Confirming houses represent their principals, foreign buyers insufficiently well known for a firm to supply them on credit terms, in return for a commission payable by the buyers. The buyer sends the order to the seller with the confirming house endorsing the order.

A confirming house is a specialised UK agency that purchases and arranges the export of goods on the behalf of overseas buyers. They finance the movement of goods into the country by offering short-term credit to importers and guaranteeing, or confirming, payment to the suppliers in the suppliers own domestic currency. The confirming house usually negotiates the price with the suppliers, ships, insures and provides information on the goods on the overseas buyers behalf.