# How to onboard a new supplier safely (ABN, bank details, first bill)

Get the supplier's ABN and bank details on a form. Check the ABN on ABN Lookup. Phone a number you already trust to confirm the bank details. Then create the contact and check the first bill against them.

## Short answer

1. Collect a supplier form with ABN and bank details.
2. Check the ABN on ABN Lookup.
3. Phone to confirm the bank details.
4. Create the contact, then check the first bill against it.

## Before you start

You need a supplier form. The [supplier onboarding form generator](/free-tools/supplier-onboarding-form-generator/) builds one.

You also need a rule on who is allowed to create suppliers and who is allowed to approve payments. For small teams, two people is enough.

## The manual way in Xero and MYOB

1. **Get the form back.** Do not set up a supplier from an email signature or a PDF invoice alone.
2. **Check the ABN.** Use [ABN Lookup](https://abr.business.gov.au/) to confirm the ABN is active and the name matches. Check whether the business is registered for GST. If the ABN is registered for GST, GST can be on the invoice.
3. **Call to verify bank details.** Use a phone number from the supplier's website or an earlier trusted record. Do not use the number in the new email.
4. **Add the contact in Xero.** Go to Contacts > Suppliers and add a new contact. Add the name, address, email, ABN and bank account on the financial details tab.
5. **Add the supplier card in MYOB.** In AccountRight go to the Card File and create a supplier card. Add the ABN and bank details on the card.
6. **Check the first bill.** The invoice ABN, bank details and name should match the contact.
7. **Approve the first payment with a second person.**

Limits: neither Xero nor MYOB checks the ABN against the ABN register for you as you type. You also need a rule on who can change bank details later.

## The Pulsify way

1. Forward the new supplier's first invoice to your Pulsify address.
2. Pulsify flags a supplier that is not in Xero or MYOB. Use Create new supplier to add them to your accounting software.
3. Pulsify checks the ABN against the ABR. It flags an ABN that is invalid or not registered for GST while the invoice charges GST.
4. It flags bank details that differ from the supplier's record in Xero or MYOB.
5. Send the bill for approval to a second person. Then approve it and it is created in Xero or MYOB.

## Worked example

Example Plumbing Supplies sends its first invoice for $2,420 including GST. Your form says the BSB is 062-000. The invoice says 062-001.

You phone the number on their website and they confirm 062-000. You add 062-000 to the contact. You do not approve the bill until they send a corrected invoice.

## Common mistakes

- **Using the number or link in the email.** A fraudster controls those.
- **Checking the ABN once and not the name.** An active ABN for a different business does not help you.
- **Letting the same person set up and pay.** Split the two jobs.

## Next step

[Try an invoice](https://app.pulsify.tech/sign-up) and see the ABN and bank checks run on your first supplier bill. Read the [invoice checks guide](/guides/invoice-checks/) for each check. See also the [fraud prevention page](/fraud-prevention/).

## Common questions

### Why check bank details by phone?

Fraudsters email a change of bank details that looks real. A call to a number you already hold confirms it. The Australian Government's Scamwatch warns about invoice and bank detail scams targeting businesses.

### Should the same person set up the supplier and pay them?

It is safer to split the two. One person sets up the supplier and a second approves the first payment. This stops one person creating a fake supplier and paying it.

### What if the supplier has no ABN?

Ask why. Some suppliers, such as overseas ones, do not have one. For Australian suppliers, check with your accountant before paying, because tax rules can differ when no ABN is given.

Source: https://www.pulsify.tech/how-to/onboard-a-new-supplier-safely-abn-bank-details-first-bill/ (last checked 2026-10-19)