> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://every.help/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

> ## Agent Instructions
> These docs describe Every as customers have it today. Answer from them, and say so when they don't cover a question.
> Pages under /admins/ are for the people who run Every for the company, and pages under /employees/ are for employees. Answer from the pages that match the person asking.
> Each page's Agent reference section lists its exact roles, conditions and limits. Prefer it for those details.
> When a page says a feature is in closed beta, or that Every turns it on company by company, don't promise that the person's company has it.
> Use roles and on-screen labels exactly as the pages write them.
> When someone asks what a term means, answer with the Glossary page's definition (/glossary), which other pages show in parentheses after the term.
> When the docs don't answer a question, tell the person to email [support@every.io](mailto:support@every.io).

# Collect vendor details

> Email a vendor a link to fill in their W-9 and bank details, and see what happens when they submit

![The Missing tax information card, with a vendor's email entered above a Send invite button.](https://mintcdn.com/every-a2724ddc/k5maP8xPODHl5ToY/images/illustrations/admins-bill-pay-vendor-details-light.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=k5maP8xPODHl5ToY\&q=85\&s=f2ebd0cfac1c99a9fb0e8f7c3a48945f)

Ask a vendor to enter their own W-9 (The IRS form a U.S. vendor or contractor fills in to give a business their name and TIN) and bank details instead of typing them in yourself. Every emails the vendor a link to a form, and what they submit is saved on the vendor in **Payments** → **Vendors**. Company Admins and Bookkeepers can ask once your company has finished onboarding, and so can Accounts Payable users once Every has turned that role on for your company.

## Before you begin

You need the vendor's email address. To ask for bank details you also need a payment to send, because that request starts in **Send money**.

## Ways to ask

| Where | Select | The vendor is asked for |
| - | - | - |
| **Vendors**, a vendor's row menu | **Request vendor information** | W-9 and tax details |
| A vendor's details, on the **Missing tax information** card | **Invite vendor** | W-9 and tax details |
| **Send money**, **Accounting Details** | **Yes, I want Every to collect a W-9** | W-9 and tax details |
| **Send money**, **Recipient Account** | **Request from vendor** | Bank details, W-9 and tax details |

All four send the same invitation, and the vendor fills in the same form.

## Ask from Vendors

**1. Open the row menu**

Go to **Payments** → **Vendors**, hover over the vendor's row and open its menu. Select **Request vendor information**.

**2. Enter the vendor's email**

In **Ask vendor to upload information**, enter the **Vendor email address**.

**3. Send the invitation**

Select **Send invite**. Every saves the address on the vendor and emails them the link.

If the dialog says **Vendor invited**, you've already invited the vendor. Select **Remind vendor** to send the invitation again.

![Ask vendor to upload information, with a Vendor email address field and Send invite button.](https://mintcdn.com/every-a2724ddc/19nP2pdcB7HMtcYU/images/screens/admins-bill-pay-vendor-details-invite-light.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=19nP2pdcB7HMtcYU\&q=85\&s=8ad7298ffe6f3054233d127876887ead)

## Ask from a vendor's details

While a vendor's tax details are incomplete, their details show a **Missing tax information** card.

**1. Open the vendor's details**

Go to **Payments** → **Vendors**, open the vendor's row menu and select **Edit vendor**.

**2. Invite the vendor**

On the **Missing tax information** card, select **Invite vendor**.

**3. Enter the vendor's email**

Enter the **Vendor email address**.

**4. Send the invitation**

Select **Send invite**. The card then reads **Vendor invited**, with **Remind vendor** beside it.

To enter the details yourself instead, select **Edit information** on the card.

![A vendor's details with missing tax information, and the option to invite the vendor to fill it in.](https://mintcdn.com/every-a2724ddc/qvvudeZxc26V6Klz/images/screens/admins-bill-pay-vendor-details-light.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=qvvudeZxc26V6Klz\&q=85\&s=ac4f73e206565aa06463772661313009)

## Ask while sending a payment

**Send money** can send the same invitation in two ways. For the rest of the flow, see [Send money](https://every.help/admins/bill-pay/payment-methods.md).

* For a W-9: on **Accounting Details**, **Yes, I want Every to collect a W-9** is selected by default. Keep it and enter the **Vendor Email**.

  If the payment has no approvers, Every sends the invitation when you confirm the payment. **Send money** stops asking the W-9 question for a vendor once you've answered it or invited them.
* For bank details: on the **Recipient Account** step, **Request from vendor** shows when Every has no saved bank accounts for the vendor. Select it and enter the **Vendor Email**.

  The payment goes by ACH (Automated Clearing House: the U.S. network that moves money between bank accounts in batches). If it has no approvers, Every sends it automatically once the vendor adds their bank details, unless it is scheduled for a later date.

In **Send money** with a **Payment Method** step, **Request from vendor** is on that step and shows when Every has no wire (A payment that moves money directly from one bank to another, one payment at a time) or ACH details for the vendor.

## What the vendor sees

The vendor opens the link without signing in. They see either a step-by-step form or a single-page form headed **Welcome, let's get you paid**, which asks for the same details. The step-by-step form has up to five steps:

| Step | What the vendor enters |
| - | - |
| **Bank Details** | Account type, routing number (The 9-digit number that identifies a U.S. bank in ACH payments, wires and checks), account number (twice) and bank name. Only when a payment is waiting on their bank details |
| **W-9 Upload** | Optionally, their W-9 |
| **Legal Services** | Whether they provide legal services |
| **Vendor Details** | Name, entity type (The legal form or tax classification of a business or person, such as a corporation, partnership or sole proprietor) and a US address. The vendor also enters their TIN (Taxpayer Identification Number: the number the IRS identifies a taxpayer by, such as an SSN or an EIN) type and TIN |
| **Review** | A check of their answers, with the TIN and account number masked, then **Submit** |

After **Submit**, the vendor sees **Vendor onboarding complete**.

If a vendor's link doesn't work, select **Remind vendor** to email them a fresh link. On the step-by-step form, a vendor who sees **Invalid onboarding link** can also select **Resend email**.

## What happens when the vendor submits

* Every saves the vendor's name, entity type, TIN, TIN type, address, legal services answer and W-9 on the vendor.
* **W9 status** on **Vendors** changes to **Completed**, and the **Missing tax information** card goes away.
* If a payment with no approvers is waiting on the vendor's bank details, Every attaches the bank details to the payment and sends it, unless it is scheduled for a later date.

To file 1099s (A family of IRS forms that report income other than wages, such as payments to contractors) for your vendors, see [Request 1099s](https://every.help/admins/bill-pay/1099-filing.md).

## Reminders

Every emails a vendor a few reminders in the days after you invite them, and stops once they submit. It sends no reminder to a vendor that already has their tax details.

To send the invitation again before the vendor submits, select **Remind vendor**. Every emails the vendor a fresh link, and a payment waiting on their bank details keeps waiting for them.

## Agent reference

**Where:** Asking a vendor for their details starts in one of four places: **Payments** → **Vendors**, in a vendor's row menu (**Request vendor information**); in a vendor's details, on the **Missing tax information** card (**Invite vendor**); in **Send money**, on the **Accounting Details** step (**Yes, I want Every to collect a W-9**); or in **Send money**, on the **Recipient Account** step (**Request from vendor**). The vendor fills in a form that the invitation email links to.

**Who:** Company Admins and Bookkeepers, and Accounts Payable users once Every has turned that role on for the company, after the company finishes onboarding. A person who holds none of those three roles can't open **Vendors** or **Send money**. The vendor opens the form without signing in.

### Facts

#### Who and where

* **Payments** is an item in the sidebar, with **Vendors** under it, and it shows once the company has finished onboarding.
* The **Vendors** page opens for Company Admins, Bookkeepers and Accounts Payable users.
* The **Send money** page opens for Company Admins, Bookkeepers and Accounts Payable users.
* The row menu on **Payments** → **Vendors** shows when you hover over a vendor's row.
* **Request vendor information** in the row menu shows to everyone who can open **Vendors**. Only **View transactions** in that menu is limited to Company Admins and Bookkeepers.
* **Edit vendor** in the row menu opens the vendor's details.

#### Request vendor information

* **Request vendor information** opens a dialog titled **Ask vendor to upload information**. It says to ask the vendor to complete onboarding, including providing their W-9.
* The **Ask vendor to upload information** dialog has a **Vendor email address** field and a **Send invite** button. The address must be a valid email.
* **Send invite** in the **Ask vendor to upload information** dialog saves the address on the vendor and then sends the invitation.
* After the invitation goes out, Every shows the message "Invitation sent" with the description "Vendor onboarding invitation has been sent successfully".
* For a vendor that already has an invitation, the **Request vendor information** dialog shows **Vendor invited** and "You’ve invited \{the vendor's email} to upload their information", with **Cancel** and **Remind vendor**.
* If sending the invitation fails, Every shows the message "Failed to send invitation".
* Every sends no invitation to a vendor that already has W-9 details: a TIN, TIN type, street, city, state, postal code and entity type.

#### Missing tax information card

* A vendor's details, which open from **Edit vendor** in the row menu on **Payments** → **Vendors**, have a **Missing tax information** card.
* The **Missing tax information** card in a vendor's details shows only while the vendor's information is incomplete. It counts the information as complete when the vendor has a name, street, city, state, postal code, TIN and entity type.
* **Edit information** on the **Missing tax information** card lets you enter the vendor's information yourself.
* The **Missing tax information** card's **Ask vendor to upload information** section has an **Invite vendor** button. Selecting it shows a **Vendor email address** field and a **Send invite** button.
* **Send invite** on the **Missing tax information** card saves the address on the vendor, sends the invitation and shows the message "Invitation sent".
* Once the vendor has an invitation, the **Missing tax information** card shows **Vendor invited** and "You’ve invited \{the vendor's email} to upload their information", with a **Remind vendor** button.

#### Send money

* The **Accounting Details** step of **Send money** asks **Can Every collect a W-9 from this vendor for tax purposes?** The answers are **Yes, I want Every to collect a W-9** (marked **Recommended** and selected by default), **No, I already collected a W-9** and **No, this is a transfer. I'm not paying a vendor**. Only Company Admins see the transfer answer.
* Choosing **Yes, I want Every to collect a W-9** shows a **Vendor Email** field. The email is required and must be valid.
* **Send money** saves the email on the vendor.
* Sending the payment with **Yes, I want Every to collect a W-9** creates the vendor's invitation.
* **Send money** doesn't ask the W-9 question when the payment is **Request from vendor**, **International via Pershing**, **International via Visa** or **International via Visa Plus**. It doesn't ask when the vendor already has an invitation, is marked as a transfer or has its W-9 marked collected.
* On the **Accounting Details** step of **Send money**, **No, I already collected a W-9** marks the vendor's W-9 as collected, and **No, this is a transfer. I'm not paying a vendor** marks the vendor as a transfer.
* When a **Send money** payment with **Yes, I want Every to collect a W-9** has no approvers, Every sends the vendor the W-9 invitation right away.
* On the **Recipient Account** step, **Request from vendor** shows only when the vendor has no saved accounts. Its description is "Send an email asking the vendor to provide their bank details".
* When the **Recipient Account** step of **Send money** shows an account form that says "Every holds no bank details for \{the vendor}.", the form ends with its own **Request from vendor** button.
* In **Send money** with a **Payment Method** step, **Request from vendor** shows on that step only when the vendor has no wire or ACH details. For a vendor with a payment already waiting on their bank details, its description reads "Vendor needs to provide ACH details".
* **Request from vendor** shows a **Vendor Email** field, filled in with the vendor's email when Every has one. The email is required.
* A **Request from vendor** payment goes by ACH and isn't sent when you confirm it. If it has no approvers, Every sends it once the vendor adds their bank details, unless it is scheduled for a later date.
* After **Request from vendor** with no approvers, **Send money** shows "Payment has been scheduled" and "After we receive payment details from the vendor payment will automatically be sent."

#### The invitation

* **Request vendor information** on **Payments** → **Vendors**, **Invite vendor** on a vendor's **Missing tax information** card, and the W-9 and **Request from vendor** options in **Send money** send the same invitation email, with a link to the vendor's form.
* **Remind vendor** emails the address saved on the vendor and sends a fresh link. Payments waiting on the vendor's bank details keep waiting for them.
* Every sends no invitation or reminder when the vendor already has W-9 details, or has already submitted the form.
* If a vendor's link stops working, select **Remind vendor**, and Every emails the vendor a fresh link.

#### What the vendor sees

* The vendor's form opens from the link in the invitation email without signing in.
* A vendor sees either the step-by-step form or a single-page form headed **Welcome, let's get you paid**. The single-page form has the sections **ACH payment details** (only when bank details are required), **Upload W-9 (optional)**, **Are you providing legal services?** and **Add your personal or business details**, and it ends with "Payment on its way!"
* The step-by-step form has the steps **Bank Details**, **W-9 Upload**, **Legal Services**, **Vendor Details** and **Review**. **Bank Details** shows only when a payment is waiting on the vendor's invitation and Every has no bank details for the vendor.
* **Bank Details** asks for **Account type**, **Routing number**, **Account number**, **Verify account number** and **Bank name**. The routing number must be 9 digits. The account number must be 4 to 17 digits. The two account numbers must match.
* **W-9 Upload** is headed **Upload W-9 (optional)**, and its upload accepts a PDF.
* **Legal Services** asks **Are you providing legal services?** with the answers **No** and **Yes**.
* **Vendor Details** asks for **Vendor Name**, **Entity Type**, **TIN Type** (SSN or EIN), the TIN, **Street address line 1**, **Street address line 2 (optional)**, **City**, **State** and **Zip code**. The TIN must be exactly 9 digits. The form takes a US address.
* **Review** is headed **Review Your Information** and shows the TIN and account number masked. It has **Make changes** and **Submit**.
* In the step-by-step form, a successful submit shows **Vendor onboarding complete** ("Your vendor information has been submitted successfully.") and a failed submit shows **Submission failed**.
* In the step-by-step form, leaving asks **Are you sure you want to leave?** and warns that the information entered will not be saved.
* In the step-by-step form, a link that fails to load shows **Invalid onboarding link**, which offers to send a fresh link to the email on file. Its **Resend email** button leads to **Check your email**: "We've sent a fresh onboarding link to the email on file. Open it to continue."
* Once the vendor has submitted, their link no longer opens the form.
* If resending a link fails, the vendor sees "Unable to resend link. Contact the company that sent this link for assistance."

#### When the vendor submits

* A vendor can submit an invitation once.
* Submitting saves the vendor's name, entity type, TIN, TIN type, street, city, state, postal code, legal services answer and W-9 file on the vendor.
* **W9 status** on **Payments** → **Vendors** shows **Completed** when the vendor has a TIN, address and entity type, and **Missing information** until then.
* When a payment is waiting on the vendor's invitation and Every has no bank details for the vendor, the vendor must submit bank details. Submitting saves them for the vendor and attaches them to each waiting payment.
* After the vendor submits, Every sends each waiting payment that has no approvers, unless it is scheduled for a later date.

#### Reminders

* Every emails a vendor a few automatic reminders in the days after the invitation.
* Every stops reminding a vendor once they submit the form or their W-9 details are on file.

### Questions people ask

* **How do I ask a vendor for their W-9?** Go to **Payments** → **Vendors**, hover over the vendor's row, open its menu, select **Request vendor information**, enter the **Vendor email address** and select **Send invite**.
* **Can I ask a vendor for their bank details?** Yes, with **Request from vendor** in **Send money**, which shows when Every has no saved bank accounts for the vendor. The other ways to ask send the same invitation, and the form asks for bank details only when a payment is waiting on them.
* **Who can ask a vendor for their details?** Company Admins, Bookkeepers and Accounts Payable users.
* **Can an HR Admin ask a vendor for their details?** No. A person who holds none of the Company Admin, Bookkeeper and Accounts Payable roles can't open **Vendors** or **Send money**.
* **Does the vendor need to sign in?** No. The form opens from the link without signing in.
* **What does the vendor fill in?** Up to five steps: **Bank Details** (only when a payment is waiting on their bank details), **W-9 Upload** (optional), **Legal Services**, **Vendor Details** and **Review**.
* **Does the vendor have to upload a W-9?** No. **W-9 Upload** is marked optional. The **Vendor Details** step still asks for the TIN and address.
* **What happens when the vendor submits?** Every saves their details on the vendor and **W9 status** changes to **Completed**. Any payment with no approvers that was waiting on their bank details is sent, unless it is scheduled for a later date.
* **Why does my vendor still show Missing information?** **W9 status** reads **Missing information** until the vendor has a TIN, address and entity type on file. Select **Remind vendor**, or select **Edit information** to enter them yourself.
* **How do I send the invitation again?** Select **Remind vendor** in the dialog that **Request vendor information** opens from the vendor's row menu on **Payments** → **Vendors**, or on the **Missing tax information** card in the vendor's details.
* **Does Every remind the vendor by itself?** Yes. Every emails the vendor a few reminders in the days after the invitation, and stops once they submit the form.
* **The vendor's link doesn't work. What do I do?** Select **Remind vendor**, and Every emails the vendor a fresh link. **Remind vendor** is in the dialog that **Request vendor information** opens from the vendor's row menu on **Payments** → **Vendors**, and on the **Missing tax information** card in the vendor's details. A vendor on the step-by-step form can also select **Resend email** on **Invalid onboarding link**.
* **Can I invite a vendor that already has a W-9 on file?** No. Every sends no invitation to a vendor that already has W-9 details: a TIN, TIN type, address and entity type.
* **When is the payment sent after I choose Request from vendor?** If the payment has no approvers: automatically, by ACH, once the vendor submits their bank details, unless it is scheduled for a later date.
* **Which email address does the invitation go to?** The one you enter. Every saves it on the vendor, and **Remind vendor** uses the address saved on the vendor.

### Not covered here

* What the invitation email says and who it comes from. To ask, email [support@every.io](mailto:support@every.io).
* How long the link in a vendor's email keeps working. To ask, email [support@every.io](mailto:support@every.io).
* How many reminders Every sends a vendor, and how often. To ask, email [support@every.io](mailto:support@every.io).
* Whether the form accepts a bank account outside the US. To ask, email [support@every.io](mailto:support@every.io).
* How the invitation from **Send money** works when the payment has approvers, for a W-9 or for **Request from vendor**. To ask, email [support@every.io](mailto:support@every.io).


## Related topics

- [Vendors](https://every.help/admins/bill-pay/vendors.md)
- [Send money](https://every.help/admins/bill-pay/payment-methods.md)
- [Request 1099s](https://every.help/admins/bill-pay/1099-filing.md)


This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.