Banking and Business Abbreviations for English Learners

It's common in banking and business to use abbreviations for a wide range of specific business expressions. You'll find each expression followed by the appropriate abbreviations below. Remember that abbreviations and acronyms are used differently in English. Abbreviations are used to replace words or expressions while acronyms simply take the first letter of each word. It's true that some abbreviations are acronyms, but not all.

Common Banking and Business Abbreviations

Against all risks = a.a.r.
Account = a/c
Account current = A/C
Accommodation = ACC/ACCOM
Account = acct.
Actual cash value = a.c.v.
After date = a.d.
Addition/Additional = add.
Advise = adv.
Air freight bill = a.f.b.
Agency = agcy.
Agent = agt.
Air mail transfer = a.m.t.
Account of = a/o
Accounts payable = A.P.
Authority to pay = A/P
Accounts receivable = A.R.
All risks = a/r
Arrive/Arriving = arr.
Arrange/Arrangement/Arranging = arr/arrng.
Approximate/Approximately = approx.
Account sales = A/S, A.S.
At sight = a/s
As soon as possible = asap
Attention = attn.
Atomic weight = at. wt.
Average = av.
Actual weight = a/w
Air waybill = a.w.b.
Balance = bal.
Barrel = bar.
Barrel = bbl.
Brought down = b/d
Bill of exchange = B/E, b/e
Brought forward = b/f
Before = bfor.
Bill of health = B.H.
Bank = bk.
Brokerage = bkge.
Bill of lading = B/L
Brought over = b/o
Bills payable = B.P.
By procuration = b.p.

Bills receivable = B.R.
Balance sheet = B/S
Berth terms = b.t.
Bushel = bu.
Book value = B/V
Circa: centaire = ca.
Chartered accountant = C.A.
Current account = c.a.
Cash against documents = C.A.D.
Cash book = C.B.
Cash before delivery = C.B.D.
Carbon copy = c.c.
Carried down = c/d
Cum dividend = c.d.
Carried forward = c/f
Compare = cf
Cost and freight = c & f
Clearing house = C/H
Custom house = C.H.

Charges forward = ch. fwd.
Charges paid = ch. pd.
Charges prepaid = ch. ppd.
Cheque, check = chq.
Cost, insurance, freight = c. i. f.
Cost, insurance, freight and commission = c.i.f. & c.
Cost, insurance, freight, and interest = c.i.f. & i.
Car load = c.l.
Call of more = C/m
Credit note = C/N
Care of = c/o
Company = co.
Cash on delivery = C.O.D.
Commission = comm.
Corporation = corp.
Cash on shipment = C.O.S.
Carriage paid = C.P.
Charter party = C/P
Charters pay duties = c.p.d.
Corporation = cpn.
Credit; creditor = cr.
Cable transfer = C/T
Constructive total loss = c.t.l.
Constructive total loss only = c.t.l.o.
Cumulative = cum.
Cum dividend = cum div.
Cumulative preference = cum. pref.
Commercial weight = c/w
Cash with order = C.W.O.
Hundredweight = cwt.
Documents against acceptance; deposit account = D/A
Documents against payment = DAP
Debenture = db.
Deferred = def.
Department = dept.
Dead freight = d.f.
Draft = dft.
Draft attached = dtf/a.
Clean draft = dft/c.
Discount = disc.
Dividend = div.
Dayletter = DL
Daily letter telegram = DLT
Debit note = D/N
Delivery order = D/O
Ditto = do.
Dozen = doz.
Documents against payment = D/P
Debtor = dr.
Doctor = Dr.
Days after sight = d/s, d.s.
Deadweight = d.w.
Dock warrant = D/W
Pennyweight = dwt.

Dozen = dz.
European Currency Unit = ECU
East European Time = E.E.T.
For example = e.g.
Enclosure = encl.
Endorsement = end.
Errors and omissions excepted = E. & O.E.
End of month = e.o.m.
Except otherwise herein provided = e.o.h.p.
Especially = esp.
Esquire = Esq.
Established = est.
Out = ex
ex coupon = ex cp.
Ex dividend = ex div.
ex interest = ex. int.
ex new (shares) = ex h.
ex store = ex stre.
ex wharf = ex whf.
Free of all average = f.a.a.
Fast as can = f.a.c.
Freight all kinds = f.a.k.
Fair average quality; free alongside quay = f.a.q.
Frequently asked questions = F.a.q.
Free alongside ship = f.a.s.
For cash = f/c
Free of capture and seizure = f.c. & s.
Free of capture, seizure, riots, and civil commotion = f.c.s.r. & c.c.
Free delivery to dock = F.D.
Free discharge = f.d.
Following; folios = ff.
Free of general average = f.g.a.

Free in bunker = f.i.b.
Free in and out = f.i.o.
Free in truck = f.i.t.
Free on board = f.o.b.
Free of charge = f.o.c.
Free of damage = f.o.d.
Following; folio = fol.
Free on quay = f.o.q.
Free on rail = f.o.r.
Free on streamer = f.o.s.
Free on truck(s) = f.o.t.
Free on wagons; free on wharf = f.o.w.
Floating policy = F.P.
Fully paid = f.p.
Free of particular average = f.p.a.
Freight = frt.
Freight paid = frt. pd.
Freight prepaid = frt. ppd.
Freight forward = frt. fwd.
Foot = ft.
Forward = fwd.
Foreign exchange = f.x.
General average = g.a.
Goods in bad order = g.b.o.
Good merchantable brand = g.m.b.
Good merchantable quality = g.m.q.
Greenwich Mean Time = G.M.T.
Gross national product = GNP
Good ordinary brand = g.o.b.
Gross = gr.
Gross register ton = GRT
Gross weight = gr. wt.
Gross tonnage = GT
Home consumption = h.c.
Height = hgt.
Hogshead = hhd.
Head office = H.O.
Hire purchase = H.P.
Horsepower = HP
Height = ht.
Integrated data processing = IDP
That is = i.e.
Insufficient funds = I/F
Indicated horsepower = i.h.p.
Import = imp.
Incorporated = Inc.
Inclusive = incl.
Interest = int.
Invoice = inv.
I owe you = I.O.U.
Joint account = J/A, j.a.
Junior = Jr.
Kilovolt = KV
Kilowat = KW
Kilowatt hour = KWh
Letter of credit = L/C, l.c.
Telegram in the language of the country of destination = LCD
Telegram in the language of the country of origin = LCO
Landing; loading = ldg.
Long ton = l.t.
Limited = Ltd.
Long ton = l. tn.
Month = m.
My account = m/a
Maximum = max.
Memorandum of deposit = M.D.
Months after date = M/D, m.d.
Memorandum = memo.
Plural of Mr. = Messrs.

Manufacturer = mfr.
Minimum = min.
Minimum lending rate = MLR
Money order = M.O.
My order = m.o.
Mortgage = mortg.
Months after payment = M/P, m.p.
Mate's receipt = M/R
Months' sight = M/S, m.s.
Mail transfer = M.T.
Making-up price = M/U
Name; noiminal = n.
No account = n/a
No advice = N/A
No commercial value = n.c.v.
No date = n.d.
Not elsewhere specified = n.e.s.
No funds = N/F
Night letter = NL
No noting = N/N
No orders = N/O
Number = no.
Not otherwise enumerated = n.o.e.
Numbers = nos.
No par value = NPV
Number = nr.
Net register ton = n.r.t.
Not sufficient funds = N/S
Not sufficient funds = NSF
Net weight = n. wt.
On account = o/a
Overseas common point = OCP
On demand; overdraft = O/D, o/d
Omissions excepted = o.e.
Overhead = o/h
Or nearest offer = ono.
Order of = O/o
Open policy = O.P.
Out of print; overproof = o.p.
Owner's risk = O/R, o.r.
Order, ordinary = ord.
Out of stock = O.S., o/s
Overtime = OT
Page; per: premium = p.
Particular average: per annum = P.A., p.a.
Power of attorney; private account = P/A
Phase alternation line = PAL
Patent pending = pat. pend.
Pay as you earn = PAYE
Petty cash = p/c
Pecent; price current = p.c.
Parcel = pcl.
Paid = pd.
Preferred = pf.
Package = pkg.
Profit and loss = P/L
Partial loss = p.l.
Promissory note = P/N
Post office; postal order = P.O.
Post office box = P.O.B.
Post office order = P.O.O.
Pay on return = p.o.r.
Pages = pp.
Postage and packing = p & p
Per procuration = p. pro
Prepaid = ppd.
Prompt = ppt.
Preference = pref.
Proximo = prox.
Postscript = P.S.
Payment = pt.
Please turn over = P.T.O., p.t.o.

Partly paid = ptly. pd.
Par value = p.v.
Quality = qulty.
Quantity = qty.
Riot and civil commotions = r. & c.c.
Refer to drawer = R/D
Running down clause = R.D.C.
In regard to  = re
Received; receipt = rec.
Received = recd.
Redeemable = red.
Reference = ref.
Registered = reg.
Returned = retd.
Revenue = rev.
Refused on delivery  = R.O.D.
Reply paid = R.P.
Revolutions per second = r.p.s.
Please reply = RSVP
Right side up with care = R.S.W.C.
Railway = Ry
Stamped addressed envelope = s.a.e.
Stock at valuation = S.A.V.
Sea damaged = S/D
Sight draft = S/D, s.d.
Without date = s.d.
Special drawing rights = SDR
Signed = sgd.
Sundays and holidays excepted = s. & h. ex
Shipment = shipt.
Signature = sig.
Sue and labor clause = S/LC, s & l.c.
Shiping note = S/N
Seller's option = s.o.
Standard operating procedure = s.o.p.
Spot = spt.
Senior = Sr.
Steamship = S.S., s.s.
Short ton = s.t.
Sterling = ster.
Stock exchange = St. Ex.
Sterling = stg.
Sub voce = s.v.
Telegraphic address = T.A.
Trial balance = T.B.
Telephone = tel.
Temporary secretary = temp.
Total loss = T.L., t.l.
Total loss only = T.L.O.
Multiple telegram = TM
Turn over = T.O.
Transfer = tr.
Telegram to be called for = TR
Trust receipt = TR, T/R
Telegraphic transfer (cable) = TT, T.T.
Telex = TX
Urgent = UGT
Under separate cover = u.s.c.
Underwriters = U/ws
Volt = v.
Value = val.
Value-added tax = v.a.t.
Very good = vg.
Very high frequency = VHF
Very highly recommended = v.h.r.
Wat = w.
With average = WA
Way bill = W.B.
Without charge = w.c.
West European Time = W.E.T.
Weight guaranteed = wg.
Warehouse = whse.
With other goods = w.o.g.
Weather permitting; without prejudice = W.P.
With particular average = w.p.a.
War risk = W.R.
Warehouse receipt = W/R, wr.
Weather working day = W.W.D.
Weight = wt.
ex coupon = x.c.
ex dividend = x.d.
ex interest = x.i.
ex new shares = x.n.
Year = y.
Yard = yd.
Year = yr.
Yearly = yrly.

English for Specific Purposes Vocabulary Lists

Learning specific vocabulary for your profession in English can be challenging. Here are key word and expression lists for a wide range of English for specific purposes.

English for Advertising
English for Banking and Stocks
English for Book Keeping and Financial Administration
English for Business and Commercial Letters
English for Human Resources
English for the Insurance Industry
English for Legal Purposes
English for Logistics
English for Marketing
English for Production and Manufacturing
English for Sales and Acquisitions