Quickbooks online: I want to run an expense by vendor report that shows expense type. Doesn't seem possible anymore - only summary. What am I missing?

Hi wolfeny,

Let me help you run a vendor report.

The Expenses by Vendor Summary report will not filter the transactions by type. However, you can run a Transaction Detail by Account and customize this report.

Here's how:

1. On the left panel, click Reports.
2. Type Transaction Detail by Account in the search box.
3. Choose the Report period, and click the Customize button located in the upper-right hand corner.
4. Click Rows/Columns to expand, and click the Change columns link.
5. Check the boxes for Date, Vendor, Transaction Type, Account, and Product/Service.
6. Click Filter to expand, and choose Expense from the Transaction Type drop down menu.
7. Select the accounts you want to view (travel, insurance, etc.) from the Distribution Account drop down list.
8. Choose the vendor you want to show in the report from the Vendor drop down list.
9. Click Run Report.

Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns about QuickBooks Online. Thank you.

Just tried the same and it didn't work....this is ridiculous. 

Hi @wolfeny,

Let me help you navigate through the reports.

I've attached screenshots of the steps above shared by my colleague. This way, I can show you exactly how to pull up and view the Transactions Detail by Account report.

If you have other concerns, leave a comment below. It'll be my pleasure to help you. Happy Holidays!

It allows me to choose the Transaction Detail by Account but it automatically generates the report rather than allowing me to customize it.  Once in the report it will not allow me to change any of the parameters. 

Quickbooks online is very frustrating for those of us who used the Desktop version and found it very intuitive. 

I did get the report to generate using the instructions above, so it did work for me.

But my big complaint is this:  I'm trying to use this report as a poor substitute for another report I REALLY need.   I need an Expense by Vendor Summary, but only for select accounts.   The format of the Expense by Vendor Summary for what I need.  But I am completely baffled that you cannot filter on select accounts in that report.   In many other reports (like this Transaction Detail) you can select specific accounts.  But not in the Expense by Vendor Summary.

The thing is I first noticed this over 2 years ago, and have opened tech support tickets, done chat sessions and have entered it as a "Feedback"  .   But I've now lost hope that this will be resolved.
I'm also a long time user of Quickbooks Desktop, including being in the Proadvisor network for years.   But you sometimes get the impression that the developers of QBO have never done accounting in an actual company.

Great response. Thank you.

But this shows all the detailed transactions by vendor.   I only need one line per vendor - the summary only.

As an aside, it also doesn't work if the transactions are recorded into an asset account.   For example, if the payments for vendors were recorded into an inventory account, the report comes back empty.   Apparently QBO doesn't consider that transactions to a vendor could come from an asset account.