This forum is to discuss different features/issues of Oracle Financials modules ( GL - General Ledger, AP - Accounts Payable, AR - Accounts Receivable, FA - Fixed Assets & CM - Cash Management ).
When you create a customer using Receivables, system creates the customer as a party, which means you can have both purchasing and selling relationship with the organization.
Customer is purely a selling relationship where was Party can be much more than that.