How To Add Different Mailing / Billing Addresses In Sage 50

For businesses handling multiple customers, vendors, or partner organizations, it’s common to encounter situations where a customer’s mailing address is different from their billing address. Perhaps their headquarters handles accounting in one location while their operational office receives regular mail elsewhere. Or a client may want invoices sent to a centralized accounts-payable department, but they want product information or correspondence sent to a local site. Whatever the reason, these variations are extremely common,  and Sage 50 is designed to accommodate them.

Sage 50 is one of the most widely used small-business accounting systems, and it offers robust customer and vendor address management tools. However, because Sage 50 has both default address fields and optional additional fields, many users are unsure of how to correctly enter multiple addresses and ensure that the right one appears on invoices, statements, purchase orders, and other documents.

Understanding the Address Structure in Sage 50

Before you begin entering multiple addresses, it is helpful to understand how Sage 50 organizes customer information. Sage 50 separates customer address data into several key categories:

Billing Address

This is the default address stored in Sage 50 and is used automatically on invoices, statements, receipts, and financial correspondence. It represents the official address where billing information should be directed.

Shipping Address

This address is used on forms involving the delivery or shipment of goods. Even if your business does not ship physical products, many users repurpose the shipping address as an alternative mailing address or correspondence address. Sage 50 allows multiple shipping addresses per customer, giving you flexibility for customers with several locations.

Additional Address Fields

In certain versions of Sage 50, you may add more shipping addresses or supplemental information fields. These can be customized for special mailing requirements.  Understanding these fields helps ensure that your financial documents display the correct address every time.

Why Customers Often Require Different Mailing and Billing Addresses

Most companies today do not operate from a single location, and even small organizations may divide tasks between multiple offices or departments. Here are some common reasons why customers use different mailing and billing addresses:

Centralized Accounting

Large organizations often consolidate billing in one city or headquarters while individual branches operate independently.

Departmental Separation

A customer may want invoices directed to the accounting department, while general mail or product correspondence goes to a different office or employee.

Warehouse or Fulfillment Center Addresses

If your business ships goods, the receiving warehouse may not be the same location where accounting needs your invoices.

PO Boxes vs. Physical Addresses

Some customers prefer that bills be sent to a PO Box, while shipping deliveries require a physical location.

Regional or International Operations

Customers with several regional locations may route invoices differently depending on where they are operating.

Sage 50’s ability to store multiple addresses ensures that your workflow remains correct, consistent, and professional.

Step 1: Open the Customer Maintenance Window

Start by launching Sage 50 and navigating to the section where customer records are stored. In most versions, you can access your customer list directly from the main navigation panel.  Once you open the customer list, click on the customer whose addresses you wish to edit or create a new customer if the record is not yet in the system.  The Customer Maintenance window is where all customer data,  including addresses, contacts, payment terms, and sales history,  is stored.

Step 2: Enter the Billing Address

The first address you’ll enter is the billing address. This is the primary address attached to the customer’s financial account and is used on invoices by default.

The billing address fields typically appear near the top of the Customer Maintenance window. They include:

• Customer name or company name
• Street or building address
• City
• State or province
• Postal code
• Country

Use multiple lines if necessary to include department names, attention lines, or additional contact information.  Be sure to enter the billing address accurately because Sage 50 automatically pulls this address into financial forms unless instructed otherwise.

Step 3: Add or Edit the Mailing Address Using the Shipping Address Fields

Most Sage 50 users repurpose the shipping address field as the second mailing address, especially when customers do not require shipping but do need multiple official addresses stored.

To add a mailing address:

1. Locate the Ship To Address or Shipping Address section inside the customer record.
2. Enter the alternative mailing address information.
3. Use line breaks to keep the formatting clean and readable.

Sage 50 allows customers to have multiple shipping addresses. If your client has several branch offices or regional contact points, you can enter more than one and label them accordingly.  Once saved, Sage 50 stores all addresses under this customer profile.

Step 4: Label Your Addresses Clearly

Sage 50 allows you to name each shipping address to avoid confusion. For example:

• Headquarters Mailing Address
• Accounts Payable Department
• Regional Office Address
• PO Box Correspondence Address
• Local Branch Contact

Providing clear and descriptive names makes it easy for anyone in your organization to select the correct address when creating invoices, purchase orders, or reports.

Step 5: Use the Correct Address When Creating an Invoice

When you create an invoice in Sage 50, the billing address appears by default. If you want to display a different address on the invoice;  perhaps the customer requests that invoices be mailed to their regional office,  you can override the default in the invoice form.

Within the invoice screen:

1. Select the customer.
2. The billing address automatically appears.
3. To change it, look for the drop-down or selector near the address area that lets you choose a different stored address.

If you have multiple shipping addresses saved, Sage 50 will list them so you can pick the appropriate one.  This ensures the invoice is addressed correctly without permanently altering your customer records.

Step 6: Update Your Forms to Display the Right Address

Sage 50 uses customizable forms for invoices, packing slips, purchase orders, and statements. You have full control over whether the billing address, shipping address, or both appear on your documents.

Within the form customization settings, you can:

• Add or remove address fields
• Adjust labeling (for example, changing “Shipping Address” to “Mailing Address”)
• Modify how addresses are positioned on printed or emailed documents
• Add multiple addresses if necessary

If a customer has very specific address display requirements, customizing the form ensures that your documents appear correct every time.

Step 7: Add Additional Addresses Using Notes or Custom Fields

Some businesses require more than two addresses per customer. Sage 50 does allow multiple shipping addresses, but if you need additional address types—such as a legal address, compliance address, or archive mailing address—you may use:

• Customer notes
• Custom fields
• Additional shipping address entries

Notes can be annotated with clear identifiers such as “Mail checks to this address only” or “Use this address for service contracts.”  Although notes do not automatically print on invoices, they serve as reminders for your staff and help prevent mistakes.

Step 8: Train Your Billing Staff to Select the Right Address

Even when the addresses are correctly stored in Sage 50, errors can still happen if staff members forget to select the correct mailing or billing address when preparing documents.

To prevent address-related mistakes:

• Remind team members to double-check the invoice before sending
• Establish guidelines for which address types to use in common scenarios
• Keep customer address names clear and descriptive
• Review address information during onboarding and periodic training

A well-trained team ensures consistent and accurate billing.

Tips for Maintaining Accurate Addresses in Sage 50

Managing customer addresses is not a one-time task—it requires ongoing attention and accuracy. Here are some best practices that help maintain a clean and professional address system.

Regularly verify addresses with customers

Businesses often change their billing or mailing locations. Ask customers once or twice a year whether their address information is still accurate.

Keep formatting clean and consistent

Use standardized formatting for all addresses to ensure your documents look professional.

Avoid overwriting addresses unnecessarily

If a customer operates from multiple locations, keep each address stored rather than replacing the billing address with new information.

Check the PDF preview before sending invoices

Always preview your invoice or statement before emailing or printing it.

Use naming conventions for multi-location customers

For example:

• “Main Billing Office”
• “Detroit Warehouse Mailing Address”
• “Accounts Payable (Primary)”

These labels help reduce user errors.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Even experienced users of Sage 50 sometimes misunderstand how the software handles addresses. Here are common issues to avoid.

Mixing up mailing and billing addresses

This can cause delays in payments and customer confusion. Keep each address’s purpose clear.

Not checking which address appears on forms

Even when multiple addresses are stored, Sage 50 defaults to the billing address unless manually changed.

Forgetting to update custom invoice templates

If your invoice template doesn’t display shipping or alternate addresses, you may need to modify the layout manually.

Neglecting to store multiple addresses when customers operate from several locations

Failing to store all addresses leads to manual entry and increases the risk of mistakes.

Adding and managing different mailing and billing addresses in Sage 50 is straightforward once you understand how the software stores and uses customer information. By following the steps outlined above,  entering billing and shipping addresses, customizing forms, naming addresses clearly, and verifying details during invoice creation,  you can ensure that your financial documents are accurate and professional.  This level of precision strengthens customer relationships, prevents costly billing delays, and gives your business a polished and reliable appearance.