer financing eligibility
Select Bank Transfer as the payment method. If your buyer has been approved for trade financing, you'll see their available credit displayed here. If the buyer hasn't applied for financing, this field will show as N/A.
Set initial financing terms
For eligible buyers, you can select financing terms when creating the order (e.g. 30-day terms). These are a starting point — your buyer will have the opportunity to adjust them before agreeing.
Review and commit the invoice
Preview the invoice PDF to check all details are correct. When you're ready, click Create Order to issue the order to your buyer.
Buyer: Reviewing and agreeing to an order
View received orders
Log into Alethium and open the orders you've received. You'll see a list of invoices from all of your sellers.
Adjust financing terms (optional)
Before agreeing, you can change the financing terms if needed. Click Change Financing, select your preferred terms (e.g. changing from 30 days to 60 days), then click Save.
Agree to the order
Once everything looks correct, click the menu to the right of the order and select Agree to Order. Once agreed, the order is locked — if changes are needed, the seller must cancel and create a new one.
Common questions
Still need help? Our team is happy to walk you through any questions you still have.
Contact support