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Free Promissory Note Generator

Create a promissory note documenting a personal or business loan, with lump-sum or installment repayment terms.

This is a template, not legal advice. Lending laws and interest rate limits vary by state — have a lawyer review anything high-stakes before you rely on it.

Lender

Borrower

Loan terms

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Key Features

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100% Free

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A promissory note is a written, signed promise to repay a loan — turning an informal agreement between family, friends, or business partners into a document with clear, enforceable terms.

This generator creates a complete promissory note covering the loan amount, interest rate, and repayment terms, either as a lump sum or in installments.

How it works

Enter the lender and borrower's names and addresses, the principal loan amount and interest rate, and choose lump-sum or installment repayment. The tool calculates the total repayment amount for installment loans and assembles a complete note as a downloadable PDF.

  1. Enter the lender and borrower names and addresses.
  2. Enter the principal amount and interest rate.
  3. Choose lump-sum or installment repayment and fill in the terms.
  4. Generate the note and download a signature-ready PDF.

Examples

A personal loan between family members

A $5,000 interest-free loan repaid as a lump sum on a specific due date, documented to avoid confusion later.

An installment loan

A $6,000 loan repaid in 12 monthly installments of $500 each, with the total repayment amount calculated automatically.

Who should use it

  • Documenting a personal loan between family members or friends.
  • Formalizing a small business loan between partners or investors.

Industry applications

  • Personal lending and family loans
  • Small business financing

Advantages

  • Supports both lump-sum and installment repayment structures.
  • Automatically calculates the total repayment amount for installment loans.

Limitations

  • A general template — doesn't address complex scenarios like collateral or co-signers.

Common mistakes to avoid

  • Not documenting an informal loan between family or friends in writing, which can lead to disputes about the terms later.
  • Setting an unrealistic repayment schedule the borrower is unlikely to be able to meet.

Best practices

  • Even for loans between close family or friends, put the terms in writing — it protects the relationship by removing ambiguity about what was agreed.

Tips

  • Check your state's usury laws (maximum legal interest rate) before setting an interest rate, especially for larger loans.

Frequently asked questions

Yes, with no signup and no limit on how many documents you generate.
No — you can set the interest rate to 0% for an interest-free loan, though some jurisdictions have minimum interest rate rules ("imputed interest") for tax purposes on larger loans between related parties.
They're similar and often used interchangeably for simple loans — a promissory note is generally a simpler, borrower-signed promise to pay, while a full loan agreement may include more detailed mutual obligations.
A signed promissory note is a legally enforceable document — if the borrower defaults, the lender can pursue collection or take legal action based on its terms.

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