Send or Download Credit Notes
Share credit note records with customers and keep a PDF copy when needed.
Credit notes document value credited back to a customer. Send or download them when the customer or accounting team needs a clear record of the adjustment.
Share only after the credit note has been reviewed against the invoice, payment, or customer balance it affects.
Use a credit note for an auditable adjustment, not as a substitute for fixing a draft invoice before it is sent.
Before Sharing
Review the customer, linked invoice, credit amount, reason, tax treatment, and notes. A credit note should explain what changed without rewriting the original invoice history.
If the customer should receive money back, handle the refund from the payment record. If the customer should receive credit against an invoice, apply the credit note to the correct invoice.
Also confirm the credit note is not being used to hide an invoice mistake that should be corrected before sending. Draft invoices can often be edited; sent or paid invoices usually need a clearer audit trail.
Send a Credit Note
Send the credit note when the customer needs confirmation of the adjustment. Use clear notes so the customer understands whether the credit was applied, remains available, or is connected to a refund.
Before sending, preview the customer-facing copy and confirm the recipient email belongs to the correct billing contact. If the credit note is tied to a dispute or goodwill adjustment, include enough context to reduce follow-up questions.
Accounting Review
Before sending, confirm whether the credit affects tax, revenue recognition, customer balance, or refund workflow. If accounting owns credit-note review, wait for approval before sharing the document externally.
Customer Message Review
Before sending, make sure the customer message explains what the credit changes and what happens next. A customer should know whether the credit reduces an open invoice, remains available for future billing, or is connected to a refund that will arrive separately.
If a credit note is part of a dispute, do not send it in isolation. Link the credit note to the invoice, payment, ticket, or account note that explains the decision so finance and support can answer follow-up questions consistently.
Download the PDF
Download the credit note PDF when you need an accounting copy, an offline record, or an attachment for a separate customer conversation.
If you edit the credit note, download the PDF again after saving so the copy matches the current record.
Send vs Download
Send the credit note when the customer needs confirmation. Download it when accounting, support, or another system needs a copy. If both are needed, send the customer version first, then download the final version after confirming the record is saved.
After Sending Or Downloading
Open the related customer and invoice records to confirm the credit appears in the right place. For partially credited invoices, check the remaining balance so the next reminder or payment request is accurate.
Keep downloaded PDFs with the same version your customer received. If the credit note is updated later, do not rely on an older PDF for reconciliation.
Troubleshooting
If the customer does not understand the credit, update the notes and resend a clearer version before further collection follow-up.
If the downloaded PDF does not match the current record, save changes and download it again.
If the invoice balance still looks wrong after applying a credit note, review the invoice payments, refunds, taxes, and credit application before sending another payment reminder.