Credit Note Generator

What a credit note is for

A credit note, also called a credit memo, lowers the amount a customer owes on an invoice you have already sent. Common reasons are returned goods, an overcharge or pricing mistake, a discount agreed after invoicing, and an order that was cancelled or only partly delivered. Instead of editing the original invoice, you issue a credit note that refers to it, so your records and your customer's show both the charge and the correction.

The editor above starts with a sample: a returned laptop and a subscription overcharge. Replace it with your own details and download the PDF. No account is needed.

How to make a credit note

1. 1

   Enter both parties

   Your business goes under From and the customer under To. Each side has an optional Tax ID / VAT number field that prints only when filled.

2. 2

   Number and date the credit note

   Give the credit note its own number and the date you issue it. The sample number is CN-, the year and 001.

3. 3

   Point to the original invoice

   Name the invoice you are crediting in Original invoice reference. It prints under the CREDIT NOTE heading.

4. 4

   List what you are crediting

   Add one line per returned item, correction or refund, with a unit, quantity and price, up to 30 lines. Each line shows in the Credit column.

5. 5

   Add tax and shipping, then download

   If the original invoice charged tax, enter the same label and rate, as a percentage or a fixed amount. Add any shipping you are crediting, press Download PDF, complete the security check and save the file.

What the PDF shows

• The CREDIT NOTE heading, which you can rename, with your reference to the original invoice
• Your name, address, email, phone and tax number, and the customer's details under Credit To
• Credit Note No. and Date Issued
• A table with Description, Qty, Unit Price and Credit
• Subtotal, the tax line, any shipping credit and TOTAL CREDIT
• Your notes, printed as Reason / Notes, and your terms
• A line for an authorized signature and date

Amounts print without minus signs. A credit note is not always a cash refund: the customer may keep the credit on account against a later invoice. Use the notes to say which applies.

The label in front of each tax number follows the tax name you type: VAT gives "VAT Reg. No:", GST gives "GST Reg. No:", HST gives "GST/HST Reg. No:", GSTIN gives "GSTIN:", and a plain label such as Sales Tax gives "Tax ID:".

Settings and the file

• Settings hold your logo, accent color, currency and paper size. Paper sizes: A4, A5, A3, Letter, Legal and Tabloid / Ledger (11 × 17 in).
• The file is named credit-note- plus your number, for example credit-note-CN-2026-001.pdf.
• The credit note is rendered as a PDF on our server over an encrypted HTTPS connection. Your draft is saved in this browser until you reset it.
• A one-line "Created free with makeinvoicepdf.com" credit is on by default; one checkbox in the settings turns it off.

Related tools and templates

• Credit Note Template: a blank credit note as PDF, Word or Excel, with a filled example.
• Free Invoice Generator: new invoices, with the same editor and settings.
• Proforma Invoice Generator: prices and terms for a buyer before the sale.