Customers and Vendors with same name

Hello treasurer91!

Thanks for reaching out to us again. I understand that you need an option to add customers and vendors with the same name. Let me assist you with it.

QuickBooks Online won't allow us to add a customer, vendor, or employee using the same name. The reason behind this is to avoid confusion that may affect your entire accounting data. We always advise adding a special character or digit to fix this.

Also, I noticed that you mentioned Quicken in your post. I suggest you reach out to them to see if they have a resolution regarding the customers and vendors with the same name. Simply click this link: https://www.quicken.com/support.

Do you need help in running financial reports? Check this article: Run reports in QuickBooks Online. This includes links about customizing reports, memorizing, and other common reports.

Leave a comment below if you have other concerns. I'll be here!

I'm going to assume you're a human being, and not a bot, AlexV...so I will encourage you to >>read what I wrote<<, rather than provide a canned/boiler-plate answer.

The introductory paragraph to my message shows that your reply is completely off the mark and totally useless. I am well aware of exactly the "solution" you propose.

But it's not a solution! Or even a particularly good workaround.

It's a sign of lousy software/database architecture.

Please do not waste my and anyone else's time by continuing this conversation. If you really want to do something useful why don't you pass along to your management that they really, really, really need to change their database architecture so the "name collision problem" does not occur. Not by forcing customers to follow a dumb, ad hoc, prone-to-errors "solution". But by designing the database to recognize that, yes, one individual or entity can fill more than one role (i.e., be both a customer and a vendor).

Thank you, however, for asking me to clarify which software I am using. It's Quickbooks Online.

I'll take note of your feedback so we can improve the services and experience that we can offer to you, @treasurer91. 

Your satisfaction means everything to us. So, I'll route you to a page where you can post feature suggestions. This way, our engineers can find a scheme about the customers and vendors with the same name.

Here's how: 

1. In your QBO account, go to the Gear icon on the upper right side. 
2. Click Feedback under Profile.
3. Type your suggestion in the box and tap Next. 

Your valuable suggestion goes to our Product Development team to help enhance your experience in QuickBooks.

Additionally, I'd recommend visiting our blog site. That is where we share recent happenings and future developments, such as updates to newly added features. 

Lastly, I've added an article that helps you import, delete, merge, and add sub-customers: Add and manage customers in QuickBooks Online.

I'm always here to work with you again if you have other questions about handling your customer information. I hope all is well.

I agree with this assessment completely.  This was an original design flaw that has now been duplicated by other software suppliers in order to work with quick books.

No one uses Name as a unique identifier - You can't even post here without a unique identifier (Email, username, password). Imagine going into the post office or the DMV or the phone co. or anywhere and saying, "Hello my name is John Doe could you look up my account for me"? Just think about this for a minute. Do you think you would get your mail if just your name was on the envelope? How about your paycheck that is direct deposited in your account? would you get it if you told your employer just deposit it in the account "John Doe at Bank of America"? How many John Smiths or Jose Gonzales do you think there are?

MichelleBh,  It seems that you're only referring to Customers.

I think the issue of having to handle Customers and Vendors separately is a serious one.  For example, I have a number of people that act as both - and I need to have a mechanism by which I can address both entities appropriately.

As an example, I have artists that rent my equipment to make things, and then allow me to sell some of those things that I, in turn, pay them for.  Of course, I can do a Purchase Order to convert to a Bill for things I've bought from them, and I can also enter "-" value items to the PO for what they need to pay me for - but those "-" value items do not transfer to the Bill.  I also realize that I can create a Vendor Credit to deduct those same items from what I pay them, but I can't email - or even print - the Vendor Credit to submit to them! 

The only other option I can think of is to create an Invoice to address the items they owe me money for - but that involves creating an entirely separate entity to send the Invoice to. How do I track both the Bills and Invoices for the person in a way I can send them some sort of summary?  I know all sorts of ways of creating accounts and moving the money around using journal entries and all that, but I need the data in a form I can send to them.  I don't think I should be reduced to using screenshots for this!

I appreciate you for joining us here in the thread, @oceanbeachesglass. I've got your back, and I'll ensure you can get through this to track the bills and invoices for your vendor, who's also a customer in your QuickBooks Online (QBO) account.

You can record a barter transaction to deal with transactions from your vendors who also acts as your customer in QBO. This way, it'll be easier for you to track their bills and invoices inside your system. I'll input the steps below so you can get started. To begin, you'll need to set up a barter bank account. Here's how:

1. Access your QuickBooks Online company.
2. On the upper-right corner, click the Gear icon and then select Chart of accounts.
3. Select New to create a new account.
4. Under the Account Type dropdown, select Bank.
5. Under the Detail Type dropdown, select Cash on hand.
6. Enter the account name. (ex. Barter Bank Account)
7. Select Save and Close.

Visit this article for further guidelines: Record a barter transaction.

Also, you can run separate reports for customers and vendor balance details reports. You'll then merge them by downloading the reports and manually editing them on the Excel file. This way, you'll be able to share the data with your customers, who also acts as a vendor. To begin, here's how:

1. Access your QuickBooks Online company.
2. On the left navigational bar go to the Reports tab.
3. In the search bar, type Vendor Balance Details report.
4. Click the Export icon beside the Printer icon.

You'll then repeat the process and then this time, run Customer Balance Details report.

In addition, here's an article to learn more about customizing a report to show specific data in QBO: Customize reports in QuickBooks Online.

You can also check this page about categorizing and matching bank transactions in QBO: Categorize and match online bank transactions in QuickBooks Online.

@oceanbeachesglass, Thanks for dropping by. If there's anything else that you'd like me to assist you with, Or if you have any additional QuickBooks-related concerns. Know that you can always get back to me anytime. I'll be more than happy to help you out again. Take care!

Oh my... I just have to jump in here... this is insane!

You are asking us to perform functions that increase our workload substantially! where, if Quickbooks had a means of using customers.. as suppliers.. the problem would be quick and easy for us.  Have you guys never run a business in the real world? Oh, stupid question.. of course not.

I have used the 'work arounds' that you suggested.  I have a customer contact and a supplier contact.  I have to create sales (and divide by supplier), put a bill in for suppliers for me to pay them... then an invoice to charge them my fee. And neither will 'merge' to create a statement  for them.  IF I could use the supplier as a customer, then I could create the bill (A/R) and the invoice for what they owe me (A/P).. and viola.. a statement shows the balance... done!  But, no.. I have two different and distinct people according to your software.. adding more work to my 'routine'.  And your last suggestion just adds even more!

So, how about this... Quickbooks support writes a simple 'clients' database that I can select if a person is a buyer, a client, a supplier.  When I add the person, I select what is appropriate.  When I go to suppliers, that person shows up.. if I pick customer.. that same person shows up.  Then.. all transactions will fall under that person and a statement can be prepared.  It also allows me a means of picking just buyer.. so I can do marketing to my store customers and not have to harass my clients or suppliers with unwanted email.  (or.. I know, sign up for yet another expensive add-on to do that simple task.. right?)

I am not a computer 'engineer'... I don't get paid the big bucks.  But, this is such a simple 'change' that it is silly that Quickbooks spends all this time telling us ways to 'work around' the issue... or give us stupid steps to increase our workload.  Take about 10 minutes and fix the darn thing.