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 domain.
Creating & sending a vendor request
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.
The vendor experience
When the vendor clicks the link to their vendor request, they'll go to a page where they can see the details of the request, along with a place to upload a file or fill out and eSign a W9.
Customizing the vendor request footer
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 in Client Portal settings:
Click Practice Settings (⚙️ icon)
Click Client Portal
Click Vendor Requests
The footer will show up on the Vendor Request landing page.
Tracking existing vendor requests
Review and manage all outstanding vendor requests from the Vendor Request report at the top of the client's close page.
Autofill
If a vendor uses the W-9 e-signing experience from the request link, clicking the Autofill button automatically fill in the response in both Double and QuickBooks.
Vendor request links
Double offers 2 unique ways of collecting sensitive vendor information.
Vendor-specific request links
Static request links
Vendor-specific requests
When sending 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 the Vendor Request table if this is the case.
Link is valid for 30 days
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.
"For security reasons, this link has expired.
Click here to have a new link emailed to you."
Static (client-specific) vendor requests
When working with new vendors, the best practice is to request their W9 before paying 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 to share with clients, so they can request a W9 from new vendors before they pay them.
When a vendor responds, both the bookkeeper and the client contact(s) are notified, indicating that payment can be released. The W-9 is collected at the same time, helping ensure 1099 requirements are addressed in advance.
Static links do not expire
Each Static Vendor Request Link is unique to the client, rather than the vendor, so you can send it to the client directly or add it to their client portal resources for easy access.
Find the client's static Vendor Request Link by
Going to the Vendor Request report
Click Add Request
Navigate to the W9 request tab. From here, select which Contacts get notified when a vendor uploads their W9.
Static link submissions
W9s submitted through a static link will also land in the Vendor Request table at the top right of the close page.
Because they're not tied to a specific vendor, review the uploaded files and assign it to a vendor as needed.
Click on the File icon
Review the upload(s) as needed
Select vendor
Upload W9 to vendor & Save
Resolving vendor requests
Mark a vendor request as resolved by selecting the check mark icon.
Troubleshooting vendor request link issues
Invalid vendor request links
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 Double. 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:
Go to your Vendor Request report at the top right of the close page
Review the table to see if an active vendor request exists for this vendor
If there IS an active request,
Click the link icon to copy the valid vendor request link
If you need to send an email, click the email icon to send a fresh copy of the request to the vendor's inbox
If there is NOT an active request, no worries!
Create one from the Vendor Request table by going to "Add Request"
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.
