Continuous Linked Settlement

CLS helps increase your capacity to undertake more business, increase settlement finality, reconcile accounts faster, reduce back-office processing costs and Nostro activity, as well as better protect principal values and enhance liquidity management and cash management.

Our CLS offering includes:

• Multi-currency accounts
• Liquidity and credit lines
• Intraday information
• Timely and efficient disbursements
• Standard settlement instructions
• Reconciliation services
• Access to our range of advanced cash management techniques

We are one of the leading banks in providing liquidity for UK sterling and Hong Kong dollars. Liquidity is also the strongpoint of our CLS proposition.

With CLS, your FX business can grow without being hindered by increasing risks. And just as important as reduced risk are the immediate benefits that arise from reduced risk and improved payments and cash management made possible by real-time information flows. Real-time information flows are an integral part of the CLS service. Settlement in CLS takes place across all currencies within a single day, as well as early on in the European operating day, giving you greater control on intraday and end-of-day cash positions.

For more information about how our CLS third-party service can help you, contact your HSBC relationship manager or call the CLS helpdesk on +44(0) 20 7991 0180 or +44(0) 20 7992 0180.

With our CLS proposition, you don't have to upgrade your entire back-office system. We respect the value that has been placed on existing and proven market infrastructure. Our proposition is an alternative that saves you the time and money you would otherwise spend on a major overhaul. It allows you to fully adopt a vital industry standard, without compromises.

We can provide you real-time, online access to your foreign exchange trade information, including the latest status of your trades within the CLS process, resulting net cash positions for funding purposes and risk management information.

We understand that the functionality of CLS depends on the timing and liquidity capabilities of settlement members. Our Nostro services can help you with payments in sterling pounds, euros and US dollars, including the identification and prioritisation of CLS-related payments, the provision of liquidity facilities and real-time, online balance and transaction reporting.

• No other bank is closer to the CLS development

  HSBC has been involved in the original group of 20 banks (G20) that formulated the CLS concept. Since these beginnings, HSBC has continued to work closely with CLS, helping them to develop their functionality and influencing the design and build process. Our involvement in functionality testing means that no other bank is closer to the CLS development.

• We are one of the three banks that were actively involved in the testing of CLS Member software

  HSBC helped test and trial the CLS Member application software and SWIFTNet, which supports real-time information flows between CLS Bank and its members. HSBC helped prove the CLS system's functionality to benefit our clients.

• Global multi-currency partner

  As a truly global institution, we are well positioned to offer you a full multi-currency settlement service. We have direct access to all seven initially eligible CLS currency RTGS systems. HSBC entities worldwide have proven access to the liquidity necessary to support HSBC's CLS activity and that of our customers.

• Minimal disruption and expense

  Implement CLS easily and economically with minimal changes to your back office. With our CLS proposition, you won't need new proprietary software. Our CLS services can be provided via existing market infrastructure – principally SWIFT Fin services – allied to the latest browser-based web functionality. We shall be happy to be involved in a dialogue with your back-office systems providers to ensure that they understand the implications of CLS.

• Cost reduction

  As a major FX bank, we receive volume-discounted pricing from CLS. This means that we can offer you a competitive tariff by passing on the benefits of our own volume discounts.