How do I run a vendor totals report in QuickBooks Online?

In QuickBooks Online, the Transaction List by Date report gives you a complete total of what you paid a vendor over any date range. The standard Expenses by Vendor Summary report can miss payments recorded as checks, bill payments, or credit card transactions.

The standard report is not enough

The Expenses by Vendor Summary report groups by vendor, but it is built around expense transactions. A bill payment, a check written from your bank account, or a credit card payment may not show up in its numbers the way you need.

The Transaction List by Date report is more complete because you decide which transaction types are included. The total at the bottom reflects exactly what you select. This makes it the right choice when you need a vendor total for reconciliation or a tax return.

Which transaction types should you include?

To run a vendor total, select the transaction types that belong in the number you need. Common selections are:

• Bill Payment (Check)
• Bill Payment (Credit Card)
• Check
• Expense
• Credit Card Credit
• Vendor Credits

Bill Payment (Check) and Bill Payment (Credit Card) cover payments made against vendor bills. Check and Expense cover direct payments and expense entries. Credit Card Credit covers refunds or credits on a card.

A vendor credit is not a payment. It is a reduction in what you owe. If your goal is a net vendor activity total, include it. If your goal is only cash paid out, leave it out.

Running the report

Follow these steps in QuickBooks Online:

1. Select Reports from the left navigation menu.
2. In the Go to reports search field, enter Transaction List by Date and select it from the results.
3. Select Customize.
4. Under General, set Report period to the date range you need.
5. Set Group by to Vendor.
6. Under Filter on the left, select Lists.
7. For Transaction Type, select Select Multiple.
8. Check the boxes for the transaction types you want in the total.
9. Select Apply.
10. To limit the report to one vendor, select the Name filter, choose that vendor or Select Multiple for a group, and select Apply.
11. Select Run report.

The report then lists the selected transactions in date order, grouped by vendor. If you leave the Name filter blank, every vendor appears.

The total at the bottom

The bottom of the report shows a grand total. When you group by Vendor, each vendor has a subtotal, and the bottom total is the sum of the selected transaction types. For a single vendor, the subtotal on that vendor’s row is the number to use.

The report is date sensitive. A payment outside the period you set will not appear. If you need a total for all vendors, leave the Name filter blank.

Use this report when you need a vendor total for reconciliation, a tax return, or a close look at what you paid over a specific period. Because it is a transaction-level report, you can review the individual lines behind the total to confirm each amount.