Credit Note Generator
A credit note reduces or cancels an invoice that has already been issued. It exists because invoices should not be deleted or edited after they have gone out — the correction has to be visible as its own document, so that both sides and both tax authorities can see what changed and why.
| Item # | Description | Qty | Unit | Unit Price (USD) | Amount (USD) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Your entries are kept as you move between documents — the parties, ports, container and line items carry across.
Correct with a credit note, never by amending the invoice
Once an invoice is issued it forms part of a numbered sequence that tax authorities expect to be complete and unaltered. Changing the original leaves the buyer holding a different document from the seller, which is exactly what an audit looks for. Issuing a credit note that references the original invoice number keeps both records intact and shows the adjustment as a deliberate act.
Say what it is for
Short shipment, damaged goods, agreed discount and returned stock have different consequences for tax and for stock records. A credit note that states only an amount forces the buyer to guess how to post it. Naming the reason and referencing the original invoice line makes it possible to reconcile, which is what determines whether the buyer processes it or queries it.
Tax follows the correction
Where the original invoice charged tax, the credit note normally reverses the proportionate amount, and both parties adjust their returns for the period in which it was issued. This is why the date and the tax breakdown on a credit note matter as much as on the invoice — the correction has to land in an accounting period, and both sides need it to be the same one.
Want a blank one to complete by hand? Download the credit note template →
Exporters
Issue the invoice, packing list and origin paperwork for a shipment in one sitting, without re-keying the consignee address four times.
Freight forwarders
Produce a clean set of documents for a client who sent you a spreadsheet, and hand back PDFs that a customs broker will accept.
Customs brokers
Rebuild a missing or unusable document from the particulars you already hold, without waiting on the shipper's software licence.
One shipment in, every document out
| FreightStow | Typical alternative | |
|---|---|---|
| Enter the shipment once, every document fills in | Yes | Re-key per document |
| Document types | 33 | Varies |
| Statutory forms (CMR, ISF, USMCA origin) | Included | Often missing |
| Add, rename or remove line-item columns | Yes | Fixed templates |
| PDF built in your browser | Yes | Upload, then download |
| Works before you create an account | Yes | Usually not |
The right-hand column describes the general pattern in this category, not one named vendor. Features and plans change — check any provider’s current terms before deciding.
Commercial documents · 12
- Packing List — DetailedFull itemised packing list with HS codes, marks and numbers, package types and per-item dimensions.
- Packing List — SimpleMinimal packing list: what is in the shipment, how many packages, and what it weighs. No HS codes or dimensions.
- Packing List — ContainerPacking list broken down by container, for FCL shipments where each line must be traced to a container and seal.
- Packing List — ConsolidatedOne packing list covering several orders or invoices consolidated into a single shipment.
- Commercial InvoiceThe primary customs valuation document: what was sold, to whom, on what terms, and for how much.
- Proforma InvoiceA binding quotation in invoice form, issued before shipment so the buyer can open a letter of credit or arrange an import licence.
- Tax InvoiceInvoice showing the tax charged on a supply, in the form required for the buyer to reclaim input tax.
- Credit NoteCancels or reduces a previously issued invoice, for returns, short shipments or agreed price adjustments.
- Purchase OrderThe buyer's formal instruction to supply goods on stated terms, prices and delivery dates.
- QuotationA priced offer to supply, stating validity, lead time and the Incoterms the price is quoted on.
- Request for QuotationInvites a supplier to price a specified list of goods against stated delivery terms and a response deadline.
- Sales ConfirmationThe seller's acceptance of an order, confirming goods, price, terms and shipment schedule back to the buyer.
Declarations & instructions · 10
- Non Asbestos DeclarationCertifies that the goods contain no asbestos in any form — required by Australia, Saudi Arabia and other markets that ban asbestos outright.
- New and Unused DeclarationCertifies that the goods are new and have never been used — required where the destination restricts imports of second-hand goods.
- Packing DeclarationDeclares the timber packaging and container cleanliness of a consignment — required for Australian and New Zealand biosecurity clearance.
- DeclarationA blank declaration on letterhead, for the one-off statements a buyer, bank or customs authority asks for that have no standard form.
- Declaration of OriginA self-certified origin statement made by the exporter, used where a full chamber-stamped certificate of origin is not required.
- Verified Gross Mass DeclarationThe SOLAS VGM certificate. No container may be loaded to a vessel without a signed verified gross mass from the shipper.
- Shipper's Letter of InstructionThe exporter's instructions to their freight forwarder, including the authority to act as agent for customs purposes.
- Shipping InstructionTells the carrier exactly how the bill of lading should read: parties, routing, cargo description and freight terms.
- Forwarding InstructionBooks a consignment with a freight forwarder: collection details, routing, cargo particulars and who pays which charges.
- Sales ContractThe agreement itself: goods, price, delivery terms, payment and the clauses both parties sign against.
Statutory & customs forms · 11
- CMR — Consignment Note (Sender)The sender's copy of the international road consignment note, retained as proof of what was handed to the carrier.
- CMR — Consignment Note (Carrier)The carrier's copy of the road consignment note, evidencing the contract of carriage.
- CMR — Consignment Note (Consignee)The consignee's copy of the road consignment note, travelling with the goods and signed on delivery.
- Bill of LadingThe carrier's receipt for the goods, evidence of the contract of carriage, and a document of title the consignee must surrender to collect the cargo.
- Certificate of OriginCertifies where goods were produced. Usually stamped by a chamber of commerce and required to claim tariff treatment or satisfy a letter of credit.
- Certification of Origin (USMCA/CUSMA/T-MEC)The free-trade certification for US–Mexico–Canada shipments. Has no prescribed form, but must carry all nine required data elements.
- Importer Security FilingThe ten data elements a US importer must file with CBP at least 24 hours before cargo is laden aboard a vessel bound for the United States.
- Phytosanitary CertificateCertifies that a consignment of plants or plant products meets the importing country's phytosanitary requirements.
- Form 6 — Transboundary Movement DocumentMovement document accompanying a transboundary shipment of hazardous waste, tracking it from exporter to disposal facility.
- Form 9 — Transboundary Movement DocumentMovement document for transboundary shipments of hazardous recyclable material, tracking custody through to the recovery facility.
- Bill of ExchangeAn unconditional written order requiring the drawee to pay a fixed sum on demand or at a stated future date — the instrument behind documentary collections.
+What is the difference between a credit note and a refund?
A credit note is a document reducing what is owed. A refund is money moving back. A credit note is often settled by offsetting the next invoice rather than by paying anything, which is why the two are not interchangeable.
+Can I cancel an invoice by issuing a credit note for the full amount?
Yes, and that is the normal way to cancel an invoice that has already been sent. Reference the original invoice number so the pair can be matched, and keep both in your records.
+Does a credit note need its own number?
Yes, from its own sequence, and it should reference the invoice it corrects. Reusing the invoice number or leaving it unnumbered makes the correction impossible to trace.
+Who issues the credit note, the buyer or the seller?
The seller, because it corrects the seller's own invoice. A buyer wanting an adjustment requests one; they cannot issue it themselves. Some trades use a buyer-issued debit note to make that request formally.
Judge it by the document, not the feature list.
The generator on this page is the product, prefilled and editable. Fill it in and download the finished PDF — then decide.
Create a credit note