Remarks are the message you do want the customer to read, printed right on the document. Where internal notes are private, remarks are the public voice of a document, a note to the customer that travels with it.
- What remarks are for
- How they reach the customer on the printed document
- When to use remarks versus internal notes
What it is
Most customer-facing documents carry a remarks field, labelled “Remarks to customer”. It is free text you write for the recipient: a thank-you, a payment instruction, a delivery note, a reminder of terms.
It prints on the document
Unlike internal notes, remarks are customer-visible: they appear on the printed and PDF document (the template shows them under a “Remarks” heading). Whatever you write here, the customer will see, so it is the place for anything you want to communicate alongside the figures.
The pair: Remarks and Internal Notes
Remarks and internal notes are deliberate siblings, two boxes on the same document for two audiences. Remarks face outward (the customer reads them); internal notes face inward (only your team sees them). Keeping them separate means you never accidentally print a private note, or bury a customer message where they will not find it.
Like internal notes, remarks remain editable after the document is posted, so you can adjust the customer message without unwinding the document.
Good practice
- Anything the customer should read goes here – payment instructions, a thank-you, a caveat.
- Keep private context out. If it is not for the customer, it belongs in internal notes.
- Mind the tone. Remarks are your brand's voice on the document.
Related
- Reference: Internal Notes (the private sibling)
- Reference: Document Templates (where remarks print)