What is a credit note?
A credit note (sometimes called a credit memo) cancels all or part of an invoice. It keeps your records and your customer's in step: the original invoice stays as it was, and the credit note shows exactly what was taken off and why.
What a credit note includes
- Its own number (CN-0001, CN-0002…), separate from your invoice numbers.
- The original invoice number it relates to.
- The reason for the credit.
- The items or amounts credited, with tax shown separately, and the total credit.
- How it will be settled: refunded, or applied to the customer's account.
Credit note vs refund receipt vs invoice
An invoice asks for payment and a receipt confirms it. A credit note reduces what was invoiced. If you then return money to the customer, the credit note is your record of why.