A banker's acceptance is a negotiable instrument or time draft drawn on and accepted by a bank, which upon acceptance becomes an obligation of the bank and is a marketable money-market instrument.

An importer plans to purchase goods from an exporter. The exporter will not grant credit, so the importer turns to its bank. They execute an acceptance agreement, under which the bank will accept drafts from the importer. In this manner, the bank extends credit to the importer, who agrees to pay the bank the face value of all drafts prior to their maturity. The importer draws a time draft, listing itself as the payee. The bank accepts the draft and discounts it-paying the importer the discounted value of the draft. The importer uses the proceeds to pay the exporter. The bank can then hold the bankers acceptance in its own portfolio or it can sell it at discounted value in the money market. In an alternative arrangement, the exporter may agree to accept a letter of credit from the importer's bank. This specifies that the bank will accept time drafts from the exporter if the exporter presents suitable documentation that the goods were delivered. Under this arrangement, the exporter is the drawer and payee of the draft. Typically, the bank will not work directly with the exporter but with the exporter's correspondent bank. The exporter may realize proceeds from the bankers acceptance in several ways. The bank may discount it for the exporter; the exporter may hold the acceptance to maturity; or it may sell the acceptance to another party

In international banking, D/A or deliverable against acceptance refers to the instruction given by a goods exporter to the bank. It indicates that the documents are meant to be delivered only against drawee's acceptance of the draft.

A banker's acceptance is a way of financing international trace activity. It is a short-term instrument for investors that is guaranteed by a commercial bank and issued by a firm.

Avalization is the co acceptance of usance export non DC bills by the Drawee bank ( importers bank ). Just in the case of export DC's where exporter's bank discount bills after acceptance from the issuing bank, in Avalization exporter's bank can discount non DC bills after the drawee bank ( importer bank ) has given their co acceptance. The difference here is that the drawee bank is just not giving an acceptance on behalf of the customer , but is co accepting the bills ( which means even in the event of the importer not paying, the drawee bank will pay to the exporter's bank ) For avalization to work, the exporter has to get in touch with the importer and get his buy in for the transaction. Only after the importer buy in is got will the drawee bank co accept the bill. The drawee bank actually earmarks the import limit of the buyer while avalizing the bills and this essentially will only work for importers who have existing import facilities with their banks.