Built by people who actually manage LCs
SmartLC was founded by David Berney after years of watching exporters and freight forwarders manage Letters of Credit with email, Word templates, and spreadsheets — and paying the price in rejected presentations and delayed payments.
Why we built this
Between 60 and 75 percent of document presentations under Letters of Credit are refused on first submission. That number has barely moved since UCP 600 was introduced in 2007. The rulebook was updated. The rejection rate didn't change.
The reason is simple: the people preparing trade documents — exporters, freight forwarders, trade finance teams — don't have purpose-built tools. Banks have spent billions digitising their side of trade finance. The exporter on the other side of the transaction is copying and pasting from last month's Word template and cross-checking documents manually against a PDF of the LC.
Every tool that exists in trade finance is built for banks. Nothing is built for the people who actually prepare the documents, track the deadlines, and present to the bank. SmartLC was built to close that gap.
With the UK Electronic Trade Documents Act 2023 and UNCITRAL's MLETR making electronic trade documents legally equivalent to paper, the industry is shifting to digital presentation. SmartLC is built for this transition — supporting eUCP 2.1 electronic presentation rules alongside traditional documentary credit compliance.
What SmartLC does
SmartLC reads your LC, extracts every field and condition, and turns it into structured data. When you prepare documents, the system checks them against the LC terms automatically — four layers of compliance checking before you present to the bank.
AI Document Checking
Four layers: LC terms, UCP 600 implied requirements, Field 47A additional conditions, and cross-document consistency. Every flag includes the specific article reference.
LC Risk Analysis
Structural review of the LC itself — missing fields, impossible timelines, contradictory conditions — before you start preparing documents.
Document Generation
Build templates for any trade document. Hit generate and SmartLC pre-fills from your LC data and other uploaded documents. Edit anything before finalising.
House Rules Engine
When your bank always accepts “pcs” vs “pieces”, create a house rule with one click. Bank-specific and jurisdiction-specific rules that persist across all LCs.
Smart Trade Inbox
A personalised trade email address. When documents arrive, AI identifies the LC, classifies attachments, and files everything automatically. Checked on arrival.
Critical Date Tracking
Expiry, latest shipment, presentation deadlines, amendment deadlines — tracked automatically across all active LCs. No spreadsheet. No calendar entries.
AI Assistant
Ask questions about your LCs by text or voice. When you need an amendment, AI drafts the request with the right references. Review, edit, send.
LC Project Workspace
Each LC is a complete project — documents, emails, workspace, history. Drop anything in. Everything is AI-searchable and feeds into the compliance context.
Built on UCP 600, ISBP 821 (2023 Revision), and eUCP 2.1 — published by the International Chamber of Commerce.
Who it's for
SmartLC isn't a banking platform and it isn't a generic fintech tool. It's built for the people who prepare, check, and present trade documents every day.
Exporters
Companies that handle LC shipments regularly and want to stop losing time and money to preventable discrepancies.
Freight Forwarders
Logistics companies that manage LC documentation on behalf of their clients and need a system that scales beyond one person's memory.
Trade Finance Teams
Corporate teams processing multiple LCs per month who want automated compliance checking and deadline tracking.
Get in touch
Book a 20-minute demo. Bring your own LC — we'll run it through SmartLC in real time.
Wimbledon, London SW19 5BY