How to Create a Credit Note PDF for WooCommerce Refunds and Cancellations

October 28, 2026

A credit note is the document that cancels all or part of an invoice: when you refund or cancel a WooCommerce order, the customer (and your accountant) needs a PDF that states the refunded amount, refers to the original invoice and carries its own number. This guide builds a credit note with PDF Invoice for WooCommerce + Drag and Drop Template Builder (plugin slug pdf-for-woocommerce, by add-ons.org): a template based on the invoice layout with a refund block and merge tags, a PDF setting that generates it automatically when an order becomes Refunded or Cancelled, download buttons in the admin and in My Account, and the emails that can carry it. If you have not built a document with the plugin before, read the proforma invoice tutorial first: it explains the export/import workflow in more detail.

Video tutorial

1. How Refunds Trigger a Credit Note

A full refund in WooCommerce (order screen → Refund → Refund manually or through the payment gateway) sets the order status to Refunded; a cancellation sets it to Cancelled.
A PDF setting with those two statuses under Enable when order status generates the credit note at that moment and stores it with the order: it appears in the PDF box of the order, in the PDFs column of the orders list and, if allowed, in the customer’s My Account.
The order table block prints the refunded lines with struck-through quantities, a Refund line and the net total, and the 0 merge tag prints the total refunded amount.
Timing note: WooCommerce sends the Refunded order email at the instant the refund is created, before the status changes to Refunded, so the plugin cannot attach the credit note to that particular email. Use the Order details email (sent from the order screen) or the Cancelled order email, which is sent after the status change, to deliver it (see section 4).

2. Create the Credit Note Template

Step 1: Import the invoice layout into a new template

Go to PDF Templates → New Template, click the Import icon and upload the yeepdf.json file exported from the WooCommerce Invoice Template (export it from the toolbar of that template if you do not have it yet). Name the template Credit Note.

The builder with the imported invoice layout and the title Credit Note — The invoice layout imported into a new template called Credit Note.

Step 2: Change the heading

Click the Invoice heading and replace it with Credit Note, keeping the bold 30 px style.

The heading element selected with Credit Note in the Editor panel — The heading becomes “Credit Note”.

Step 3: Add the credit note number and the invoice reference

Click the Note: line in the order-info column and replace it with:

Credit Note No: CN-8448
Refers to invoice: #8448

The Editor panel with the credit note number and invoice reference using the order number merge tag — A CN- prefix keeps credit note numbers apart from invoice numbers; the reference points to the original invoice.

Step 4: Replace the footer with the refund block

Click the Thank you block and change it to the refunded amount using the refund merge tag, then replace the contact block with a short explanation:

Refunded amount: 0 USD

This credit note confirms that the amount above has been refunded to your original payment method.
Depending on your bank it can take 5–10 business days to appear on your statement.
Please keep this document for your records. Questions: [email protected]

The builder with the refund explanation block selected and the Editor panel showing its text — The refund block: total refunded amount from 0 and a note for the customer.

Click Save. The order table in the middle of the page needs no change: for a refunded order it automatically shows the refunded quantities and a Refund line.

The saved Credit Note template in the builder — The finished template. Preview it with a refunded sample order to check the refund lines.

3. Generate the Credit Note Automatically

Go to WooCommerce → Settings → PDF → Add new PDF and fill in the setting:

The PDF setting form for the credit note: label, template, file name, statuses Refunded and Cancelled, email attachments and My Account download for refunded and cancelled orders — The credit note setting.

Field	Value	Why
Label	Credit note	Button label in the admin and in My Account.
PDF Template	Credit Note	The template from section 2.
PDF Name	`credit-note-8448`	e.g. credit-note-1747.pdf
Enable when order status	Refunded, Cancelled	The PDF is generated when the order reaches one of these statuses.
Attachment to	Cancelled order, Customer cancelled order, Order details	Cancellation emails are sent after the status change and carry the file; Order details lets you email the credit note manually after a refund.
Allow My Account invoice download	Only for specific order statuses → Refunded, Cancelled	The customer can download it as soon as the refund is booked.

Click Save changes. The list now shows the Credit note row next to the invoice and proforma settings.

The PDF settings list with Invoice, Proforma invoice and Credit note rows — Three documents, each with its own statuses: proforma (unpaid), invoice (paid), credit note (refunded or cancelled).

4. Refund an Order and Get the Credit Note

Step 1: Refund in the order screen

Open the order, click Refund, enter the quantities (or an amount), add a reason and click Refund manually (or the gateway button, e.g. Refund via Stripe).

A processing WooCommerce order with two items before the refund — Order #1747 before the refund: two items, $60.00.

The refund form with quantity 1 for both items, the refund amount of $60.00, a reason and the Refund $60.00 manually button — Refund both items in full. A full refund moves the order to Refunded.

Step 2: The credit note is ready

As soon as the status changes to Refunded, the credit note is generated. The PDF box on the order screen offers Download, Preview and Regenerate, and the item table shows the refunded quantities and the refund line that also appear in the PDF.

The refunded order screen with status Refunded and the PDF box listing the credit note — The order after the refund: status Refunded, credit note in the PDF box.

The PDF box with Download, Preview and Regenerate for the Credit note — Download, Preview or Regenerate the credit note from the order.

The order items table with struck-through quantities, the refund entry with its reason and the net total — The refund entry with its reason; the same figures are printed in the credit note table.

The generated credit note PDF for order 1747: heading Credit Note, number CN-1747, reference to invoice 1747, the order table with the refund line and the refunded amount of 60 USD — The generated credit note: CN number, invoice reference, refund line in the table and the refunded amount.

Step 3: Orders list and cancelled orders

The WooCommerce Orders list filtered on Refunded with the Credit note link in the PDFs column — Orders → Refunded: the PDFs column links to the credit note. Use the bulk action to download credit notes for several orders.

Cancelled orders work the same way. Because the Cancelled order emails are sent after the status change, the credit note is attached to them automatically.

The PDF box of a cancelled order showing the Credit note — A cancelled order also gets a credit note.

Step 4: Send the credit note to the customer

My Account: the customer sees a Credit note button in My Account → Orders and a download link on the order page for refunded and cancelled orders.
Email after a refund: choose Send order details to customer in the Order actions box; the Order details email is ticked under Attachment to, so the credit note is attached.
Email after a cancellation: attached automatically to the cancellation emails.

My Account Orders list with Credit note buttons next to refunded and cancelled orders — My Account → Orders: Credit note buttons for the refunded and cancelled orders.

The My Account order page of the refunded order with a Credit note: Download link — The order page lists the credit note download.

5. Tips

Partial refunds: a partial refund leaves the order in its current status. If you want a credit note for partial refunds too, add Processing and Completed to the statuses and send it manually with Send order details to customer; the refund block prints only the refunded amount.
Numbering: keep the CN- prefix so credit notes never collide with invoice numbers in your bookkeeping.
Reason on the document: the refund reason is stored on the refund, not on the order; add a static sentence or mention the reason in the My Account order note if you need it on the PDF.
Regenerate: if you edit the template later, open the order and click Regenerate; stored files are not rebuilt automatically.
Legal wording: some countries require the original invoice number and date on a credit note; both are available as 8448 and August 28, 2026.

6. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Why is the credit note not attached to the “Your order has been refunded” email?

WooCommerce sends that email while the refund is being created, before the order status becomes Refunded, so no document exists yet at that moment. Send it afterwards with “Send order details to customer”, or let customers download it from My Account.

Does the credit note show negative amounts?

The order table shows the refunded items with struck-through quantities and a “Refund: -$60.00” line; the refund block prints the refunded amount as a positive number with the currency.

Can I create a credit note without refunding money?

Yes: cancel the order (status Cancelled) or, for a document only, add a status such as Completed to the setting and download it from the order screen.

Where is the file stored?

In wp-content/uploads/pdfs/downloads/, in a random sub-folder per document, and the link is saved on the order. The PDF box always points to the current file.

Can I use a different template for cancellations?

Yes. Create a second PDF setting with another template and only the Cancelled status; each setting is independent.