How to add a vendor in QuickBooks Online
To add a vendor in QuickBooks Online, go to All apps, select Expenses & Bills, then Suppliers, and select New supplier. Intuit's Australian edition calls vendors suppliers, so that's the word on the menus and buttons you'll use.
- By Book Keeping Pros
- Sources checked 17 Oct 2026
On this page
Key takeaways
- In the Australian edition of QuickBooks Online a vendor is called a supplier, and suppliers are added from the Suppliers page under Expenses & Bills.
- Once a supplier is saved, QuickBooks keeps their details, so bills and expenses for them don't need those details typed in again.
- A supplier can't be deleted in QuickBooks Online, so a record added by mistake can only be made inactive, which Intuit calls permanent, or merged.
Before you start
Look through your Suppliers list for the business before adding it, because Intuit says suppliers can't be deleted. A second record for someone already on the list can be made inactive, permanently, but it can't be taken out. Intuit suggests a merge as the other way to deal with records that double up.
Gather the supplier's details. They all go into one window, Supplier information, and you can add the supplier as soon as you have them. Intuit's point is that a supplier entered once is ready to use from then on, which saves rekeying the same details each time you record a cost.
Steps
- Go to All apps, select Expenses & Bills, then select Suppliers.
- Select New supplier. The Supplier information window opens.
- Fill in the fields in the Supplier information window with the details you have for this supplier.
- Select Save.
Note
What changes afterwards
The new supplier appears on your Suppliers list. The obvious next move, and the one Intuit gives, is creating your first bill or expense for them, so their costs are recorded against their name from the start.
With your suppliers set up, QuickBooks can show how much you owe each of them and the full history of what you've spent with them. Outgoings to a saved supplier are also quicker to record, because their details are already there.
The record is there to stay. If it turns out to be a duplicate, or a supplier you'll never use again, the choices are making them inactive from the dropdown beside their name on the Suppliers list, or merging them with another record, which Intuit suggests considering first. Making a supplier inactive has its own how-to.
If it doesn't work
Can't find a Vendors menu? Go to Expenses & Bills under All apps and choose Suppliers: that's where Intuit's Australian edition keeps them. If you find the supplier is already listed after you've saved a new one, don't keep using both. Pick the record to keep and deal with the other by merging it or making it inactive.
General information
Sources
- Add a supplier, QuickBooks Online help (Australia)
Intuit Australia Pty Ltd. Current at 17 October 2026, released 17 October 2026. Checked 17 October 2026.
QuickBooks is a trademark of Intuit Inc. Licence: Intuit Australia legal terms (facts quoted with attribution, no endorsement implied).
- Make a supplier inactive, QuickBooks Online help (Australia)
Intuit Australia Pty Ltd. Current at 17 October 2026, released 17 October 2026. Checked 17 October 2026.
QuickBooks is a trademark of Intuit Inc. Licence: Intuit Australia legal terms (facts quoted with attribution, no endorsement implied).
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How to manage suppliers: keep a supplier file, check new suppliers, agree terms in writing, track how each performs and review the relationship over time.
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How to handle supplier bills from arrival to payment: check and approve each one, match it to the order and delivery, pay on time and reconcile statements.
More QuickBooks how-tos
How to enter bills in QuickBooks
Add a supplier's bill in QuickBooks Online by hand or by uploading the file, and know when Intuit says a bill fits better than a cheque or expense.
How to add expenses in QuickBooks
Record a cost you've already paid as an expense in QuickBooks Online, choose between Expense and Cheque, and edit or delete it later if it's wrong.
How to delete a vendor in QuickBooks
Why QuickBooks Online won't delete a vendor, how to make the supplier inactive instead, and when Intuit suggests merging records rather than either.