---
title: Vendors
description: "Manage the vendors you buy from: list, Find, every field on the vendor record, and the tabs for orders, bills, payments, people, and comms."
url: "https://theasst.com/docs/vendors/"
updated: "2026-10-06"
category: Vendors
---

# Vendors

Vendors are the companies you buy from — suppliers, manufacturers, and subcontractors. The same vendor record is used both as a **Manufacturer** on an [Item](https://theasst.com/docs/item-info/) and as the **Vendor** you actually purchase from, since those are sometimes the same company and sometimes not.

## Where to Find Vendors

Reach Vendors from the Items or Bills tile menus (see [Items Overview](https://theasst.com/docs/items-overview/) and [Bills Overview](https://theasst.com/docs/bills-overview/)), or the top navigation bar under either section. [Global Find](https://theasst.com/docs/global-find/) searches vendors too.

## The Vendor List

![Vendor list showing name and account number](https://theasst.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/vendor-list.webp)

The list shows each vendor’s **Name** and **Account number** (your account number with them). Click a vendor to open it. The sidebar has **Add new**, **Find**, and **New Browser Tab**.

## Finding a Vendor

Fill in any of: **All text fields**, **Name**, **Phone number**, **Email**, or **Web page**. Searching is not case sensitive, and you can enter just part of a name. **List All** in the sidebar shows every vendor.

## Vendor View

Opening a vendor puts you in a tabbed workspace, similar to a client’s [Client View](https://theasst.com/docs/client-view/): **Vendor**, **Purchase Orders**, **Bills**, **Payments**, **People**, and **Comms** — everything related to that vendor in one place.

- **Purchase Orders** — POs placed with this vendor; see [Purchase Orders](https://theasst.com/docs/purchase-orders/).
- **Bills** — bills received from this vendor; see [Bills](https://theasst.com/docs/bills/).
- **Payments** — payments you’ve made to this vendor; see [Bill Payments](https://theasst.com/docs/bill-payments/).
- **People** — your contacts at this vendor, same as a client’s [People tab](https://theasst.com/docs/client-people-contacts/).
- **Comms** — a log of calls, emails, and meetings with this vendor; see [Vendor Communications](https://theasst.com/docs/vendor-communications/).

## The Vendor Tab

![Vendor detail showing name, address, phone, standard payment terms, and email](https://theasst.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/vendor-detail.webp)

- **Vendor#** — assigned by TBA when you save (see [Next Numbers to Assign](https://theasst.com/docs/next-numbers-to-assign/)).
- **Name** (required) — the vendor’s business name.
- **Address location/department** — a label for the main address, such as “Headquarters” or “Returns Dept.”
- **Address**, **City**, **State**, **Postal (ZIP) code** — the main address. A vendor can have more than one: use the folder-with-plus icon to open *Vendor Addresses*, where you can add, edit, or delete addresses (each with a Location label such as home or work).
- **Phone** — two numbers can be entered directly, each with a short label. The folder icon opens the full list so you can keep as many as you want; the count appears next to it.
- **Standard payment terms** — the default terms (for example Net 30). New [bills](https://theasst.com/docs/bills/) from this vendor use it automatically, though it can be changed per bill. Terms are defined in [Payment Terms Setup](https://theasst.com/docs/payment-terms-setup/).
- **Email** and **Web** — each can have a short label (for example “Orders”) and, like phone, more than one entry.
- **Notes** — anything you want to remember about the vendor.
- **ID category / ID data / Start / End / Active?** — extra identifiers you track for a vendor, such as your account number with them, a license, or an insurance certificate. Choose a category (the choices come from [Vendor ID Categories](https://theasst.com/docs/vendor-id-categories/)), enter the number or text, optional start and end dates (handy for expiring certificates), and untick *Active* when it no longer applies.

Click **Save Changes** to save.

## Sidebar

- **List** → **Vendor List** or **List Previous Find** — return to the list or to your last search results.
- **View → Attachments** — add files or photos to the vendor; see [Attachments and Pictures](https://theasst.com/docs/attachments-and-pictures/).
- **View → Tax Info** — the vendor’s 1099 status and taxpayer ID; see [Vendor Tax / 1099](https://theasst.com/docs/vendor-tax-1099/).
- **Delete vendor** — removes the vendor along with its addresses, phone numbers, emails, IDs, and tax info. Only available to users with permission to delete vendors (see [Users and Permissions](https://theasst.com/docs/users-and-permissions/)).