Collect W-9s without email attachments
Request a W-9 from the vendor record; the vendor submits it through a secure link, and the tax ID is stored encrypted and shown masked.
- 1
Request
Select Request W-9 on the vendor. Aequo AP emails the vendor’s contact address a secure link. - 2
Vendor submits
The vendor completes the W-9 through the link. The tax ID is encrypted the moment it is saved. - 3
Track status
Each vendor shows whether its W-9 is not requested, requested, received or expired. - 4
Control changes
A change to a vendor’s tax ID is held as a change request for an authorized user to approve or reject. - 5
Prepare 1099s
Review the 1099 summary of reportable payments by vendor before filing season.
Hold vendors when bank details change
When Aequo AP sees new bank details for a vendor, it holds that vendor’s invoices from approval and from syncing to your accounting system until someone calls the vendor back and a second person approves the change.
| Source | What Aequo AP checks |
|---|---|
| Invoices | Bank details printed on each incoming invoice, compared with the details you trust for that vendor |
| Emails | Emails to your Aequo inbox asking to change a vendor’s bank details, including lookalike sender domains |
| Xero | Supplier bank details read on every sync |
| QuickBooks Online, Zoho Books, FreshBooks, Business Central | No vendor bank field is read; invoice and email checks still apply |
- 1
Hold
The vendor is held: its invoices cannot be approved or synced while the change is open. Owners and admins are alerted, and the vendor’s previous email address gets a notice. - 2
Call back
A user with verify permission calls the vendor on a contact you held before the change, never one that arrived with it, and records who they spoke to and the outcome. - 3
Release or reject
A second person, who is neither the caller nor whoever triggered the change, approves it. Anyone with approve permission can reject it and keep the old details. - 4
Audit
Every step is written to the audit trail without bank numbers, and the history can be exported.
Who this is for
AP teams that pay US vendors and file 1099s, and any team that wants a bank-change control before invoices reach the payment run.
If you only need a W-9 form, the free W-9 form guide and vendor onboarding form may be enough. For the warning signs these controls address, see vendor fraud red flags.
Frequently asked questions
How does Aequo AP collect W-9s?
From the vendor’s record you select Request W-9. The vendor gets an email with a secure link where they submit the form, so the W-9 never sits as an email attachment. The tax ID is encrypted when it is saved, and the vendor’s W-9 status is tracked.
Who can see a vendor’s full tax ID?
Screens show only the last four digits. Revealing the full tax ID needs an owner or admin permission, is never available to API keys, and every reveal is logged.
Where does Aequo AP detect bank-detail changes?
In three places: bank details printed on incoming invoices, emails to your Aequo inbox that ask to change a vendor’s bank details, and, for Xero, the supplier bank details read on every sync. QuickBooks Online, Zoho Books, FreshBooks and Business Central have no vendor bank field Aequo reads, so for those the invoice and email checks apply.
Does Aequo AP verify that a bank account belongs to the vendor?
No. It does not check account ownership with a bank or data provider. It holds the vendor, has your team call the vendor back on a number you already had, and requires a second person to approve the change.
Does Aequo AP run IRS TIN Matching?
No. TIN Matching is done by the payer in IRS e-Services. See our guide to IRS TIN matching for how it works.
Which plans include bank-change checks?
Bank-change detection and verification is included on every plan.
Automate matching, approvals and exception handling
Aequo AP captures invoices, matches them to purchase orders and receipts, routes approvals and flags duplicates and exceptions, then syncs with QuickBooks Online, Xero, FreshBooks, Zoho Books or Business Central.