The quick answer
Open the billable sales order and follow the line's billing schedule link to confirm the recurrence count, spacing, and percentages. Back on the order, click Next Bill, check the drafted amount and posting period, and save. Then reopen the sales order and use the Related Records subtab to confirm the invoice. The order's own Summary total does not change.
This example bills the first $12,000 installment of SO-81342, a $48,000 service order. The screenshots use sample data and fictional names.
01 · Inspect the schedule
Open SO-81342. The Annual Support Package line shows Quarterly Service 25 Percent in its Billing Schedule column. Click that link. The Billing Schedule record shows Initial Amount 0.00 and Recurrence Count 4, and the recurrence table lists four rows of 25.00%: Count 0 Months for the first, then 3 Months with Relative to Previous set to Yes for the other three. That is what makes it "25% quarterly": four recurrences that add up to 100%, three months apart. Click Back to return to the order.
02 · Create the next invoice
On the sales order, click Next Bill. Do not click Bill Remaining, which bypasses the rest of the schedule. The Invoice form opens as To Be Generated with the customer, Date 09/21/2026, and Posting Period already set. The Items line shows Quantity 0.25 of the 48,000.00 line, Unbilled 1, Ordered 1, and Amount 12,000.00. The Summary shows Subtotal and Total of 12,000.00. If the date or total looks wrong, fix the schedule, tax, discount, or currency cause before saving.
Click Save. NetSuite shows Confirmation: Transaction successfully Saved above the new invoice, INV-84501, with status Open and a Summary Total and Amount Due of 12,000.00.
03 · Confirm it on the sales order
Click Back to reopen SO-81342, then click the Related Records subtab. The new row reads 09/21/2026, Invoice, INV-84501, Open, Order Bill/Invoice, 12,000.00. The order stays Pending Billing and its Summary Total is still 48,000.00: billing an installment never changes the order's totals, so Related Records is where you confirm what has been invoiced. With 12,000.00 billed, 36,000.00 remains for the three later recurrences.
Check the result
- Related Records lists INV-84501, Open, Order Bill/Invoice, 12,000.00.
- The sales order is still Pending Billing with a Summary Total of 48,000.00.
- Three 25% recurrences, 36,000.00 in total, are still unbilled.
Common questions
Does a billing schedule create invoices automatically?
A scheduled date makes an installment eligible, but it does not by itself prove an invoice exists. Run Next Bill or the billing queue and verify the resulting transaction under Related Records.
What is the difference between Next Bill and Bill Remaining?
Next Bill creates the next scheduled installment. Bill Remaining invoices the outstanding amount without preserving the remaining installment sequence.
Why does the sales order total not change after I bill an installment?
The sales order Summary always shows the full order. Invoices created from the schedule appear on the order's Related Records subtab; the unbilled balance is the order total minus the invoices listed there.
Why is the invoice not exactly 25% of the order?
Check the schedule basis, dates, tax, discounts, currency, and other charges. The $12,000 example assumes a $48,000 order with no tax or discount effects.