Free tool · no signup
Free credit note generator
Create a credit note free to reduce or cancel an invoice you have already sent. Reference the original invoice number and date, credit each item with its tax, add your logo and download a PDF instantly, no signup.
Last updated August 2026 · Maintained by the Invoice My Clients team.
Is this credit note generator really free?
Yes. You can build a credit note and download a professional PDF without paying or signing up, as many times as you like. The free download carries a small footer mark; a free account removes it and keeps the credit note attached to the invoice it corrects.
| Capability | Free, no account | Free account |
|---|---|---|
| Build credit note with live preview | ||
| Unlimited line items & per-item tax | ||
| 12 currencies, locale formatting | ||
| Download PDF | Yes (small footer mark) | Yes (clean, unbranded) |
| Save & revisit documents | ||
| Email the credit note to your client | ||
| Get paid online | ||
| Recurring invoices & retainers |
How to make a credit note in under a minute
Fill in the form, watch the live preview, and download or save. Here is the full walkthrough.
- 01Add your business and the customer exactly as they appeared on the original invoice.
- 02Enter the credit note number (the tool uses the CN- prefix) and, in the original invoice date field, the date of the invoice you are crediting.
- 03List each item being credited as a line item with the quantity returned or the amount overcharged, at the same rate as the original invoice.
- 04Set tax per item so the credited tax matches what was charged, and apply the same discount if one applied on the original.
- 05Write the original invoice number and the reason for the credit (return, overbilling, agreed discount) in the notes, then click Download free PDF.
Enter amounts as positive numbers. The document is headed "Credit Note" and the total is labelled "Total credit", which is what makes it a credit rather than a bill.
What should a credit note include?
A credit note reverses part or all of an invoice, so anyone reading either document must be able to trace one to the other. Include the following.
- The words "Credit Note" clearly at the top
- Your business name, address and tax registration number if you have one
- The customer’s name and address, matching the original invoice
- A unique credit note number (CN- prefix) in its own sequence
- The date the credit note is issued
- The original invoice number and the original invoice date
- Each item credited, with quantity, rate and the amount
- Tax credited per item at the rate originally charged
- The total credit, and the reason for it
- How the credit will be settled: a refund, or applied to the next invoice
Taxes, VAT, GST, and multiple currencies
You can mark each line item taxable or not and set the rate, so a single credit note can mix taxed and untaxed items. This per-item control is something many simple tools cannot do, where one document is limited to one tax rate.
Documents render in 12 currencies with locale-correct formatting: USD, EUR, GBP, CAD, AUD, JPY, INR, PKR, MXN, NZD, ZAR, and SGD. That covers VAT in the EU and UK, GST in India, Australia and Canada, and US sales tax. Need detailed tax handling across your whole workflow? See the tax feature.
Do more with a free account
Invoice My Clients keeps the credit note against the invoice it corrects, adjusts the balance the client sees on their online invoice, and reflects the credit in your revenue and tax reports so nothing needs reconciling by hand.
Create account & saveFeatures
Unlimited line items
Add as many items as you need with per-item taxable control.
Your logo, your brand
Upload a logo and it appears on the document and the PDF.
Live totals
Subtotal, discount, and tax recalculate instantly.
12 currencies
Locale-correct formatting for every supported currency.
No signup to download
Build and download a PDF without creating an account.
Linked to the invoice
Create an account and the credit note arrives as a draft you can send and reconcile against the original invoice.
Frequently asked questions
What is a credit note, and how is it different from an invoice?
An invoice asks a customer to pay. A credit note does the opposite: the seller issues it to reduce or cancel an amount on an invoice that has already been sent, because goods were returned, the customer was overbilled, a discount was agreed after the fact or the order was cancelled. It always references the original invoice, and the customer either receives a refund or uses the credit against a future invoice.
When should I issue a credit note instead of editing the invoice?
Once an invoice has been sent, and especially once it has been recorded or paid, you should not alter it: invoice numbers must stay in sequence and unchanged for tax purposes. Issue a credit note for the difference so both records exist. A credit note is always the safer audit trail, even when the invoice went out minutes ago.
Should the amounts on a credit note be negative?
Not on this document. Enter the amounts as positive figures; the heading "Credit Note" and the "Total credit" label make the direction clear. In your accounting software you will post it as a negative against the customer’s balance.
Do I charge tax on a credit note?
You reverse it. Credit the tax at the same rate that was charged on the original invoice, item by item, so the customer’s reclaimable tax and your own tax return both come back into line. The per-item taxable control lets you match the original exactly.
Is my client data safe?
Yes. Everything you type stays in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored on our servers unless you create an account and save the document yourself. See our privacy policy for details.
What currencies are supported?
USD, EUR, GBP, CAD, AUD, JPY, INR, PKR, MXN, NZD, ZAR, and SGD, each formatted correctly for its locale.
Do I need to install anything?
No. Everything runs in your browser. There is nothing to download or install.
What happens when I create an account?
Your credit note is carried straight into your new Invoice My Clients account. Your credit note arrives as a draft invoice labelled "Credit Note", keeping its CN- number, ready to send once the client approves it. From there you can edit it, send it, track payment, and get paid online.
Does it remember my business details?
Yes. Your own business details, logo, currency, and payment information are saved on your device (in your browser, never on our servers) so you do not re-enter them next time, and your credit note number auto-increments from the last one you used. Client details, line items, and amounts are never saved. You can clear everything any time with the "Clear saved details" link above the form.
Is there a Spanish version?
Yes. The same credit note generator is available in Spanish, with the document, the labels and the PDF in Spanish, at the "Español" link in the header.
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Ready to get paid faster?
Create a free account. Your credit note arrives as a draft invoice labelled "Credit Note", keeping its CN- number, ready to send once the client approves it.