The Vendor Request feature allows users to request W9s and other documents from clients’ vendors.

💡 Vendor request functionality requires practices to have a whitelabeled portal url.

Commonly, most users make vendor requests from the Prepare 1099s report,. However, requests can also be made from the Newly Added Vendors report (payee/entity section) or the Vendor Requests tracker at the top right of the close page.

Select "Ask Vendor" to send a vendor request. If the "Email Vendor" checkbox is left enabled, an email is automatically sent to the vendor when the request is added.

Choose to CC client contacts or internal team members (aka Double users) on the vendor request as needed.

A vendor request cannot be created without the vendor's email address. If the email is needed - ask your client in the form of a non-transaction question, sent through the portal.

💡 When asking your client to upload vendor details, always remember to keep the vendor name included in your question. This helps the client when it comes time to answer their non-transaction questions in the portal.

When the vendor clicks the link to their vendor request, they'll go to a page where they can see your request, along with a place to upload a file or fill out and eSign a W9.

In the portal, there is also an opportunity to advertise bookkeeping services with a link at the bottom of the page. By default, the link directs to the root domain (e.g., if the client portal is located at clients.mypracticename.com, the link points to mypracticename.com).

Customize or disable this link your Client Portal settings:

The footer will show up on your Vendor Request landing page.

You can see and manage all of your outstanding Vendor Requests from the Vendor Request report at the top of your close page.

If the vendor utilizes the W9 E-signing experience on your request link, click the Autofill button to automatically fill in their response in Double and QuickBooks.

Double offers 2 unique ways of collecting sensitive vendor information.

When you send a vendor request through the Prepare 1099s report, the request is linked back to the vendor. The vendor's name will also be reflected in your Vendor Request table if this is the case.

For security reasons, vendor-specific links will expire after 30 days. In the event that the link does expire, the vendors will be brought to a portal screen with the following message. Clicking the purple hyperlinked 'here' will immediately prompt a brand new link to be emailed to them. This new link will also expire after 30 days.

When working with new vendors, the best practice is to request their W9 before you pay them. That way, you don't need to go chasing them down after they've received the check.

Static Vendor Request Links are a way to do just that. These are links you can share with your clients, so they can request a W9 from new vendors before they pay them.

When the vendor responds, both you and your client will get notified, so they know they have the all clear to release payment.

And you get their W9, so all your 1099 problems are solved before they start!

Each Static Vendor Request Link is unique to the client, rather than the vendor, so you can send it to them or add it to their client portal resources for easy access.

W9s submitted through a static link will also land in your Vendor Request table at the top right of your close page.

Because they're not tied to a specific vendor, review the files and assign it to a vendor as needed.

Mark a vendor request as resolved by selecting the check mark icon.

If a vendor is receiving a message that their request link is invalid, this is different than the link being expired.

Invalid vendor request links will take the vendor to a page that looks like this. The message reads "This link is not valid." 👇

The most common reason for a vendor receiving the "this link is not valid" message, is that the original vendor request has been deleted from Doubl. Once a vendor request has been deleted, the vendor-specific link that was emailed to the vendor is immediately invalidated for security reasons.

We recommend taking the following steps:

A) If a vendor request is found in the vendor request table, the valid link will be accessible under "Link" and the "Email" icon will also allow you to email the vendor

B) If you're unable to find the vendor request, create a new one from the vendor request table.