> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.techfootintl.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Credit & Debit Notes
> Adjust customer invoice amounts in BillSpree using invoice notes tied to bill line items.
## Overview
In **BillSpree**, **Credit Notes** and **Debit Notes** are created as **Invoice Notes** against an existing customer bill. They are not standalone documents with a separate credit balance pool.
Each note:
* Selects one or more **bill line components** (or manual invoice lines)
* Specifies an amount per line (up to the original line amount)
* Saves an **`InvoiceNote`** record with line detail in **`InvoiceNoteLine`**
* Posts a **ledger journal entry** immediately (AccSpree)
* Updates cumulative totals on the bill: **`creditNoteAmount`** and **`debitNoteAmount`**
**Purchase invoices** do not show the **Create Note** action in the UI.
***
## Credit Note vs Debit Note
| | **Credit Note** | **Debit Note** |
| --------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------- |
| **Purpose** | Reduce what the customer owes on this bill | Increase what the customer owes on this bill |
| **Bill field updated** | `creditNoteAmount` (cumulative) | `debitNoteAmount` (cumulative) |
| **Typical use** | Returns, overcharge correction, post-invoice discount | Undercharge correction, extra fees after invoice |
| **Accounting (simplified)** | Debit **receivable**, Credit **component/revenue** account | Credit **receivable**, Debit **component** account |
Multiple notes can be created for the same bill. Amounts **add up** on the bill. There is no built-in void or reverse flow for posted invoice notes in the current release.
***
## How the bill total changes
On **View Bill**, the footer shows:
* **Net Total** — original bill total
* **Total LP** — late payment charges (if any)
* **Credit Note Amount** — sum of all credit notes on this bill
* **Debit Note Amount** — sum of all debit notes on this bill
* **Total** — adjusted amount:
```text theme={null}
Total = Net Total + Total LP − Credit Note Amount + Debit Note Amount
```
Billing and sales reports apply the same logic: credit notes **reduce** sale; debit notes **increase** sale (along with arrears and late fees).
***
## Prerequisites
Before creating a note:
1. Open a **customer bill** in **Billing → View Bill**.
2. Bill status is typically **POSTED**, **PARTIAL-PAID**, or **PAID**.
3. Each line must be **account-backed**:
* **Subscription bills**: connection accounts mapped to service components, plus component accounts in the package definition
* **Single/manual invoices**: bill unsettled account and line accounts must be configured
4. Line amount must be greater than zero; note amount cannot exceed the line original amount.
***
## Create a credit or debit note
### Step 1 — Open the bill
Go to **Billing**, open the bill, and use **View Bill**.
### Step 2 — Open Create Note
Click **Actions → Create Note**. (Requires unrestricted billing access.)
### Step 3 — Configure the note
| Field | Description |
| ------------------ | ---------------------------------------------- |
| **Note Type** | `Credit` or `Debit` |
| **Reason** | Optional; stored on the invoice note header |
| **Use** (per line) | Select which bill components to include |
| **Note Amount** | Amount to credit or debit (≤ original amount) |
| **Description** | Optional per-line text (used on journal lines) |
### Step 4 — Submit
Click **Create Note**. On success:
* A confirmation shows **Invoice Note ID** and **Transaction Number**
* The bill footer refreshes with updated credit/debit amounts
* The **Invoice Notes** section lists the new note
### Step 5 — Review invoice note history
Scroll to the **Invoice Notes** card on View Bill.
| Column | Description |
| ---------------------- | ----------------------------------------- |
| **Invoice Note ID** | Unique note identifier |
| **Type** | `credit` or `debit` |
| **Status** | `POSTED` after successful journal posting |
| **Total Amount** | Sum of selected line amounts |
| **Transaction Number** | AccSpree journal transaction reference |
| **Created Date / By** | Audit fields |
***
## Credit note — when to use
Use a **credit note** when the customer should pay **less** than the invoice total:
* **Returned goods** — credit product or charge lines partially or fully
* **Billing error (overcharge)** — credit the excess on specific components
* **Post-invoice discount or goodwill** — credit selected charge lines
**Effect:** `creditNoteAmount` increases → bill **Total** decreases → receivable balance is reduced after the journal posts.
***
## Debit note — when to use
Use a **debit note** when the customer should pay **more** than the invoice total:
* **Undercharged invoice** — add the missing amount on specific components
* **Extra fees** agreed after the original invoice
**Effect:** `debitNoteAmount` increases → bill **Total** increases.
***
## Troubleshooting
| Issue | Likely cause |
| ------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Create Note** missing | Purchase invoice, or insufficient access level |
| No eligible components | Lines missing account mapping or zero amount |
| Journal entry failed | AccSpree / chart of accounts configuration |
| Totals unchanged after success | Refresh the bill; verify `creditNoteAmount` / `debitNoteAmount` in the database |
| Component does not match bill | Incorrect `componentID` or `columnName` for that bill |
***
## Related topics
* [Bills / Invoices](/billing/invoice) — view, post, and pay bills
* [Bill run (Terms)](/billing/term) — generate bills from subscriptions
* [Journal / Transactions](/bookspree/journal) — ledger entries created by invoice notes