> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.flowretail.com/docs/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.flowretail.com/docs/day-to-day-operations/purchase-and-receivement/suppliers.md).

# Suppliers

Set up the suppliers you buy from, their terms, and the price you pay per product.

A **supplier** is who you buy from. Beyond the contact details, a supplier carries the commercial terms that feed straight into purchase orders — the currency you trade in, a standing discount, and how freight is handled.

## What a supplier holds

**Identity**

| Field            | Notes                                                                     |
| ---------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Name**         | Required                                                                  |
| **Country code** | Required                                                                  |
| **VAT number**   |                                                                           |
| **External ID**  | Your own identifier, for matching against another system                  |
| **Active**       | Inactive suppliers stay on historical orders but are kept out of new ones |

**Contact**

Contact name, contact email, a general email, and a phone number. Address, postal code and city.

**Commercial terms**

| Field                   | What it does                                                      |
| ----------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Currency**            | The currency you trade in with this supplier, as an ISO 4217 code |
| **Fixed discount rate** | A standing discount applied to this supplier's orders             |
| **Freight percentage**  | How shipping is added to this supplier's orders                   |
| **Bank info**           | Payment details                                                   |

The currency matters more than it looks. An order placed in a supplier's currency keeps their figures as invoiced, and converts separately for valuing your stock — see [Purchase order](/docs/day-to-day-operations/purchase-and-receivement/purchase-order.md).

## Prices per product

A supplier is linked to the products you buy from them, and each link carries:

|                    |                                                     |
| ------------------ | --------------------------------------------------- |
| **Purchase price** | What this supplier charges for this product         |
| **Currency**       | The currency that price is in                       |
| **Supplier SKU**   | Their code for the product, which goes on the order |

This is what makes purchase ordering quick: choose the supplier, and the prices and their SKUs come with it.

A product can be linked to more than one supplier, though most are linked to just one. Where no supplier-specific price exists, the product's **agreed purchase price** is used instead — see [Product fields reference](/docs/day-to-day-operations/products/adding-products/product-fields-reference.md).

## Suppliers and inter-store trade

A supplier can represent **another of your own stores** rather than an outside company. That is how buying from a sister store works: the selling store appears to the buying store as a supplier, and the normal purchase flow applies.

## What this means for you

* **Set the currency and discount on the supplier, not on each order.** They carry through, and changing them in one place is the point.
* **Keep supplier SKUs up to date.** They are what the supplier reads on the order; a stale code is a delayed delivery.
* **Deactivate rather than delete.** An inactive supplier keeps its history and stops appearing on new orders.

***

*Last updated 19.09.2026*


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