Must a negotiating bank interpret non-required information as a discrepancy?

A negotiating bank must recognize that non-required information is not to be interpreted as a discrepancy. This means that if the information provided in a document or its accompanying data is not stipulated in the terms of the Letter of Credit (L/C), the bank does not have the authority to treat it as a reason to reject the documents. The bank is primarily tasked with confirming whether the documents comply with the specific requirements outlined in the L/C. Therefore, non-required information can be seen as optional and not relevant to the fulfillment of the terms.

This approach is important as it is aligned with the principles of documentary credit operations, where the focus is on the documents presented rather than the additional information that does not impact the core requirements. Thus, the bank should process and negotiate documents that meet the compulsory stipulations correctively, irrespective of any extra details it may contain.