Are you planning to establish a lending business and want to create a template for a promissory note to be signed by the borrower? Are you loaning money to your co-worker? Do you want the loan details to be in writing?

If you answer yes, this guide is here to help you draft a promissory note.

DISCLAIMER: This article has been written for general informational purposes only and is not legal advice or a substitute for legal counsel. You should contact your attorney for advice on any particular issue or problem. Using the information herein does not create an attorney-client relationship between the author and the user/reader.

Promissory Note Sample Philippines (Free Download)

To save you the hassle of writing a promissory note from scratch, you may download the following samples and edit the contents based on your agreement with the other party.

1. Simple Promissory Note (With No Conditions)

2. Notarized Promissory Note (With the Condition to Pay Monthly Interest)

3. Notarized Promissory Note (With the Condition to Pay Monthly Interest, Legal Fees, and Other Requirements)

What Is a Promissory Note?

A promissory note is a genuine document acknowledging a loan duly received and promising to pay the same on the date indicated and under the agreed-upon conditions by the borrower and the lender. A person who signs a promissory note is bound to honor it as a legitimate obligation. 

Generally, there are two types of promissory notes – negotiable and non-negotiable.

1. Negotiable Promissory Note

Under the Negotiable Instruments Law¹, a negotiable promissory note is defined as an “unconditional promise in writing made by one person to another, signed by the maker, engaging to pay on demand, or at a fixed and determinable future time, a sum certain in money to order or to bearer. Where a note is drawn to a maker’s own order, it is not complete until indorsed by him.”

2. Non-Negotiable Promissory Note

On the other hand, a non-negotiable promissory note is simply a document containing a promise by one person to pay another on the date indicated in the note and under the agreed conditions, e.g., payment of interest. A non-negotiable promissory note is not transferable to another person/payee.

Both are essentially the same in their contents. The difference lies in its negotiability or transferability. A promissory note is negotiable if it can be transferred from one person to another and complies with the requirements under Sec. 1 of the Negotiable Instruments Law.  A negotiable promissory note is in the same vein as a check.

How To Get a Promissory Note in 3 Easy Steps

Preparing a promissory note is easy with these simple steps:

1. Prepare the document

The details of a promissory note will depend on the complexities of your agreement. However, a promissory note should contain at least the following parts:

1. Title of the document.
2. The statement “For value received” indicates the maker has received the amount borrowed. 
3. The name of the maker. The maker is the person promising or signing the promissory note. You may include a statement indicating the maker’s legal age, civil status, citizenship, and residence address. 
4. The statement of an unconditional promise to pay.
5. The name of the payee. The payee is the person with whom the maker has promised to pay. 
6. The amount to be paid.
7. The date when the said amount has to be paid, either on-demand or at some future time.  
8. Other conditions, if any. For example, you pay at a particular location or with a specific interest.
9. Name and signature of the maker.
10. Name and signature of witness/es (optional).
11. Acknowledgment – is the act of the person signing the document before a Notary Public and declaring it to be his or her act or deed (optional).

Please note that a promissory note is valid even without the signature of a witness or an Acknowledgment.

2. Print copies of the promissory note

Print at least two copies of the document; three should you decide to have it notarized – one for the maker, one for the payee, and one copy for the notary.

3. Go to the notary if you opt to have the document notarized

Frequently Asked Questions

References