Supplier types and what they are used for
You will know which Supplier Type to pick for each kind of supplier, which screens then offer that supplier, and where every type of supplier bill ends up.
Supplier Type is a required field on every supplier. It does two things: it groups suppliers on the list and in reports, and it decides which pick lists the supplier appears in. Pick the wrong type and the supplier will not show up where you expect it.
Types and the screens that use them
Supplier Type | Who it is for | Screens that offer it | What posts to the supplier |
|---|---|---|---|
Truck Owner | Owners of market (hired) vehicles | Vehicle form (Ownership Type Market › Supplier); booking form Supplier; Supplier Invoice | Hire charges from bookings, raised as supplier invoices (prefix BILL) |
fuel station | Pumps and depots you fill at | Fuel Tracking › Fuel Station | Fills with Payment Status Not Paid become a pending amount to pay |
workshop | Garages and service centres | Vehicle Maintenance › Service Provider | Labor and parts totals of each service (prefix VS) with Payment Type unpaid |
Autoparts | Spare parts and tyre shops | Purchase Invoice › Supplier Name; Tyre/Asset Tracking purchases | Purchase invoices (prefix PINV) and asset costs |
Custom types | Insurers, toll agencies, brokers and any other payee | Supplier Invoice; Expenses (Related To); Purchase Order | Whatever bill you raise against them |
Where the bills meet
Whatever the type, every supplier has one ledger under Account Payable and one Current Balance. Hire bills, fuel on credit, workshop bills and purchase invoices all land in that balance, and one Supplier Payment can settle any mix of them. The Single Supplier Statement report lists them in date order with the payments against them.
Adding or renaming a type
- Renaming a type renames it on every supplier that uses it.
- Switching Is Active off hides the type from the form but keeps it on existing suppliers.
- Open Settings › Dropdown Values and pick the supplier type dropdown.
- Add a Name, tick Is Active, and optionally Is Default so new suppliers start with it.
- Return to People › Suppliers; the type is now in the Supplier Type list.
Choosing when a supplier fits two types
- A workshop that also sells parts: use workshop if most of your dealings are services; raise its parts bills as part of the service’s Parts column.
- A truck owner who also runs a fuel pump: add two supplier records, one per type, so fuel reports and hire reports stay clean.
- A broker who arranges market vehicles: add the broker as a Truck Owner so bookings can pick them, and keep the actual trucks under Vehicles with the broker as supplier.
Need Help?
Chat with the NShine ERP support team on WhatsApp at +91 79950 87755, or ask from inside the app. Last checked 9 November 2026 against app.nshineerp.com.