What Are Credit Notes and When Are They Needed?

Credit notes, also known as credit memos or credit invoices, are commercial documents issued by the seller (your business) to the buyer (animal owner). Credit notes are used when a sale has been completed and an invoice has been finalised in Provet Cloud, but the invoice needs corrections. This may happen, for example, if a client returns a product or an item has been charged incorrectly.

Good accounting practices do not allow editing or deleting finalised invoices. Therefore, you always have to create a credit note when a finalised invoice needs a correction, even if you notice a mistake before the client has paid and you have not yet added any payments to the invoice. Likewise, if there is an error on a finalised credit note, you have to create another credit note to correct the error.

In Provet Cloud, credit notes look much like regular invoices, but they are always connected to a regular invoice or another credit note.

Note that it is not possible to create a credit note on an invoice that is part of a consolidated invoice. However, unpaid consolidated invoices can be revoked, after which it is possible to create credit notes for the original invoices.

Provet Cloud Crediting Options

To open the credit note dialogue in Provet Cloud, select the Credit note button at the bottom of the page on a finalised invoice. The available functions depend on the department and user permission group settings.

Full Refunds

Using the Fully credit the invoice option, you can credit and refund an entire invoice, for example, if a customer wants to return everything that was included on the same invoice. The crediting workflow differs depending on whether payments have already been added on the invoice or if the invoice has only been finalised, but payments have not been added yet.

Partial Refunds

Using the Credit some invoice items option, you can credit and refund one or more selected items on an invoice. Sometimes an item may also be partially refunded, for example, if you want to refund a part of the cost of a procedure to the client. You can also replace refunded items with other items. Note that if there is an insurance claim on the invoice, it is not possible to credit the invoice partially.

Crediting and Invoicing Again

Using the Credit the invoice, create new draft option, you can credit an invoice and create a new invoice when the original invoice rows are correct, but some invoice information needs to be changed. For example, a customer has paid the invoice using their personal information but then wants to have the invoice addressed to their business. This option credits the original invoice and creates a new invoice draft which you can edit to correct the information.

Cancelling or Correcting Payments

Using the Correct payment methods option, you can cancel or correct payments if there is a mistake such as an incorrect payment method. This may be needed, for example, if a client paid by cash, but the payment was accidentally added as a card payment). This does not create a credit note.

You can also cancel and correct payments directly on the invoice page. Note that with integrated terminal payments, you can only cancel a payment directly from the invoice page.

Cancelling payments and correcting payment methods is possible if it has been enabled in your department settings and you have the required user rights. If your clinic does not have payment cancellations enabled, you can still change the payment method if necessary by using the credit note functions.

Refunding with Card Payment Terminal Integrations

Depending on your card payment terminal integration and setup, it may be possible to refund with card payment terminals. However, sometimes refunding is not possible, and you need another payment type for refunds. With card payment terminal integrations, you cannot use the card payment type on credit notes but need to set up another payment type in the Provet Cloud settings.

For refunding payments using Provet Pay, see Payments and Refunds.

For refunding payments using the Gravity Payments integration, see see Refunding Payments.

Overview of Credit Notes