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This guide is part of our Approved Suppliers collection. You may also find these helpful:
What are Approved Suppliers?
Approved Suppliers allows one Inventory Base account to outsource inspections to another Inventory Base account.
The feature uses two main terms:
Term | Meaning |
Buyer | The account that invites a Supplier and assigns work to them. |
Supplier | The account that accepts the invitation and completes work for the Buyer. |
Once the invitation has been accepted, the Buyer can assign inspections to the Supplier. The Supplier can then allocate the work to one of their own clerks and return the completed report to the Buyer for review.
Before You Start
Before sending an invitation, please note:
Only accounts on the Team or Team Pro plan can invite Approved Suppliers.
An Inventory Base account on any plan can be invited as a Supplier.
You must invite the Supplier using the account Owner’s email address.
A Clerk or another team member’s email address cannot be used.
Approved Suppliers count towards the Buyer’s user allowance.
If adding a Supplier takes the Buyer above the number of users included in their plan, an additional-user charge will apply.
How The Account Connection Works
The Buyer sends an invitation from their Inventory Base account.
The Supplier receives the invitation by email and accepts it from their own account.
Once accepted:
The Supplier appears under Team > Suppliers on the Buyer’s account.
The Buyer appears under Clients > Linked Clients on the Supplier’s account.
Both accounts can manage permissions for the relationship.
The Buyer can start assigning inspections to the Supplier.
Where Each Account Manages The Relationship
Where Each Account Manages The Relationship
Account | Location | What They Manage |
Buyer | Team > Suppliers
 | Supplier permissions, report branding and the Supplier relationship |
Supplier | Clients > Linked Clients
 | The linked client record and Buyer permissions |
The actions available to each account depend on the permissions configured by the other account.
How To Invite An Approved Supplier
These steps are completed by the Buyer.
Log in to your Inventory Base online dashboard.
Select Team from the top navigation.
Open the Suppliers tab.
Select Invite Account.
Enter the email address of the Supplier account Owner.
Review the invitation details.
Send the invitation.
The invitation will appear as pending until the Supplier accepts or declines it.
ℹ️ The Supplier will receive an email containing a Manage This Invitation button.
The email also confirms which account’s branding is currently selected for reports completed through the relationship.
How To Accept An Invitation
These steps are completed by the Supplier.
Open the Approved Supplier invitation email.
Select Manage This Invitation.
Log in to the Inventory Base account that received the invitation.
Go to Clients > Linked Clients.
Review the invitation.
Select Accept or Decline.
ℹ️ When the Supplier accepts, the Buyer receives an email confirming that the invitation has been accepted.
Linking The Buyer To A Client Record
After accepting the invitation, the Supplier can link the Buyer to an existing client record in their account.
From Clients > Linked Clients, the Supplier can:
Select an existing client record
Change the linked client later
Remove the linked client
Manage the permissions given to the Buyer
Linking the Buyer to a client record helps the Supplier manage the relationship within their own Inventory Base account.
What To Check If The Invitation Does Not Work
The Supplier Did Not Receive The Email
The Supplier Did Not Receive The Email
Check that:
The email address was entered correctly.
The address belongs to the Supplier account Owner.
The email has not been filtered into a junk or spam folder.
A Clerk or team member’s email address was not used instead.
The Invitation Is Not Visible Under Linked Clients
The Invitation Is Not Visible Under Linked Clients
Make sure the Supplier is logged in to the same Inventory Base account whose Owner email address received the invitation.
The Buyer Cannot See The Suppliers Tab
The Buyer Cannot See The Suppliers Tab
Check that the Buyer account is on the Team or Team Pro plan.
The Supplier Was Invited Using The Wrong Email Address
The Supplier Was Invited Using The Wrong Email Address
Cancel the pending invitation and send a new invitation using the Supplier account Owner’s email address.
What To Do Next
Once the invitation has been accepted, review the permissions and branding settings for the relationship.
➡️ Continue to: Approved Suppliers: Permissions And Branding
Need Help?
If you cannot send or accept an invitation, contact our Support team.
Please include:
The Buyer account name and email address
The Supplier account name and email address
A screenshot of the invitation status or error message
Full details of the issue you are having.