A customer brings goods back. Open the invoice, press Credit note, keep the lines they returned. When you approve it, the goods are back in stock and the credit is on the customer's account — one document, both books.
Start freeThe returned goods go back into stock at the location on the credit note. The item's average cost stays as it was — only purchases change it.
The credit note is a credit the customer holds. Until you refund it, it lowers what that customer owes you in A/R aging.
In Profit and Loss the credit note subtracts from revenue in its own month. The original sale is not deleted, so a closed month does not change.
The VAT on Sales report subtracts the credit note, so the VAT you report is the VAT of the sale minus the VAT of the goods that came back.
Invoice INV-1042 sold six chairs at 80. The customer paid 300 and returns two chairs. You make credit note CN-17 from the invoice and delete the four chairs they kept.
| Customer statement | Charge | Payment | Balance |
|---|---|---|---|
| INV-1042 — 6 chairs × 80 | 480 | 480 | |
| Payment | 300 | 180 | |
| CN-17 — 2 chairs returned | −160 | 20 | |
| The customer still owes | 20 |
The two chairs are back in stock. On the statement the credit note is a negative charge, so the balance is right on every line. If the customer had paid in full, the balance would go below zero, and a refund — a payment out to the customer — brings it back to zero.
The mirror image works the same way. Open the receipt of the goods and make a Vendor return from it. The goods leave stock, the supplier owes you a credit that lowers what you owe them in A/P aging, the VAT on Purchases report subtracts the return, and the refund they send is recorded against the return.
Received the wrong quantity, or found damaged goods before they reached a customer? An adjustment or a write-off with its reason is the right document — see the guide.
An approved invoice is not edited, because your history and your accountant's must stay the same. A credit note shows what happened, when, and why.
Yes. An open credit note stays on the customer's account and lowers their balance until you record a refund.
No. Only purchases change an item's average cost. A return priced at the sale price does not push the cost up.
No. Credit notes and vendor returns are on every plan, the free plan too. Only the point-of-sale refund needs a paid plan, because the point of sale does.
The cloud version handles returns with credit notes and vendor returns; there is no separate RMA ticket. See the desktop migration page.
Stock and the customer's balance, from the same credit note. Free plan, no card.