I can't find a vendor in my vendor list but I have posted transactions for that vendor

Hello, @nicole54.

I'm here to ensure you're able to see the vendor's name in QuickBooks Online. This way, you can review their transactions. 
 

There are two possible reasons why the vendor's name is missing from the vendor list. 

• The vendor marked inactive accidentally
• Browsers are full of cache and cookies

To check the vendor status, please follow the steps below. 

1. Go to the Expenses tab on the left side. 
2. Choose Vendor. 
3. Click the small gear icon beside the Printer icon. 
4. Check the Include Inactive under Other. 
5. Tap Make active to re-show the name in the list. 

If you're unable to see it in the inactive list, I'd suggest performing fundamental troubleshooting steps to isolate the difficulty. Stored cache files on your browser can sometimes cause this to occur.
 

To begin, please access your account via incognito. These browsers won't save any browsing histories. 

Feel free to use these shortcut keys:

• Google Chrome: Ctrl + Shift + N
• Safari 11 or newer: ⌘ + Shift + N
• Mozilla Firefox: Ctrl + Shift + P
• Microsoft Edge: Ctrl + Shift + P

Once logged in, go back to the Vendor list to verify if it's already there. If you're able to see it, we'll have to go back to your regular browser and clear the cache to eliminate the junk files. Using other supported browsers is a good alternative too. 

Additionally, you can always check the audit log in your product to review the company activities. For more information, visit this link: Use the audit log in QuickBooks Online.

I've also added articles about handling duplicate vendor accounts, reports, and transactions. 

• Merge duplicate accounts, customers, and vendors in QuickBooks Online
• Reports
• Expenses and vendors

If you have any other questions or concerns about QuickBooks Online, please reach out to me. Keep safe always, nicole54. 

If a name has transactions but isn't in your Vendors list, the two usual causes are that it was made inactive, or that the name is actually saved on a different list (as a Customer or Employee) rather than as a Vendor. QuickBooks only lets a name live on one list at a time, so a payee saved as a customer or employee won't appear under Vendors even though transactions are posted to it. Since you've already checked Include Inactive and you work in an incognito browser, that different-list cause is the most likely one here.

1. Find where the name actually lives

The fastest way to see how the name is stored is to open one of its transactions:

1. Go to Accounting, then Chart of Accounts.
2. On the bank or expense account where the transaction posted, select View register.
3. Find and open one of the transactions for that name, then select Edit.
4. Look at the Payee field and note the exact name. Selecting the payee shows which list it belongs to.

You can also run a report (for example Transaction Detail by Account) and add the Source Name column to see the payee attached to each transaction.

2. Check your other name lists

Search the name under your other lists to confirm where it's stored:

• Customers: go to Sales (or Get paid & pay), then Customers.
• Employees: go to Payroll, then Employees.

If the name turns up on one of these, that's why it isn't in Vendors.

3. Move the name to the Vendor list (if it's on the wrong one)

Because QuickBooks won't allow the same name on two lists, you can't simply retype it as a vendor. You create a vendor using a slightly different name (or rename/remove the original), then reassign the transactions to the vendor. The exact steps depend on whether the name is currently a customer or an employee, and moving an employee with paychecks has extra considerations, so follow the official walkthrough: "Move names between Customer, Vendor, and Employee lists in QuickBooks Online."

4. If it's simply inactive

To confirm and restore an inactive vendor: go to Expenses (or Get paid & pay), then Vendors, select the small gear above the list, check Include inactive, find the name, and select Make active.

5. Check the audit log

If you're not sure what happened to the name, the audit log (under Settings) shows whether it was made inactive or merged into another vendor, and when.

If the name shows on transactions and reports but genuinely isn't on any list, that can be a display glitch: try a different supported browser, and if it's still missing, reopen an affected transaction and reselect the payee, or contact Support so they can investigate. Let us know which list the name turned up on and we'll walk you through moving it.