Vendor Records Overview
Vendor records are the foundation of VaultAP's fraud detection. Every invoice processed by VaultAP is matched to a vendor record, and changes in vendor details — such as bank information or address — automatically trigger risk flags for your AP team to review.
How Vendor Records Are Created
Vendor records are created in two ways:
Automatic Creation
When VaultAP processes an invoice and cannot match the sender to an existing vendor, it automatically creates a new vendor record. The record is populated with details extracted from the invoice, and a NEW_VENDOR risk flag is applied to the invoice for review.
Manual Creation
AP team members can create vendor records manually from the Vendors page. This is useful for onboarding known vendors before their first invoice arrives, which avoids the NEW_VENDOR flag on their initial submissions.
Navigate to Vendors
Open the Vendors section from the main navigation.
Click Create Vendor
Select Create Vendor in the top-right corner of the Vendors list.
Enter vendor details
Fill in the vendor name, bank details, address, and any relevant notes.
Save
Click Save. The vendor is now active and ready for invoice matching.
What Vendor Records Track
Each vendor record stores the following information:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | The vendor's display name, used for matching incoming invoices. |
| Bank Details | Bank name and account information. Account numbers are stored as cryptographic hashes — VaultAP never displays full account numbers. Only the last 4 digits are shown for reference. |
| Address | The vendor's primary business address. Address changes trigger a risk flag. |
| Invoice History | A complete list of all invoices matched to this vendor, with status and amounts. |
| Risk Flags | Active and historical risk flags associated with the vendor, such as bank detail changes or address mismatches. |
| Notes | Free-text notes added by your team. Pinned notes surface on invoice detail pages. |
Bank detail changes are one of the most common indicators of payment fraud. When VaultAP detects that a vendor's bank information has changed between invoices, it flags the invoice for manual review before payment.
Vendor Profile Page
The vendor profile page is the central hub for all information about a specific vendor. It is organized into the following sections:
- Summary — Vendor name, status (active, deactivated, or blocked), and key stats such as total invoices and total amount paid.
- Details — Bank details (hashed), address, and tax ID.
- Invoice History — A filterable table of all invoices associated with the vendor, sorted by date.
- Risk Flags — A timeline of all flags triggered for this vendor, with resolution status.
- Notes — Team notes attached to the vendor record, including any pinned notes.