Sample text in [brackets], replace with yours · Invoice, Receipt & Order Templates
Credit Note Template (Word & Excel)
Issue credit against an invoice for returned or damaged goods, short supply, or a price correction.
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Free for personal and commercial use · No watermark · Updated October 2026
Guide
About this credit note template
Never edit an invoice you have already sent. When a customer returns goods, receives damaged items, or is overcharged, the correct record is a credit note that reduces what they owe. This template references the original invoice number and date, lists what is being credited, states the reason, and says whether the credit will be refunded or adjusted against the next invoice.
How to issue a credit note
- 1
Click "Edit online" to open the Excel version, or download the Word or Excel file.
- 2
Give the credit note its own number (CN-0001) and enter the original invoice number and date.
- 3
List the items or amounts being credited, with the same prices as the original invoice.
- 4
State the reason and whether you will refund it or deduct it from the next invoice.
- 5
Sign it, send the PDF to the customer, and record it in your accounts.
Tips for credit notes
Use a separate series
Credit notes get their own numbers, never the invoice's.
Reverse the tax too
If the invoice included VAT or GST, credit the same rate so your tax return balances.
Keep the evidence
Attach the return note, photos of the damage or the customer's email to your copy.
Debit note is the opposite
A debit note increases what a customer (or you) owes, for example for undercharging.
