> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://help.digits.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://help.digits.com/firms-vendors-and-customers/managing-vendors.md).
# Managing Your Client's Vendors
Digits automatically builds vendor records from your client's transactions, bills, and connected financial data. Each vendor has a profile for contact, payment, and tax information, so you can manage vendor spending, request W-9s, and prepare for 1099 filing in one place.
***
### How to Access Vendors in Digits
1. From your client's dashboard, click **Vendors** in the left navigation.
Use the selector next to **Vendors** to switch between views:
* **Directory:** Manage vendor profiles, contact details, and W-9 status.
* **Activity:** Review vendor spending, transactions, and categories.
***
### Vendor Directory
The **Directory** lists all your client’s vendors, including their contact information, recent activity, and outstanding bills.
From here, you can:
* **Find vendors:** Search by name or click a vendor to open their profile.
* **Review insights:** See total vendors, top vendors, and outstanding bills by age.
* **Add vendors:** Click **New Vendor** to create a profile.
* **Request W-9s in bulk:** In edit mode, select vendors using the checkboxes, then click **Request W-9s**.
* **Merge duplicates:** Combine vendors that are the same.
***
### Vendor Activity
**Activity** shows vendor spending and how transactions are categorized.
* **Review spending:** See each vendor's category, spending trend over the last 12 months, and total spend. Expand a vendor to view individual transactions.
* **Check insights:** Review active vendors, uncategorized transactions, vendors with multiple categories, and spending by category.
* **Filter transactions:** Choose **Uncategorized** or **Multiple Categories**.
* **Make bulk edits:** Select transactions to update their **Party** or **Category** together.
{% hint style="info" icon="lightbulb-on" %}
Vendor activity includes transactions booked to **Operating Expenses**, **Cost of Revenue**, **Other Expenses**, **Prepaids**, **Inventory**, or **Fixed Assets**.
{% endhint %}
***
### How vendors are added
:sparkles: Digits automatically creates vendor records when it identifies new vendors in bank or connection feeds, CSV uploads, or Digits Pay data.
You can also add vendors manually from the **Vendors** page, a bill, or while booking a transaction.
***
#### Create a vendor from the Vendors page
1. Go to **Vendors** and click **New Vendor** in the upper-right corner of any view.
2. In the **Create a Vendor** window, complete the three tabs:
{% columns %}
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**Profile**
* Enter the vendor's **Business Name** and **Type** (Business or Individual).
* Optionally, add a legal name, email, website, account number, description, contacts, and billing or delivery addresses.
{% endcolumn %}
{% column width="33.33333333333333%" %}
**Payments**
* Optionally, add a payment destination for **Bank Transfer** or **Check**.
{% endcolumn %}
{% column width="33.33333333333333%" %}
**Tax Information**
* Click **Request W-9** to collect the vendor's tax information, or use the additional options to provide an existing W-9.
* See [Digits W-9 Collection](/firms-vendors-and-customers/w9-collection.md) for details on requesting, uploading, and managing W-9s.
{% endcolumn %}
{% endcolumns %}
3. Click **Save** to create the vendor.
***
#### Create a vendor from a bill
1. In the bill's **Pay To** section, click **Add Vendor Info** to open the vendor search.
2. Search for the vendor. If they aren't listed, click **Add New Vendor** to create a new vendor record.
3. Enter the vendor's details and add a payment destination.
4. Click **Save**.
Digits creates the vendor and automatically selects it on the bill.
***
#### Add a vendor while booking a transaction
1. When creating a transaction, click the **Party** field.
2. Start typing the vendor name.
3. If not found, select **Add.**
{% hint style="info" icon="sparkles" %}
If available, Digits auto-enriches the vendor with logo and public info.
{% endhint %}
***
### Duplicate and suggested vendor matches
As you enter a vendor’s name, Digits checks for matches **and shows them below the name field**:
* **Possible duplicate:** If a vendor in the directory has the same name, or a name that starts with what you’ve typed, Digits shows a warning. Click **View vendor** to check it, or **Ignore** to continue.
* **Global directory match:** If Digits recognizes the business, it lists the matches it found. Click **Fill details** to automatically populate the profile, including the logo. Click **Ignore** to skip a suggestion or click **Remove Link** to remove the populated details.
***
### Merge duplicate vendors
If a vendor appears more than once, you can merge the records into one.
1. Go to **Vendors → Directory**.
2. Click **Edit** at the top of the page, then check the boxes next to the vendors you want to merge.
3. Click **Merge Vendors.**
4. Under **Choose a Primary Vendor**, select the vendor to keep. Digits suggests the one with the **Most Transactions**.
5. Click **Merge**.
Digits moves all transactions to the primary vendor and updates the **Party** on each transaction.
{% hint style="info" icon="lightbulb-exclamation-on" %}
Merging currently moves transactions only. Contact details and payment destinations from the other vendors aren’t combined. Copy anything you need onto the primary vendor before you merge.
{% endhint %}
***
### **What’s on a vendor profile**
Click any vendor to view their spending history, transactions, contact information, payment details, and tax information in one place.
The left side shows the vendor’s spending summary and transaction history. You can:
* See year-to-date spend and a month-by-month breakdown.
* Review and edit transactions associated with the vendor.
* Click **Add Transaction** to create a transaction, bill, or invoice with the vendor automatically attached.
**Vendor details**
* **Profile:** Vendor information, contacts, and billing or delivery addresses.
* **Financial Details:** Tax classification, TIN, W-9 status, completed forms, and payment destinations. Click **Request W-9** to collect a missing form.
* **Comments:** Notes and conversations with your team and client.
{% hint style="info" icon="shield-keyhole" %}
For security, Digits displays only the last four digits of a vendor’s TIN (for example, **••••1234**).
{% endhint %}
***
### Create or edit vendor-linked transactions
1. Go to **Vendors → Directory** or **Activity** and open a vendor.
2. Click **Edit** above the transaction list.
3. To make changes:
* **Individual transaction:** Edit the **Party** or **Category** directly in the transaction row.
* **One or more transactions:** Select the checkboxes next to the transactions. In the toolbar that appears, update the **Party** or **Category**, then click **Apply** to save.
{% hint style="warning" %}
**Note:** You can edit a vendor's name and details from their profile. To associate a transaction with a different vendor or customer, change its **Party**.
{% endhint %}
***
### Frequently Asked Questions
What if a vendor appears under multiple categories?
Use **Activity** to find and fix them:
1. Go to **Vendors → Activity**.
2. Click the **Multiple Categories** filter or insight card to show vendors whose transactions are booked to more than one category.
3. Expand a vendor to see its transactions.
4. Select the transactions you want to recategorize.
5. Change the **Category**, then click **Apply**.
How do vendors get created?
Automatically from feeds, CSV uploads, and Digits Pay. You can also add a vendor from the Party field while editing or creating a transaction, from **New Vendor** on the Vendors page, or with **Add New Vendor** on a bill.
Can I export vendor and customer lists from Digits?
You can export vendor and customer names from **Accounting → Ledger** by clicking **Download CSV**. The file includes a **Party Name** column showing the vendor or customer for each transaction.
Why did a vendor (or customer) disappear from the list after I recategorized it?
Nothing was deleted. Whether a payee shows up under **Vendors** or **Customers** is determined by the type of category its transactions are assigned to—for example, expense-type categories place a payee in Vendors, and income/revenue-type categories place them in Customers.
When you recategorize a payee's transactions, Digits re-evaluates where that payee belongs. If the new category is a different type, the payee moves to the other list—or, in some cases, may not appear under either tab—even though its transactions remain fully intact in the ledger.
**To find a "missing" payee:** check the other tab (Vendors vs Customers), and confirm the category type you assigned. Its transactions are still in the ledger regardless of which list the payee appears in.
{% hint style="info" icon="lightbulb-exclamation-on" %}
If a payee isn't showing where you expect, review the category it's coded to in the Category Manager.
{% endhint %}
My payment says "Awaiting Vendor," but my vendor hasn't received it. What does that mean?
**Awaiting Vendor** means the payment has left your account and is waiting for the vendor to claim it. Funds are typically available within **2–3 business days** after the vendor accepts the payment.
If this is the vendor's first payment through Digits, they'll need to accept the payment invitation. Ask them to check their inbox and spam folder, or resend the invitation if needed.
If the payment shows **Delivery Failed** instead, update the vendor's payment information and retry delivery.
Can I edit a vendor's name?
Yes. Open the vendor’s profile and update the **Business Name** or **Name** (for an individual) on the **Vendor Identity** card. You need permission to update vendors.
Can I delete a vendor?
No. Vendors cannot be deleted. To clean up a duplicate, merge it into the vendor you want to keep.
How are Vendors and Customers different from QuickBooks Classes or Divisions?
Digits' Vendors and Customers identify who you do business with. They group transactions by the party you paid or billed, making it easy to review spending, revenue, and vendor activity.
QuickBooks Classes and Divisions are used to segment your books and reports by parts of your business. In Digits, use Departments and Locations for that purpose.
*Example: A payment to a vendor is associated with that vendor. A Department or Location identifies the team, service line, office, or region the expense belongs to.*
***
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Got a question or feedback? Our team is all ears—come say hello!
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{% column width="33.33333333333334%" valign="middle" %}
Contact Digits Support
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***
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