Co-op advertising credit note template
Co-op advertising credit note template: credit a retailer for the agreed share of catalogue, display and online ads for your products, with proof for each.
Templates by industry
- Co-op support: spring catalogue page, 50%
- Co-op support: in-store display, one month
- Co-op support: online ads, proof of run received
Preparation guide
Example workflow
Identify the invoice and the reason
Example: for "Co-op support: spring catalogue page, 50%", find the original invoice, note its number and date, and record the reason: a return, a price reduction or a cancellation.
Credit the affected lines
Enter the quantity or amount credited for each affected line, down to "Co-op support: online ads, proof of run received", so the tax on it is reversed in proportion.
Send and settle the credit
Send the credit note to the customer, then refund the amount or set it off against the next invoice, and keep both documents together.
Under a co-op advertising agreement, a brand pays part of what a retailer spends promoting the brand’s products: a page in the seasonal catalogue, an end-of-aisle display, a run of online ads. Once the retailer shows the activity happened, the brand settles its share, often as a credit against the retailer’s purchases. Each line here names one activity, the agreed share and the proof of performance on file.
Fields to prepare
- Deliverables and line items
- Co-op support: spring catalogue page, 50%, Co-op support: in-store display, one month, Co-op support: online ads, proof of run received: only the lines being reduced or cancelled, with the quantity or amount credited.
- Co-op support: spring catalogue page, 50%
- State the share agreed for the catalogue page and attach the printed page as proof.
- Co-op support: in-store display, one month
- For a display, give the stores and the weeks it stood; photos dated on site are the usual proof.
- Co-op support: online ads, proof of run received
- Online ads need the run dates and the retailer’s report or screenshots before any credit is given.
- Original invoice
- Quote the number and date of the invoice being corrected, and the reason: a return, a price reduction or a cancellation.
- Settlement
- Say how the credit is settled: refunded to the customer or set off against the next invoice.
- Scope to agree
- Tie each line to an agreed activity, the share of its cost the supplier funds and the proof of performance received, such as a tear sheet or screenshots.
Before sending
- Is “Co-op support: spring catalogue page, 50%” one of the lines being corrected, at the price on the original invoice?
- Is the quantity or amount credited for “Co-op support: in-store display, one month” no more than was invoiced?
- Does the customer know why “Co-op support: online ads, proof of run received” is credited: a return, a price change or a cancellation?
Show 3 more
- Credit only the affected lines, and reverse the tax on them at the rate the original invoice used.
- Give the credit note a number of its own rather than reusing or changing the original invoice number.
- Agree with the customer whether the credit is refunded or set off before you send it.
Worked example with sample figures
The figures below are invented to show how the template adds up: 3 lines in USD, with an example tax rate of 8%.
| Item | Quantity × unit price | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Co-op support: spring catalogue page, 50% | 1 × $1,250.00 | $1,250.00 |
| Co-op support: in-store display, one month | 1 × $600.00 | $600.00 |
| Co-op support: online ads, proof of run received | 1 × $340.00 | $340.00 |
| Subtotal | $2,190.00 | |
| Sales tax (8%) | $175.20 | |
| Total | $2,365.20 | |
Credit before tax $2,190.00, sales tax reversed $175.20, total credited $2,365.20.
- The credit corrects invoice INV-2026-0544.
What the document must show
The details a credit note has to show, and why each one matters, are set out in the guide below.
The sales tax depends on where the work is supplied, so set the rate that applies to your customer before sending.
Official rate reference: US government: state and local taxes
Full requirements: Credit note vs invoice (and credit memo): how to issue one
Frequently asked questions
Credit note from the brand or invoice from the retailer?
Practice varies. Some treat the support as a reduction of the purchase price and issue a credit note; others treat it as a marketing service the retailer invoices to the brand, with tax on it. Agree one method in the contract and check the tax treatment with your adviser.
The retailer cannot prove the ad ran. Do we still credit?
Most agreements make proof of performance a condition. Hold the credit and ask for the material; if it never comes, the support lapses as the agreement says.
How is the sales tax worked out on this credit note?
The worked example above uses an example rate of 8%: $175.20 on a net amount of $2,190.00, for a total of $2,365.20. The editor recalculates all three when you change a quantity, a price or the country.
Is this template free?
Yes. You can fill in this template and print it or save it as a PDF without an account, and there is no payment step and no watermark on the document. Saving it to your account and downloading Excel or Word files need a free account.
Can I use it in another language or currency?
Yes. The document language can be set to any of 33 languages, and changing the country setting updates the currency, the date format and the tax rate.
Read next
Reading for the Co-op advertising credit note template: Credit note vs invoice (and credit memo): how to issue one and Invoice numbering: sequences and corrections. The VAT and GST calculator helps you credit the tax that went with the goods.