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

# Supplier vs Vendor

> Understand the difference between a Supplier and a Vendor in Pleo, and how creating a Vendor via the API affects the Pleo Web App and export behaviour.

export const NoteCallout = ({title, children}) => <div className="callout-box callout-note">
    <div className="callout-row">
      <span className="callout-icon">
        <svg width="22" height="22" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 256 256" fill="currentColor"><path d="M208,104a79.86,79.86,0,0,1-30.59,62.92A24.29,24.29,0,0,0,168,186v6a8,8,0,0,1-8,8H96a8,8,0,0,1-8-8v-6a24.11,24.11,0,0,0-9.3-19A79.87,79.87,0,0,1,48,104.45C47.76,61.09,82.72,25,126.07,24A80,80,0,0,1,208,104Z" opacity="0.2" /><path d="M176,232a8,8,0,0,1-8,8H88a8,8,0,0,1,0-16h80A8,8,0,0,1,176,232Zm40-128a87.55,87.55,0,0,1-33.64,69.21A16.24,16.24,0,0,0,176,186v6a16,16,0,0,1-16,16H96a16,16,0,0,1-16-16v-6a16,16,0,0,0-6.23-12.66A87.59,87.59,0,0,1,40,104.49C39.74,56.83,78.26,17.14,125.88,16A88,88,0,0,1,216,104Zm-16,0a72,72,0,0,0-73.74-72c-39,.92-70.47,33.39-70.26,72.39a71.65,71.65,0,0,0,27.64,56.3A32,32,0,0,1,96,186v6h64v-6a32.15,32.15,0,0,1,12.47-25.35A71.65,71.65,0,0,0,200,104Zm-16.11-9.34a57.6,57.6,0,0,0-46.56-46.55,8,8,0,0,0-2.66,15.78c16.57,2.79,30.63,16.85,33.44,33.45A8,8,0,0,0,176,104a9,9,0,0,0,1.35-.11A8,8,0,0,0,183.89,94.66Z" /></svg>
      </span>
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            {title}
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        <div className="callout-body">
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        </div>
      </div>
    </div>
  </div>;

export const RememberCallout = ({title, children}) => <div className="callout-box callout-remember">
    <div className="callout-row">
      <span className="callout-icon">
        <svg width="22" height="22" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 256 256" fill="currentColor"><path d="M229.66,98.34,172.39,155.8c11.46,22.93-1.72,45.86-10.11,57a8,8,0,0,1-12,.83L42.34,105.76A8,8,0,0,1,43,93.85c29.65-23.92,57.4-10,57.4-10l57.27-57.46a8,8,0,0,1,11.31,0L229.66,87A8,8,0,0,1,229.66,98.34Z" opacity="0.2" /><path d="M235.32,81.37,174.63,20.69a16,16,0,0,0-22.63,0L98.37,74.49c-10.66-3.34-35-7.37-60.4,13.14a16,16,0,0,0-1.29,23.78L85,159.71,42.34,202.34a8,8,0,0,0,11.32,11.32L96.29,171l48.29,48.29A16,16,0,0,0,155.9,224c.38,0,.75,0,1.13,0a15.93,15.93,0,0,0,11.64-6.33c19.64-26.1,17.75-47.32,13.19-60L235.33,104A16,16,0,0,0,235.32,81.37ZM224,92.69h0l-57.27,57.46a8,8,0,0,0-1.49,9.22c9.46,18.93-1.8,38.59-9.34,48.62L48,100.08c12.08-9.74,23.64-12.31,32.48-12.31A40.13,40.13,0,0,1,96.81,91a8,8,0,0,0,9.25-1.51L163.32,32,224,92.68Z" /></svg>
      </span>
      <div>
        {title && <div className="callout-title">
            {title}
          </div>}
        <div className="callout-body">
          {children}
        </div>
      </div>
    </div>
  </div>;

"Supplier" and "vendor" are often used interchangeably in everyday finance language, but in Pleo's Accounting Integrations they refer to two related, distinct concepts.

## Supplier vs Vendor

| Term         | What It Means                                                                                                                                                                                                |
| ------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Supplier** | The real-world business you buy from. This is what a finance user thinks of as the "supplier" on an invoice or expense.                                                                                      |
| **Vendor**   | The Accounting System's master-data record that represents that supplier inside the target system (for example, a Vendor record in NetSuite or Xero). Pleo stores and syncs this record via the Vendors API. |

A Supplier and a Vendor may refer to the same real-world business, or they may not: they are not guaranteed to be the same record.

## Why the Terms Overlap

Two Pleo capabilities read data differently depending on whether Vendor Tagging is enabled:

* The **`supplier` object** on an export item is Pleo's long-standing representation of who an expense or invoice was paid to, available independently of Vendor Tagging but not guaranteed to be populated on every item.
* The **`vendor` object** on an export item is populated once the expense or invoice has been tagged with a Vendor and Vendor Tagging is enabled.

For the resolution order between these two objects, see [Accounts Payable Handling](/docs/current/integration-design/exports/integration-design-exports-bookkeeping-method-accounts-payable#1-vendor-resolution).

## Creating a Vendor via the External API

Calling `POST /v1/vendors` creates a Vendor master-data record for the company in Pleo.

<RememberCallout title="Remember">
  Creating at least one Vendor via `POST /v1/vendors` is also a prerequisite for the **Activate Vendor Tagging** option to appear in **Settings → Accounting**. See [Vendor Tagging option not visible?](/docs/current/how-tos/accounting-integrations/how-to-enable-vendor-based-bookkeeping#vendor-tagging-option-not-visible)
</RememberCallout>

What happens next depends on whether **Vendor Tagging** (Vendor-Based Bookkeeping) is enabled for that company.

### Vendor Tagging Enabled

| Area             | Behaviour                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
| ---------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Where it appears | The Vendor becomes selectable from the **Vendor Tagging** drop-down in **Settings → Accounting**, and can be tagged directly on an expense or invoice before export.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    |
| Export items     | The `bookkeeping` object is populated on export items. Vendor Tagging is mandatory for `accounts_payable` and optional for `journal`. See [How to Enable Vendor-Based Bookkeeping](/docs/current/how-tos/accounting-integrations/how-to-enable-vendor-based-bookkeeping).                                                                                                                                                                               |
| Sync loop        | The Vendor participates in the full bidirectional loop: existing Vendors are kept current via [Vendor Sync](/docs/current/platform/accounting-integrations/imports/vendors/vendor-sync-overview), and new Vendors added directly in Pleo are detected via the `v1.vendor.created` webhook so the integration can create them in the Accounting System. See [Vendor Creation Overview](/docs/current/platform/exports/vendors/vendor-creation-overview). |

### Vendor Tagging Not Enabled

| Area             | Behaviour                                                                                                                                                                            |
| ---------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| Where it appears | The Vendor is stored as master-data in Pleo, but there is no Vendor Tagging UI for bookkeepers to select or tag it on an expense or invoice.                                         |
| Export items     | The `bookkeeping` object on export items returns `null`. Use the `supplier` object on the export item for bookkeeping instead.                                                       |
| Sync loop        | The Vendor still exists as a record and can be updated or archived via the Vendors API, but it is not surfaced in any bookkeeping or tagging flow until Vendor Tagging is activated. |

## Summary

| Topic                           | Vendor Tagging Enabled                                                                                                                                                                                                 | Vendor Tagging Not Enabled                                                       |
| ------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `POST /v1/vendors` creates      | A Vendor master-data record in Pleo                                                                                                                                                                                    | Same record, but not surfaced in any bookkeeping UI                              |
| Visible in Pleo Web App         | Yes, via the Vendor Tagging drop-down and on expenses/invoices                                                                                                                                                         | No dedicated Vendor Tagging UI                                                   |
| Sync behaviour                  | Full bidirectional loop: [Vendor Sync](/docs/current/platform/accounting-integrations/imports/vendors/vendor-sync-overview) in, [Vendor Creation](/docs/current/platform/exports/vendors/vendor-creation-overview) out | Vendor record exists and can be managed via the API, but is not used for tagging |
| Export item `bookkeeping` field | Populated; mandatory for `accounts_payable`, optional for `journal`. See [Vendor Tagging in Export Items](/reference/export-api/vendor-tagging-in-export-items)                                                        | Always `null`; use the `supplier` object instead                                 |

## Creating Vendors and Suppliers in the Pleo Web App

If you are not building a custom accounting integration and just want to know how Pleo Web App works:

* **Suppliers** can be created when paying an invoice in the Pleo Web App: if the Supplier does not already exist, you can add it and apply payment details as part of the invoice payment flow. See [Paying a Supplier Invoice Using Pleo Web App](https://help.pleo.io/en/support/solutions/articles/103000285539-paying-a-supplier-invoice) <Icon icon="arrow-up-right-from-square" size={14} /> (includes a walkthrough video).
* **Vendor Cards** are a separate, unrelated Pleo feature: a card type restricted to a single merchant, used to control spend on subscriptions and digital services. Setting up a Vendor Card does **not** create a Vendor master-data record via the API, despite the shared name. See [Control Your Subscriptions With Vendor Cards](https://help.pleo.io/en/support/solutions/articles/103000254446-control-your-subscriptions-with-vendor-cards) <Icon icon="arrow-up-right-from-square" size={14} /> (includes a walkthrough video).

***

## What Comes Next?

Pleo has two separate Vendor flows: Vendor Creation and Vendor Sync. See [Vendor Creation vs Vendor Sync](/docs/current/platform/exports/vendors/vendor-creation-vs-vendor-sync-overview) to find the right one for your scenario.

***

## Related Reading

* [How to Activate Vendor Tagging](/docs/current/how-tos/accounting-integrations/how-to-enable-vendor-based-bookkeeping#1-activate-vendor-tagging) (or [chat with support](https://help.pleo.io/en/support/solutions/articles/103000360463-how-to-activate-vendor-tagging-in-pleo) <Icon icon="arrow-up-right-from-square" size={14} />)
* [Accounts Payable Handling](/docs/current/integration-design/exports/integration-design-exports-bookkeeping-method-accounts-payable)
* [Vendor Tagging in Export Items](/reference/export-api/vendor-tagging-in-export-items)
* [Paying a Supplier Invoice Using Pleo Web App](https://help.pleo.io/en/support/solutions/articles/103000285539-paying-a-supplier-invoice) <Icon icon="arrow-up-right-from-square" size={14} />
* [When to Use a Vendor Card vs a Regular Card](https://help.pleo.io/en/support/solutions/articles/103000254446-control-your-subscriptions-with-vendor-cards) <Icon icon="arrow-up-right-from-square" size={14} />

***