How To Fix VP304 - Customer belongs to customer group & and thus cannot be the sold-to party

SAP Error Message - Details

• Message type: E = Error

• Message class: VP - Vertriebsbelegpartner

• Message number: 304

• Message text: Customer belongs to customer group & and thus cannot be the sold-to party

What causes this issue?

The customer specified has an <GL:account_group>account group</> which
cannot be used for sold-to parties.

System Response

The customer cannot be entered as a sold-to party as the system cannot
determine whether all master data has been properly maintained.

How to fix this error?

Using the partner function assignment for account groups, you can
configure which account groups are permitted for sold-to parties.
INCLUDE 'NA_CUST_MAINTAIN_3' OBJECT DOKU ID TX LANGUAGE E

<ds:TRAN.VOPA>Proceed</>
ENDIF

Error message extract from SAP system. Copyright SAP SE.

Smart SAP Assistant

• What is the cause and solution for SAP error message VP304 - Customer belongs to customer group & and thus cannot be the sold-to party ?

  Certainly! Here's a detailed explanation of the SAP error message VP304:
  
  SAP Error Message: VP304
  Text:
  
  Customer belongs to customer group & and thus cannot be the sold-to party.
  
  Cause:
  This error occurs because the customer you are trying to assign as the sold-to party in a sales document belongs to a customer group that is not allowed to be a sold-to party. In SAP, customer groups are used to classify customers for various business rules and controls. Some customer groups are restricted from being assigned certain partner functions, such as sold-to party, ship-to party, bill-to party, etc.
  For example, a customer group might be designated for prospects, vendors, or internal customers, which are not valid as sold-to parties in sales orders.
  
  Explanation:
  
  The system checks the customer group of the customer master record.
  If the customer group is flagged or configured to disallow the customer from being a sold-to party, the system throws this error.
  This is a standard control to ensure business rules and data integrity.
  
  
  Solution:
  
  
  Check Customer Group Configuration:
  
  Go to transaction OVK1 (or SPRO path:
  
  SPRO -> Sales and Distribution -> Basic Functions -> Customer Master -> Define Customer Groups).
  Review the customer group assigned to the customer.
  Verify if this group is allowed to be a sold-to party.
  
  
  
  Check Customer Master Data:
  
  Use transaction XD03 or VD03 to display the customer master.
  Check the customer group field (Sales Area Data tab).
  Confirm if the customer group is appropriate for a sold-to party.
  
  
  
  Change Customer Group (if appropriate):
  
  If the customer should be a sold-to party, change the customer group to one that is allowed.
  Use transaction XD02 or VD02 to change the customer master data.
  Be cautious: Changing customer group may have other implications (pricing, account determination, etc.).
  
  
  
  Adjust Business Rules (if necessary):
  
  If the customer group is correct but the business requirement has changed, you may need to adjust the configuration to allow that group to be a sold-to party.
  This might involve customizing or consulting with your SAP SD functional consultant.
  
  
  
  Use a Different Customer:
  
  If the customer group is correct and should not be a sold-to party, assign a different customer who is valid as sold-to party.
  
  
  
  
  Related Information:
  
  Customer Group: A classification of customers used in sales and distribution to control pricing, account determination, and partner functions.
  Partner Functions: Roles assigned to business partners in sales documents (Sold-to party, Ship-to party, Bill-to party, Payer).
  Transaction Codes:
  
  XD03 / VD03: Display customer master.
  XD02 / VD02: Change customer master.
  OVK1: Define customer groups.
  
  
  SAP Notes: Sometimes SAP Notes provide additional fixes or clarifications if this error occurs unexpectedly.
  
  
  Summary:
  
  
  
  Aspect
  Details
  
  
  
  
  Error
  VP304: Customer belongs to customer group & and thus cannot be the sold-to party.
  
  
  Cause
  Customer group assigned to the customer disallows the customer to be a sold-to party.
  
  
  Solution
  Change customer group to an allowed one or assign a different customer as sold-to party.
  
  
  Check
  Customer master data, customer group configuration, business rules in SD.
  
  
  
  
  If you need help with specific steps or transaction codes, feel free to ask!