What is a performance bank guarantee?

What is a performance bank guarantee? How does it differ from financial bank guarantee? Please illustrate.?

Best Answer:  A performance BG (also called performance bond) states that in the event of failure to perform an agreed task the beneficiary can raise a claim on the bank. example: Party A wins a tender to supply party B with equipment for US$ 1 billion. Party A submits a performance bond. Thereafter party A backs out because it feels it cannot deliver on the agreed price and will incur a loss. The beneficiary (party B) will claim against the performance bond for failure to perform the contract. 

A financial guarantee is a very broad and general guarantee that can be issued by a bank to ensure that party A fulfils its financial obligations to party B. Typical example is party B is a manufacturer & seller of goods and party A is a newly established buyer & distributor of those goods and requests a credit limit of USD 1 million. Party B will request party A to arrange a Financial Guarantee stating that Party B will receive payment of upto USD 1 million upon submission of proof of delivery of goods by party B to party A (typically Invoice and signed Goods Receipt Note).