Vendor Account Types and Addresses
AccuArk lets you classify vendors by account type and store multiple addresses per vendor. These features help organize your vendor relationships and support workflows where vendors have different locations for billing, shipping, and operations.
Vendor Account Types
What Are Account Types?
Account types are classification labels you assign to vendors to categorize the nature of your business relationship. They are managed through the account types form and selected on each vendor's profile via the Account Type dropdown.
Creating Account Types
To manage account types, navigate to Inventory > Vendor Account Types from the main menu, or click the create button next to the Account Type dropdown on the vendor form.
Each account type requires only a name. Examples of common account types:
| Account Type | Typical Use |
|---|---|
| Preferred | Primary vendors with the best terms, pricing, and reliability. These are your go-to suppliers for key product lines. |
| Standard | Regular vendors used for routine purchases with standard terms. |
| Occasional | Vendors used infrequently for specialty items or one-off purchases. |
| Wholesale | Vendors that sell in bulk at wholesale pricing. |
| Dropship | Vendors that ship directly to your customers without holding inventory at your location. |
| Consignment | Vendors that provide goods on consignment — you pay only when items are sold. |
| Service | Vendors that provide services rather than physical goods (maintenance, repairs, consulting). |
How Account Types Help
Account types serve several purposes in AccuArk:
- Organization — Categorize your vendor list so you can quickly identify the nature of each relationship
- Filtering — Use account types to filter vendor lists and reports to focus on specific vendor categories
- Reporting — Group purchasing data by vendor type to analyze spending patterns (e.g., how much you spend with preferred vs. occasional vendors)
- Workflow decisions — Some businesses use account types to determine payment priority, approval requirements, or terms negotiations
Editing and Removing Account Types
You can edit the name of an existing account type at any time. The change applies to all vendors currently assigned that type. If an account type is no longer needed, you can delete it. Vendors that were assigned the deleted type will show no account type until reassigned.
Vendor Addresses
Multiple Addresses Per Vendor
Each vendor can have multiple addresses stored in the system. These are managed through the Addresses tab on the vendor form. The address records use the system.
Address Fields
Each address record contains:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | A descriptive label identifying this address (e.g., "Corporate Office", "East Coast Warehouse", "Returns Department") |
| Phone | A phone number specific to this address or location |
| Address | The street address for this location |
| City | City name |
| State | State or province |
| ZIP | Postal or zip code |
Common Use Cases for Multiple Addresses
Multiple addresses are valuable in several scenarios:
- Separate billing and shipping — Many vendors have a corporate billing address that differs from the warehouse or fulfillment center address. Store both so you can reference the correct one depending on the context.
- Branch offices — Large vendors with multiple locations can have each branch stored as a separate address. This is helpful when you order from different branches depending on region or product line.
- Returns department — If the vendor's returns address differs from where orders ship from, store it separately so your team knows where to send returned goods.
- Distribution centers — Vendors with multiple warehouses may ship from different locations depending on your order. Store each distribution center address for reference.
Managing Addresses
On the Addresses tab of the vendor form:
- Adding a new address — Fill in the address fields below the address list and click Add. The address appears in the list above.
- Editing an existing address — Select an address from the list. Its details populate the fields below. Make your changes and click Update to save.
- Removing an address — Select the address and use the remove option. Addresses can be deleted without affecting PO history since POs store their own snapshot of the vendor address at the time of creation.
Primary Address vs. Additional Addresses
The main vendor form fields (Address Line 1, Address Line 2, City, State, ZIP, County) store the vendor's primary address. This is the default address used on purchase orders and displayed in the vendor browser grid.
Additional addresses on the Addresses tab are supplementary records for reference. They do not replace the primary address but provide additional location information your team can use when communicating with the vendor or routing shipments.
Tips
- Start with a few account types — You can always add more later. Preferred, Standard, and Occasional cover most small businesses. Add specialized types like Dropship or Consignment only if those workflows apply to your operations.
- Be consistent with naming — Use clear, standardized names for account types and address labels across your vendor database so filtering and reporting work reliably
- Label addresses descriptively — "Warehouse - Dallas" is more useful than "Address 2". Good labels help your team pick the right address without having to verify each time.
- Keep addresses current — When a vendor moves or opens a new facility, update their addresses promptly. Outdated addresses can cause shipping delays and returns routing issues.