Free credit note generator

Issue a credit note against an invoice you have already sent, and download it as a PDF. No sign-up, and no watermark.

  • No sign-up
  • No watermark
  • 10 free PDFs a day
pdfgen.com/tools/credit-note-generator

Add your logo

PNG, JPG or WebP

1Your business
2Customer
3Credit note details
4Items

Total credit $162.75

5Notes

Live preview

Total credit $162.75

Free for up to 10 PDFs a day. Includes a small “Made with PDFgen” line at the foot of each page.

Your credit note in three steps

  1. CN-2026-007

    Step 1

    Fill in your details

    Add your logo, the credit note details and each item. The page updates as you type.

  2. $162.75

    Step 2

    Check the preview

    What you see is what you get, and totals are worked out for you.

  3. PDF

    credit-note.pdf

    Step 3

    Download the PDF

    Download your credit note, ready to send or print.

Anatomy of a credit note

Everything that belongs on the page, and where it goes.

When to issue a credit note

Once an invoice has been sent, the usual way to correct it is not to edit or delete it, but to issue a credit note. That keeps your numbering intact and gives your accounts a clear record of what changed.

Common reasons include returned goods, an overcharge, a discount agreed after billing, or a cancelled service. A credit note can cover the whole invoice or a single line, and the customer can either receive a refund or carry the amount against a future invoice.

Make every credit note automatic

This request creates the document in the form above, and it updates as you type. Connect it to your app or order system and each credit note makes itself.

  • The same template, filled from your own data
  • A PDF back from a single POST request
  • No browsers or servers to run yourself
curl -X POST https://pdfgen.com/api/v1/generate \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer pdfg_live_xxx" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "data": {
      "seller": {
        "name": "Northwind Studio",
        "address": "120 Market St\nSan Francisco, CA 94103"
      },
      "customer": {
        "name": "Acme Corp",
        "address": "88 Industrial Way\nAustin, TX 78701"
      },
      "creditNoteNumber": "CN-2026-007",
      "originalInvoiceNumber": "INV-2026-014",
      "currency": "USD",
      "taxRate": 8.5,
      "reason": "One revision round was billed twice.",
      "notes": "This amount will be deducted from your next invoice or refunded on request.",
      "date": "2026-11-03",
      "originalInvoiceDate": "2026-10-20",
      "items": [
        {
          "description": "Revision rounds",
          "quantity": 1,
          "unitPrice": 150,
          "amount": 150
        }
      ],
      "subtotal": 150,
      "tax": 12.75,
      "shipping": 0,
      "total": 162.75
    },
    "format": "A4",
    "engine": "handlebars",
    "html": "<div style=\"max-width:760px;margin:0 auto;padding:48px;font-family:-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,Segoe UI,Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#111827;\">\n  <div style=\"display:flex;justify-content:space-between;align-items:flex-start;margin-bottom:36px;\">\n    <div>\n      {{#if logo}}<img src=\"{{logo}}\" alt=\"\" style=\"display:block;max-width:200px;max-height:56px;margin:0 0 10px;\">{{/if}}\n      <h1 style=\"font-size:22px;font-weight:800;margin:0;\">{{seller.name}}</h1>\n      <p style=\"color:#6b7280;margin:6px 0 0;font-size:13px;white-space:pre-line;\">{{seller.address}}</p>\n    </div>\n    <div style=\"text-align:right;\">\n      <h2 style=\"font-size:26px;letter-spacing:2px;color:#be123c;margin:0;font-weight:800;\">CREDIT NOTE</h2>\n      <p style=\"margin:8px 0 0;color:#6b7280;font-size:13px;\">#{{creditNoteNumber}}</p>\n      <p style=\"margin:2px 0 0;color:#6b7280;font-size:13px;\">{{formatDate date}}</p>\n    </div>\n  </div>\n  <div style=\"display:flex;justify-content:space-between;margin-bottom:24px;\">\n    <div>\n      <p style=\"font-size:11px;text-transform:uppercase;letter-spacing:1.5px;color:#9ca3af;font-weight:700;margin:0 0 8px;\">Credit to</p>\n      <p style=\"margin:0;font-weight:600;\">{{customer.name}}</p>\n      <p style=\"margin:2px 0 0;color:#6b7280;font-size:13px;white-space:pre-line;\">{{customer.address}}</p>\n    </div>\n    <div style=\"text-align:right;\">\n      <p style=\"font-size:11px;text-transform:uppercase;letter-spacing:1.5px;color:#9ca3af;font-weight:700;margin:0 0 8px;\">Against invoice</p>\n      <p style=\"margin:0;font-weight:600;\">{{originalInvoiceNumber}}</p>\n      {{#if originalInvoiceDate}}<p style=\"margin:2px 0 0;color:#6b7280;font-size:13px;\">{{formatDate originalInvoiceDate}}</p>{{/if}}\n    </div>\n  </div>\n  {{#if reason}}<p style=\"margin:0 0 24px;font-size:13px;background:#fff1f2;border-left:3px solid #be123c;padding:10px 14px;color:#374151;white-space:pre-line;\"><strong>Reason:</strong> {{reason}}</p>{{/if}}\n  <table style=\"width:100%;border-collapse:collapse;font-size:14px;line-height:inherit;\">\n    <thead>\n      <tr style=\"background:#fff1f2;text-align:left;\">\n        <th style=\"padding:12px;border-bottom:1px solid #fecdd3;\">Description</th>\n        <th style=\"padding:12px;border-bottom:1px solid #fecdd3;text-align:center;\">Qty</th>\n        <th style=\"padding:12px;border-bottom:1px solid #fecdd3;text-align:right;\">Unit</th>\n        <th style=\"padding:12px;border-bottom:1px solid #fecdd3;text-align:right;\">Amount</th>\n      </tr>\n    </thead>\n    <tbody>\n      {{#each items}}\n      <tr>\n        <td style=\"padding:12px;border-bottom:1px solid #f3f4f6;\">{{description}}</td>\n        <td style=\"padding:12px;border-bottom:1px solid #f3f4f6;text-align:center;\">{{quantity}}</td>\n        <td style=\"padding:12px;border-bottom:1px solid #f3f4f6;text-align:right;\">{{formatCurrency unitPrice ../currency}}</td>\n        <td style=\"padding:12px;border-bottom:1px solid #f3f4f6;text-align:right;\">{{formatCurrency amount ../currency}}</td>\n      </tr>\n      {{/each}}\n    </tbody>\n  </table>\n  <table style=\"font-size:14px;line-height:inherit;min-width:240px;margin:20px 0 0 auto;\">\n    <tr><td style=\"padding:4px 0;color:#6b7280;\">Subtotal</td><td style=\"padding:4px 0;text-align:right;\">{{formatCurrency subtotal currency}}</td></tr>\n    {{#if taxRate}}<tr><td style=\"padding:4px 0;color:#6b7280;\">Tax ({{taxRate}}%)</td><td style=\"padding:4px 0;text-align:right;\">{{formatCurrency tax currency}}</td></tr>{{/if}}\n    <tr><td style=\"padding:12px 0 0;font-weight:800;font-size:16px;\">Total credit</td><td style=\"padding:12px 0 0;text-align:right;font-weight:800;font-size:16px;color:#be123c;\">{{formatCurrency total currency}}</td></tr>\n  </table>\n  {{#if notes}}<p style=\"margin-top:40px;font-size:12px;color:#6b7280;border-top:1px solid #f3f4f6;padding-top:16px;white-space:pre-line;\">{{notes}}</p>{{/if}}\n</div>"
  }' --output credit-note.pdf
200 OKapplication/pdf · credit-note.pdf

Questions, answered

The things people usually ask before they download.

What is the difference between a credit note and a debit note?

A seller issues a credit note to reduce what a customer owes. A debit note usually goes the other way: a buyer uses it to request a reduction, or a seller uses it to add a charge.

Does a credit note mean I have to give a refund?

No. It records that the amount owed has gone down. You can pay the credit back or set it against a future invoice, so say which one you will do in the notes.

Should tax be included on a credit note?

If you charged tax on the original invoice, the credit normally reverses the tax on the credited amount too. Use the same rate as the original invoice, and check local rules with your accountant.

Is this credit note generator really free?

Yes. You can create up to 10 PDFs a day without an account or a credit card.

Will there be a watermark on my PDF?

No. Your document stays clean, with one small “Made with PDFgen” line at the foot of each page.

Do you store what I enter?

No. Your details are sent to our server to create the PDF and are not saved. The form lives in your browser, so copy anything you want to keep before leaving the page.

Can I create credit notes automatically?

Yes. The API call further up this page produces the same credit note from your own data, so your app or order system can create them without anyone filling in a form.

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Match the template to your brand, then create one for every order or customer with a single API call.