Vendors
A vendor is a business a supplier buys from. Suppliers keep their vendors on the Vendors page, buy from them with purchase orders, and track what they owe them. A vendor is the supplier's own record: it holds the vendor's contact details, a reference ID, default payment terms and the running balance of what has been bought and paid for.
Who uses it
- Supplier staff see the vendor list and each vendor's page with read access to Vendors, and add vendors or change a vendor's terms with full access.
- Vendors do not use Clipp for this. A vendor never sees the supplier's list, purchase orders or balances.
A vendor at a glance
- Add the vendor. Add New Vendor takes a name, address, optional contact, EIN, reference ID and payment terms. See Add a vendor.
- Buy from them. Choose the vendor when creating a purchase order. The vendor's saved terms fill in the order's terms.
- Receive and pay. Delivered purchase orders become PO invoices. Their totals and payments roll up into the vendor's Purchases, Invoices Paid and Outstanding Balance. See Vendor balances.
In this section
| Page | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Vendor list | Search, columns, sorting and opening a vendor |
| Add a vendor | The New Vendor Form, required fields and duplicate checks |
| Vendor page | Contact details, payments card and every order made to the vendor |
| Payment terms | A vendor's default terms and how new purchase orders use them |
| Vendor balances | How Purchases, Invoices Paid and Outstanding Balance are worked out |
Where it shows up
- Supplier app: the Vendors item in the side menu (suppliers only), the vendor list, the vendor page.
- Purchase orders: the Choose a Vendor picker on a new purchase order, and the vendor's name and address on a purchase order, which link back to the vendor page.
- Product stock history: a stock movement from a purchase order names the vendor and links to the vendor page.
Permissions
| Action | Needs |
|---|---|
| See the Vendors menu item, list and vendor page | Vendors: read or full access |
| Add a vendor, change a vendor's terms | Vendors: full access |
| See a vendor's orders and View History | Purchase orders: read or full |
By default Admin and Clerk have full access to Vendors, Warehouse and Salesperson have read access, and Driver has none. Roles can be adjusted in Staff & roles.
Decisions
- A vendor is one record per supplier. Two suppliers who buy from the same vendor each have their own vendor page, terms and balances.
- Vendor terms are a default, not a lock. A purchase order can use a different term; see Payment terms.
Known limitations
- A vendor's details cannot be edited after it is added. Only Terms can be changed on the vendor page. (verify whether support can edit the rest)
- A vendor cannot be deleted or archived from the app.
- Balances count delivered purchase orders only. See Vendor balances.
FAQ
I can't see Vendors in the menu. Your role needs read access to Vendors. Ask an Admin to change it in Staff & roles. The item is only shown to suppliers.
Where do I add a vendor? On the Vendors page, press Add New Vendor. See Add a vendor.
Why is a vendor's balance $0 when I have open orders with them? Only delivered purchase orders count. See Vendor balances.