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AP Vendors

Company Tracker action: implementation-setup-ap-vendors Milestone: Accounts Payable / Module Setup (milestone_id=6, core_milestone_id=2) Order: 4 Estimated duration: 2 hours Typical owner: Controller

Purpose​

Load and accept the shared vendor master used by Accounts Payable, subcontracts, and purchase orders (identity, addresses, payment method, terms, 1099, remittance).

Prerequisites​

  • AP Company Parameters Unique AP Reference and compliance-related invoice options reviewed so vendor overrides and payment-block behavior make sense.
  • HQ Payment Terms (and tax / CM defaults as needed) ready.
  • Vendor group share-vs-separate decision already made on HQ Company Setup (Vendor usually separate; never share live with test).
  • Source vendor list decided (active payees for go-live, plus any PO/SL-only vendors in scope).

Vista configuration article​

See the detailed Vista guide:

Setting Up AP Vendors

Field meanings and form steps live there. Do not restate them on this page. This Tracker page is implementation decide / load / accept only.

Implementation guidance​

  • Who to load: often anyone paid in the last 1–2–3 years when the legacy list is huge — cuts junk while keeping recent payees. Include PO/SL-only vendors when those modules need them.
  • Duplicates: consolidate into one master when safe. Keep a written list of what was consolidated — that map is required later for commitment loads and open invoice balances.
  • Payment terms: required on the vendor (not optional). Vista uses them to default due date and discount date on invoice entry. Always put a value.
  • Addresses: Payment address is used on checks; Purchasing address defaults on PO commitments. Use Additional Addresses for extra payment, purchasing, or both addresses (for example a FedEx-style vendor with many account addresses) and override at invoice entry when needed.
  • 1099: when the client tracks W-9 / 1099, mark Subject to 1099, set type and box, and enter Tax ID before production payments that must report.
  • Payment method: Check, EFT, ePayments, or credit service — each needs its own vendor fields. For EFT: routing, bank account, account type, mark active (pre-note optional). If they only need “paid by EFT” marking and are not generating an ACH/NACHA file, nine zeros for routing and account can satisfy Vista’s required fields (for example online/direct pay without a check number).
  • Payment info delivery: email + delivery method can send the vendor a paid notice (with attachment options) — useful with EFT and similar.
  • Sort Name: defaults to the first 15 characters of the vendor name on add; must be unique or Vista errors. Some clients put the numeric vendor number in the last digits to force uniqueness. On Sage (and similar alphanumeric legacy IDs), load the legacy vendor ID into Sort Name so invoice entry can type the familiar ID and resolve the Vista vendor.
  • Share matrix: Vendor group is usually company-separate. If intentionally shared across companies, any CM account on the vendor must exist in each using company.
  • Load path: small lists keyed; bulk prefers TAD (or agreed import). Accept means owner confirms active vendors, terms, pay method, remittance, and 1099 for go-live payees.
  • Inactive blocks new invoices/POs/subcontracts; it does not by itself stop payments on open items — use hold/compliance when payment must stop.

Tips and gotchas​

  • Consolidation map is not optional busywork — open AP and commitments will need the old→new vendor crosswalk.
  • No payment terms ⇒ bad/missing due and discount defaults on every invoice.
  • EFT nine-zeros is only for “mark EFT / no real ACH file” cases — use real bank data when generating bank files.
  • Sort Name uniqueness bites on load; plan it (vendor# suffix or legacy alphanumeric ID) before bulk import.

Done when​

  • In-scope vendors loaded (typically recent payees + needed PO/SL vendors) with unique Sort Names and required payment terms.
  • Pay method, addresses, remittance/email delivery, and 1099 fields complete for go-live payees (or explicitly deferred with owner and date).
  • Duplicate consolidations documented in a keep-list for commitments and open invoices.
  • Share-vs-separate vendor group choice documented; CM links valid in every company that shares the master.