Correspondent Banking – Meaning, Features and More

A Correspondent Bank is a financial institution that offers services to a customer on behalf of any other bank or financial institution, usually in a foreign country. The correspondent bank performs several services for the other banks, such as accepting deposits, collecting documents, and more. Such a network of banks is collectively called correspondent banking. It plays a crucial role in supporting international trade and international banking facilities.

Correspondent banking is an arrangement where one bank (correspondent) holds deposits on behalf of the other bank (respondent bank) and offers payment and other services to the respondent banks. It is basically a bilateral agreement between the two banks to provide payment services to the respondent bank’s customers who are there in the correspondent bank’s jurisdiction.

Features of Correspondent Banking

  • A correspondent bank act as an agent of the respondent bank.
  • Correspondent banks offer the following services such as Treasury, clearance of cheques, drawing of demand drafts, process documentation, foreign exchange, financing, managing international investments, and more.
  • The correspondent bank charges a specific fee for its services to the respondent bank.
  • Services of a correspondent bank are usually needed for international financial transactions that require foreign currency exchange.
Correspondent Banking

What’s the Need?

In the present world, international trade holds immense importance. Almost every company and individual plans to take their business to a global level. However, without banking services, this is not possible. On the other hand, it is not possible for every bank to have a branch everywhere.

This is where correspondent banking helps. Such a banking facility is essential for providing banking services in foreign countries where the respondent bank doesn’t have a physical presence. A foreign bank uses correspondent banks when it is financially not feasible for the former to open a branch in that country. Thus, using the services of correspondent banks helps the respondent bank retain the clients and keep costs down.

How Correspondent Banking Works?

The accounts (or customers) that a correspondent bank serves are called Vostro. It means “your account on our books.” Similarly, the respondent bank calls such an account as Nostro or “our account on your books.” For example, if you are in the US and ask your bank to open a Rupee account for you. Your bank will open a Nostro account with its correspondent bank in India.

Now, if the respondent bank needs to transfer a sum of money to a foreign bank with which it does have an agreement, it would use the services of a correspondent bank. The international transfers are done using the SWIFT network (Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication).

Thus, the respondent bank will search for a SWIFT code of the correspondent bank, which has contact with the foreign bank. The respondent bank will transfer the amount to the correspondent bank, who, after deducting its fee, transfers the amount to the foreign bank account.

Let’s understand this with the help of an example. Customer A from the US wants to import smartphones from supplier B in China. Customer A approaches his bank XYZ to transfer an amount to supplier B’s account in ABC bank in China. XYZ, however, does not have an agreement with ABC bank.

In such a case, XYZ will contact its correspondent bank in China, which has an agreement with ABC bank. XYZ will transfer the amount (plus correspondent banks’ charges) to the correspondent bank, which then forwards it to ABC bank.

Final Words

To ensure the effectiveness of correspondent banking, it is crucial that both banks gather details about the other banks, such as their goodwill, performance, clients, and more. For instance, both banks should have information about the name, address, primary business line, names of directors, recent annual report or audited financial statement, copy of a few legal documents, etc.

Further, it is important to define the roles and responsibilities of the banks clearly. Moreover, the respondent bank should share the identification data of the customer for which it is using the services of the correspondent bank.

Quiz on Correspondent Banking

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Sanjay Borad

Sanjay Bulaki Borad

MBA-Finance, CMA, CS, Insolvency Professional, B'Com

Sanjay Borad, Founder of eFinanceManagement, is a Management Consultant with 7 years of MNC experience and 11 years in Consultancy. He caters to clients with turnovers from 200 Million to 12,000 Million, including listed entities, and has vast industry experience in over 20 sectors. Additionally, he serves as a visiting faculty for Finance and Costing in MBA Colleges and CA, CMA Coaching Classes.

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