Issue a credit note
A credit note credits an issued invoice without cancelling it: for example, a post-sale discount, a return or an amount error. It reduces what your client owes you; it does not return money by itself.
In short:
- Where: on the detail of an issued invoice, More actions › Credit note.
- For the total: from the app the note is created for the invoice’s total, with the same items, rates and withholdings. To credit only part of it, today it is done through the API with the partial amount.
- Issued from its detail: Cord takes you to the note’s draft and you issue it with Issue credit note. It is not sent to the client on its own.
- Effect on the balance: only an issued, non-voided note reduces the balance. If the invoice was already paid, an amount to refund remains, which is handled separately.
- Each country issues its own document: expense CFDI in Mexico, corrective invoice in Spain with Verifactu, credit note with its authorization on the LatAm rails, and a commercial credit note elsewhere.
Issue a credit note
- Open Invoices and go to the original invoice. Only an issued invoice supports a credit note.
- Click More actions › Credit note.
- Cord creates the note as a draft for the invoice total and takes you to its detail.
- Review it and click Issue credit note.
- Send it to your client with Send to client from its detail.
The note keeps the original invoice’s breakdown: unlike an invoice draft, it doesn’t open in the editor, because its items and amount come from the original invoice. For a different amount, the API accepts the amount you want to credit; a partial amount that does not add up after rounding is rejected. The sum of valid notes cannot exceed the invoice total.
Which document is issued in each country
| Country | Credit note |
|---|---|
| Mexico | Expense CFDI (type E), use G02 (S01 for a foreign client), relation 01 to the original UUID. |
| Spain with Verifactu active | Corrective invoice by differences, with its own chained record. |
| Argentina (ARCA) | Credit note of the same class, recipient, status and currency, with the invoice as the associated document. |
| Peru (SUNAT) | Credit note type 01 (cancellation) if it credits the total, or 09 (reduction) if it credits part. |
| Chile (SII) | Credit note (61) that cancels the total or corrects amounts. |
| Colombia (DIAN) | Credit note with the cancellation concept (total) or reduction concept (partial). |
| Brazil (NFS-e or NF-e) | Does not exist: the NFS-e is voided and another is issued; a return of goods is another NF-e that Cord does not issue yet. |
| Elsewhere, and commercial invoices | Commercial credit note with prefix NCC, linked to the invoice. |
In Spain, Verifactu is in beta and needs your electronic certificate. Tax-authority registration in LatAm is being turned on; meanwhile, the note is commercial. See Invoicing by country.
Effect on the balance
Only an issued, non-voided note reduces the balance; the draft does not change it. The note starts with a zero collectible balance: it is not new debt and cannot be charged. If the invoice was already paid, the detail shows the amount to refund; issuing the note does not execute that refund. See how the balance is calculated.
Void a credit note
An issued credit note is voided from its own detail with More actions › Void, like an invoice. Before voiding the original invoice you must resolve its valid notes.
Availability of the September improvements is being verified. See scope and release status; contact support if a described action is not yet shown in your account.