Banking sector plays an important role in the economic sustainable development. In the context of the financial crisis and the introduction of new international standards, in accordance with the "Basel III" agreement, the requirements of Central Bank of the Russian Federation to it have increased. Credit policy is an important tool that reflects the efficiency of a commercial bank in the context of risk and credit optimization. It performs the following functions: setting goal and tasks, information support, etc. All this actualizes the issues of research and the forming an optimal credit policy. The article describes the model of formation and mechanism of implementing the credit policy, based on the delineation of structural elements, taking into account their functional purpose. The authors formulate the main system tasks to achieve this goal and develop the theoretical basis and methodology for the activities of the commercial banks in the field under study. The systematizing the theoretical foundations and the specific features of the formation of credit policy at the macro and micro levels according to the most important parameters, and substantiation of the organizational and methodological support for the implementation of lending processes are the main among these tasks. Scientific works of domestic and foreign scientists in the field of financial, credit, banking system is the ground of the research. Theoretical methods, such as synthesis, analysis, deduction and induction, as well as a logical, systemic approach, a comparison method have allowed researches to obtain the conclusions. Based on the patterns found in the study, the authors substantiate the close interconnection and interdependence of the elements participating in the process of forming the bank's policy in the area of lending considering their functional purpose. It is suggested to use the following elements in the for-mation of the structural model: conceptual, procedural, administrative and security elements. The features of the credit policy and proposals for its implementation, identified and formulated by the authors, allow increasing the efficiency of the commercial bank.