Invoice Settings

Account Credit Limit, then On Hold when they go over

Last updated: August 27, 2026

This is the Account Credit Limit block on Invoice Settings, plus the same field on the customer. It is not a separate credit-control product and it does not raise invoices or credits. It writes a number, compares it to unpaid work, and can check the On Hold box the office already uses next to Ceased Trading and Cash Only.

A hold the system puts on because the limit was exceeded can come off again when the unpaid total drops. A hold you check yourself is stamped manual. The system will not clear that one, even if they pay the lot.

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Invoice Settings, Account Credit Limit: Default Credit Limit field and the auto-hold checkbox

Invoice Settings holds the company default

Open Invoice Settings and find Account Credit Limit. Default Credit Limit is the figure every customer inherits if their own field is blank. Leave it at 0 if you only want a limit on a few accounts. 0 means no default limit.

The checkbox under it is labeled Automatically place customers on hold when they exceed their credit limit. That starts on. Switch it off and the Credit chip can still go red. The system will not check On Hold for you.

On the customer record the same field is labeled Account Credit Limit. The help text is the live one: Customer auto-goes on hold when outstanding invoices exceed this. Blank = use default setting. 0 = no limit. Type 5000 for that customer and they ignore the company default. Clear the field and they go back to inheriting it.

The Credit chip only appears when there is a limit

If the effective limit is greater than 0, the customer header shows a chip labeled Credit. The value is used / limit in the company currency, plus a percent badge. Hover it and the tooltip says how much of the limit is used.

Green stays under 80%. Amber starts at 80%. Red is when they have gone over. There is no chip that reads No limit. If the effective figure is 0, that chip is simply not there. Outstanding and Overdue sit next to it either way. Those two chips are invoice stats, not this hold engine.

Customer header Credit chip showing used versus limit and percent

A check you make is not the same as a credit hold

Check On Hold yourself and it is treated as a manual hold. Paying the invoices, issuing a credit, or raising the limit will not clear it. Someone in the office has to uncheck the box. Uncheck it while they are still over the limit and auto-hold can put them back on, unless you turned that checkbox off.

When the system puts them on hold for the limit, the badge reads ON HOLD CREDIT LIMIT EXCEEDED. A hold you set by hand just says ON HOLD, same as a cash-only or ceased-trading flag. The Live Feed line for an automatic hold is was put ON HOLD (credit limit exceeded). That write is stamped as the system, not the last admin who opened the record.

Customer record badge reading ON HOLD CREDIT LIMIT EXCEEDED

Outstanding for the hold is not the same as the reports

The hold adds the gross of invoices that are not deleted and not marked paid. It then subtracts credit notes that are not deleted, not void, and not applied to an invoice. It does not require the invoice to be issued. It does not use the credited-total field the reports use.

Customers On Hold and Customer Credit Exposure add issued unpaid invoices, then subtract the credited total on those invoices. Those report figures can disagree with the Credit chip. If you are arguing about a hold, trust the chip and the unpaid invoices on the customer, not the report row.

The hold is refreshed when someone looks, not on every invoice save

Raising an invoice does not flip On Hold in that same save. The check runs when you open the customer, save the customer, change Account Credit Limit, uncheck On Hold, or hit Add Job from that customer. After a payment or a credit lands, open the customer again. If they are back under the limit and the hold was a credit one, it can come off there.

That is why a dispatcher can post an invoice and send the next technician in the same minute without seeing the hold yet. Open the customer first if you need the flag to be current.

Add Job from the customer shows a warning, then Proceed Anyway

Add Job from the customer opens a Customer Warnings panel. The line is CUSTOMER ON HOLD - Review before proceeding with work. The button is Proceed Anyway. That is the normal path.

Creating a work order on the customer page itself is stricter. That path says Customer is on hold. Job creation blocked unless overridden. Technicians see CUSTOMER ON HOLD - Contact office before proceeding. Raising a quote is not stopped by this feature. There is no Quote Options switch that blocks a new quote because the account is on hold.

Add Job Customer Warnings panel with Proceed Anyway on an on-hold customer

Frequently asked questions

What is customer credit limit software in Field Ascend?

It is the credit limit and on-hold engine on the customer record. You set a company default, optionally override it per customer, and Field Ascend can place that customer on hold when unpaid invoices exceed the effective limit.

How is outstanding calculated?

The hold adds unpaid invoice gross where paid is empty, then subtracts unallocated credit notes. Deleted invoices and voided credits are left out. Status does not have to be issued. The Customers On Hold and Customer Credit Exposure reports use a different sum, so those totals can disagree with the Credit chip.

What does a credit limit of 0 mean?

Zero means no limit. Customers with no individual override inherit the company default. If that default is also 0, Field Ascend will not auto-hold them for credit reasons.

What is the difference between a manual hold and a credit-limit hold?

A manual hold is set by an admin checking On Hold. The system never clears it. A credit-limit hold is set when outstanding goes over the limit. That hold can clear on its own once outstanding drops back under the limit, or if the limit is raised or removed.

Does a credit hold stop new work orders?

Add Job from the customer shows Customer Warnings and Proceed Anyway. Work started on the customer page itself is refused unless overridden. Technicians are told to contact the office. Raising a quote is not stopped. Quote chase emails can skip on-hold customers.

When does the hold update after a payment?

The hold is recalculated when you open the customer, save the credit limit, uncheck On Hold, or use Add Job from that customer. It is not rewritten on every invoice save. After a payment lands, open the customer again and the credit-limit hold can come off if they are back under the limit.

Does this replace credit notes or customer statements?

No. An unallocated credit note reduces the outstanding used by the hold. Customer statements show the account history. This page is the limit and the hold only. Issue credits from invoicing.

How much does Field Ascend cost in the United States?

Field Ascend starts at $13 per user per month in the United States, billed in GBP at the equivalent rate. Credit limits are included. See the U.S. pricing page for the current plan.