Skip to content

How do I remove the SAMPLE watermark from my certificates?

In short: The SAMPLE watermark is added while your organisation is on the free trial. To remove it, upgrade to a paid plan, open the certificate, and click Re-generate PDF File — the new PDF renders without the watermark.

Why it's there

During the trial period, every Section 18A certificate PDF is generated with a SAMPLE watermark so trial certificates aren't mistaken for valid tax certificates. The watermark is baked into the PDF at the moment the certificate was generated, so a certificate issued during the trial keeps its trial watermark even after you upgrade — until you generate a fresh PDF.

How to remove it

  1. Move your organisation from the trial onto a paid plan (via Settings → Subscription).
  2. Open the certificate (the Section 18A Certificate # page).
  3. Click the circular Re-generate PDF File refresh icon.

Because the account is no longer on trial, the new PDF has no SAMPLE watermark. Refreshing only re-renders the PDF — it does not change the certificate number, donations, amount or dates.

💡 Tip: If you have many trial certificates, refresh them one at a time, or re-sync all of a donor's certificates at once to regenerate them in one step.

Common issues & solutions

What you see What it means How to fix it
SAMPLE is still there after upgrading The PDF was generated during the trial and hasn't been rebuilt Open the certificate and click Re-generate PDF File
It persists after re-generating The account may still be in the trial window Confirm you're on a paid plan, then re-generate
  • Refreshing a certificate and removing SAMPLE text