Who can use this: Owner, Manager, Accountant. URL / Route:
/finance/ar/credit-notes(finance.ar.credit-notes.index). Detail:finance.ar.credit-notes.show,edit,update,create,store,destroy. Action endpoints:finance.ar.credit-notes.post,void,apply-form,apply,unapply. Plan / feature gate:feature:tracker.credit_notes(default: enabled on standard plans). Permissions:sales.credit_notes.view,sales.credit_notes.create,sales.credit_notes.edit_draft,sales.credit_notes.delete,sales.credit_notes.post,sales.credit_notes.void,sales.credit_notes.apply,sales.credit_notes.unapply.
Purpose
A Credit note reduces a customer's balance. Issue one when:
- a customer returned goods or you accepted a partial cancellation,
- you billed too much on an invoice and want to reduce the receivable without voiding the original document,
- you owe the customer a price adjustment after the invoice was already posted.
A credit note can be applied to one or more open invoices to reduce their balance, or left as unapplied credit for the customer to use against future invoices. The customer's AR balance reflects unapplied credit as a negative amount.
For an actual cash refund (you pay the customer back), see Refund receipts. A credit note alone is bookkeeping; a refund is money out.
Step by step
Browse credit notes
Open /finance/ar/credit-notes. Each row shows the number, date, customer, amount, applied amount, unapplied balance, and status (Draft / Posted / Void).
Create a credit note
Route: finance.ar.credit-notes.create / store. Permission: sales.credit_notes.create.
- Click New credit note.
- Pick the Customer.
- Set the Date and (optionally) reference an originating Invoice for the audit trail.
- Add lines: Product/Service or Account, Description, Quantity, Unit price, Tax.
- Save as Draft or Save and Post.
Edit a draft
Route: finance.ar.credit-notes.edit / update. Permission: sales.credit_notes.edit_draft. Drafts only.
Post a credit note
Route: finance.ar.credit-notes.post. Permission: sales.credit_notes.post.
Writes the GL journal:
- Debit Revenue (reducing income).
- Debit VAT Output (reducing tax liability).
- Credit the AR control account (reducing the customer's receivable).
The credit note's unapplied amount becomes the customer's open credit.
Apply a credit note to invoices
Route: finance.ar.credit-notes.apply-form (page) and finance.ar.credit-notes.apply (POST). Permission: sales.credit_notes.apply.
From a posted credit note, click Apply to invoices. Tick one or more of the customer's open invoices and enter the amount applied to each — the total cannot exceed the credit note's unapplied balance. Applying writes a credit_allocations row per invoice and reduces the invoice's open balance.
Unapply
Route: finance.ar.credit-notes.unapply. Permission: sales.credit_notes.unapply.
Removes a specific allocation, freeing the credit to be applied elsewhere.
Void a posted credit note
Route: finance.ar.credit-notes.void. Permission: sales.credit_notes.void.
Reverses the GL journal, removes every allocation, and marks the credit note Void. The document number stays on the books for the audit trail.
Print a PDF / Delete a draft
finance.ar.credit-notes.pdf (any view permission) streams the PDF. finance.ar.credit-notes.destroy deletes Drafts only.
How the journal looks
A JOD 117 credit note for a returned item that was originally invoiced with 17% VAT:
| Account | Debit | Credit |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue — Sales | 100.00 | |
| VAT Output | 17.00 | |
| AR — Customer control | 117.00 |
If the credit note relates to a stocked item being returned to stock (JOD 60 cost):
| Account | Debit | Credit |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue — Sales | 100.00 | |
| VAT Output | 17.00 | |
| AR — Customer control | 117.00 | |
| Inventory | 60.00 | |
| COGS | 60.00 |
Applying the credit note to a JOD 117 open invoice:
| Account | Debit | Credit |
|---|---|---|
| AR — Customer credit (note) | 117.00 | |
| AR — Customer invoice (allocation row) | 117.00 |
No cash moves — only the customer's open invoice is reduced; the unapplied credit note balance drops by the same amount.
When to use which AR adjustment
| Situation | Use this |
|---|---|
| Reduce an open invoice but no cash moves yet | Credit note (this page) |
| Refund cash to the customer | Refund receipt |
| Customer paid an advance you'll apply to future invoices | Retainer |
| Settle an unallocated payment against a new invoice | Payment allocation |
A credit note can sit as unapplied credit indefinitely — it doesn't have to be applied to a specific invoice. A refund receipt is the cash-out partner if you also need to actually pay the customer back.
Common mistakes
- "Customer has the credit but it didn't reduce a specific invoice." That's expected — credit notes default to unapplied. Click Apply to invoices from the credit note to allocate the balance against one or more open invoices.
- "I voided the credit note but the customer's AR didn't go back to normal." Void reverses the GL and removes every allocation. If invoices were paid via the credit note, they're now open again — re-allocate a payment or another credit.
- Period locked. Posting, voiding, and applying all need an open period.
- Tax direction wrong. The credit note's tax line is the reverse of the original invoice's tax — VAT Output is debited, not credited. Picking the wrong tax code will make the VAT return look odd.
Behaviour and rules
- Credit-note JE source label. On the Journal entries page, the credit-note JE is tagged with the light-blue Credit Note chip.
- No cash impact. A credit note only moves AR — no bank account is touched. Combine with a Refund receipt if you also need to pay the customer back.
- Period lock. Posting / voiding require the date's period to be open.
- Applied credits and aging. When applied to an invoice, the applied amount reduces that invoice's open balance and stops it from continuing to age.
Permissions / restrictions
- View / create / edit drafts / post:
sales.credit_notes.{view,create,edit_draft,post}. - Apply / unapply:
sales.credit_notes.{apply,unapply}. - Void / delete drafts:
sales.credit_notes.{void,delete}.
Related
- Invoices — the document a credit note typically applies against.
- Refund receipts — cash refund of a credit.
- Customers — credit notes affect the customer's AR balance.
- Reports — AR Aging, Sales by Customer.