Payment Graph

The Payment Graph is a tool used in foreign trade practice to visually display the payment milestones and proportional relationships at each stage of an order, typically presented in the form of a timeline or flowchart. It is not a standard trade term, but rather an auxiliary explanation used in internal enterprise management or customer communication. Usage scenarios include: explaining installment payment arrangements to customers (such as advance payment, payment before shipment, payment after arrival), internal approval of large orders, or communicating with banks about installment draws under letters of credit. Precautions: The graph must strictly conform to the contract terms to avoid ambiguity; customers from different countries may have different definitions of milestones (e.g., whether 'shipment' means loading on board or departure from port), which must be clearly labeled. Difference from 'Payment Terms': The latter refers to the written clauses in the contract, while the payment graph is a visual supplement to the terms and cannot replace the legal text. Difference from 'Payment Schedule': A payment schedule only lists time and amount, whereas the graph emphasizes the logical relationships and proportional distribution among the milestones.