What is a spot exchange rate contract? When does delivery occur on a spot contract?

What will be an ideal response?

When currencies in the interbank spot market are traded, certain business conventions are followed. For example, when the trade involves the U.S. dollar, business convention dictates that spot contracts are settled in 2 business days—that is, the payment of one currency and receipt of the other currency occurs in 2 business days. One business day is necessary because of the back-office paperwork involved in any financial transaction. The second day is needed because of the time zone differences around the world.
Several exceptions to the 2-business-day rule are noteworthy. First, for exchanges between the U.S. dollar and the Canadian dollar or the Mexican peso, the rule is 1 business day. Second, if the transaction involves the dollar and the first of the 2 days is a holiday in the United States but not in the other settlement center, the first day is counted as a business day for settlement purposes. Third, Fridays are not part of the business week in most Middle Eastern countries, although Saturdays and Sundays are. Hence, non–Middle Eastern currencies settle on Fridays, and Middle Eastern currencies settle on Saturdays.