The quick answer
In a Transaction saved search of invoices, go to Results and add a column from Customer (Main Line) Fields..., then pick Terms. The row reads Customer (Main Line) : Terms. Move it next to the invoice's own Terms column and preview. Where the two values differ, the invoice's stored terms don't match the customer's current default.
The screenshots show sample data. Person, company, and customer names are fictional. Use your own records and values when following the steps.
Before you start
This example edits an existing Transaction saved search called Invoice Terms Check. Its criteria are Type is Invoice and Main Line is true, and its results already include the invoice's Terms field. If yours doesn't, add Terms as a column first. You need edit access to the search, access to the invoices, and enough access to customer records for the joined value to come back. What a role can see also depends on subsidiary restrictions and the search's audience.
With these criteria and this customer join, the search returns one row per invoice. Drop Main Line is true and you get a row per invoice line, with the customer's value repeated on each. Other one-to-many joins can repeat rows too. If that's what you're seeing, read why a Customer saved search repeats rows.
The joined column reads the customer record as it is when the search runs. It doesn't tell you what the customer's terms were when the invoice was created.
01. Check one invoice and its customer
Pick one invoice and check it by hand, so you have a known answer to test the search against. Open INV-5520 for Copperline Contractors and click the Billing subtab. Terms is Due on receipt.
Click Copperline Contractors to open the customer, then click the Financial subtab. Under Account Information, Terms is Net 30. So this invoice doesn't use the customer's default.
02. Preview the invoice search
Go to Reports > Saved Searches, point to Invoice Terms Check, and click Edit. That's the path in this account. If your role doesn't have it, open the search from your saved search list.
On the Criteria subtab, Standard has Type is Invoice and Main Line is true.
Click Preview. The results show Total: 4 with Document Number, Name, Terms, and Amount. INV-5520 shows Due on receipt, but nothing on the row tells you what the customer's default is.
03. Add the customer's Terms column
Click Return To Criteria and open the Results subtab. In the empty row under Columns, open the Field list and choose Customer (Main Line) Fields.... Related-record groups like this one end in "Fields...". In this account it sits at the bottom of the list. In yours you may need to scroll or filter for it.
A popup opens. In Customer (Main Line) Field, choose Terms. The popup closes and the row reads Customer (Main Line) : Terms.
Click Add. The new column lands at the bottom, after Amount. To put it beside Terms, click the row, click Move Up, then click OK.
04. Compare the two Terms columns
Click Preview. The total is still 4, and Customer (Main Line) : Terms now sits next to Terms. INV-5512, INV-5515, and INV-5518 show the same value in both columns. INV-5520 shows Due on receipt against Net 30, the same pair you found by hand in step 01.
Check the result
- The criteria are still Type is Invoice and Main Line is true, and the total didn't change when you added the column.
- Customer (Main Line) : Terms sits next to Terms.
- Your hand-checked invoice shows the same two values you saw on the invoice and the customer. Here that's INV-5520 with Due on receipt and Net 30.
- Invoices that use the customer's default show the same value in both columns.
The counts and values are from this sample account. The search shows that two values differ, not why. The invoice may have been changed by hand or picked up terms from a sales order, or the customer's default may have changed since. Terms also isn't the last word on when an invoice is due, since Due Date can be edited separately. A blank in the joined column may mean the customer has no default Terms, but access restrictions or bad data can leave it blank too.
Standard criteria compare a field with a value you pick, not with another field. To return only the mismatches, you'd need a formula criterion that compares the invoice's terms with the joined customer terms and handles blanks. This walkthrough doesn't build one, so test any formula against a known mismatch like INV-5520 before you trust it. Preview doesn't save anything either. Click Save to keep the new column.
Common questions
How do I show a customer field on an invoice saved search?
On the Results subtab of a Transaction saved search, add a column from Customer (Main Line) Fields... and pick the customer field you want in the popup, such as Terms. The column shows up as Customer (Main Line) : Terms, and you can move it next to the invoice field you're comparing it with.
Does the joined field show the customer's terms at the time of the invoice?
No. It shows the customer record's current value when the search runs. An invoice created while the customer was on Due on receipt will show Net 30 in the joined column if the customer is on Net 30 today.
Why is my joined customer field blank?
Often the customer just has no value in that field. Blanks can also come from what your role is allowed to see or from bad data, so open the customer record before you treat a blank as a mismatch.
Can saved search criteria compare two fields and return only the mismatches?
Standard criteria can't. They compare a field with a value you choose. You need a formula criterion that compares the invoice's terms with the customer's terms and handles blanks on either side, and you should test it against an invoice you already know is a mismatch.
Why does Main Line matter here?
Terms, Amount, and the customer sit on the invoice's main line. With Main Line is true you get one row per invoice, so each invoice's terms and its customer's terms land on the same row. Without it, every item line adds a row and repeats the same values.