Give a customer a credit note

You can give a credit note to immediately post the transaction. Or if you prefer to include the credit as a line on the customer's next invoice, enter a delayed credit.

A credit note affects the customer's balance. However, QuickBooks does not apply the credit note to a particular invoice. Learn how to apply the credit note to an invoice.

If you are refunding the customer at the same time (by writing a cheque, refunding a card, or giving cash back), you should enter a refund instead of creating a credit note .

  1. Click Create (+) > Credit note.
  2. Choose a customer to credit, or click Add New to add a new customer.
  3. If necessary, change the Credit Note Date to the date you are issuing the credit.
  4. (Optional) If you use custom transaction numbers, edit the credit note number, if necessary. If you use automatic numbers, you don't see the credit note number. In this case, QuickBooks assigns the credit note a number after you save it.
  5. If you use custom fields, enter the appropriate information in the fields.
  6. Enter each charge included in this credit note.
    Product/Service

    If you don't see a Product/Service column, using products and services is turned off. You can turn it on in Gear icon > Company Settings. How?

    Description

    The Description text appears on this printed or sent credit note, but it doesn't appear on the customer's next statement unless you set the preference to use detailed statements.

    Qty/Rate

    Together, Qty and Rate calculate the amount for a line. If you don't see Qty and Rate, they are turned off for your company. You can turn it on in Gear icon > Company Settings.

    If you change the rate for a product or service, the change doesn't affect the rate for future uses of it.

    Amount

    Enter an Amount if you didn't fill in the Qty and Rate.

    VAT

    Select the tax for this credit.

    If you don't see a VAT column, VAT is turned off for your company. To turn it on, click VAT in the left navigation menu and then click Set up VAT.

    Service Date

    Use the Service Date to indicate when a service was performed or a product was sold. If you don't see the Service Date column, it is turned off for your company.

    Class

    (Optional) Choose a Class. If you do not see Class, class tracking is turned off. What is class tracking?

  7. To apply a discount, click the Discount drop-down arrow and select either Discount Percent or Discount Value. Then enter a number in the field to the right. (If you don't see a discount field, Discounts are turned off for your company.)
  8. Click the VAT drop-down arrow and select a VAT rate.
  9. (Optional) In the Shipping field, add any shipping charges you are crediting, if applicable.
  10. (Optional) In the Print message to customer field, enter a message for the customer. This text appears only on the credit note, but not on the customer's next statement.
  11. (Optional) Enter a Memo. The memo text doesn't appear on this credit note, but it does appear on this customer's next statement.
  12. Depending on your need, you can save, print, or send this transaction.

See also

What account does a charge post to?

Customise the way a credit note looks when printed