> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.kick.co/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.kick.co/common-workflows/counterparties.md).

# Counterparties

A counterparty is the vendor or customer on the other side of a transaction - who you paid, or who paid you. Kick identifies counterparties automatically from your transaction data and uses them to power categorization, reporting, and rules.

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### How counterparties work

When a transaction syncs, Kick reads the merchant name or description and matches it to a counterparty. Over time, Kick builds a list of everyone your business transacts with.

Counterparties help Kick categorize more accurately. When you've told Kick that a specific vendor always maps to a specific category, it applies that every time a new transaction from that vendor comes in.

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### Where to find them

Go to **Accounting** -> **Counterparties** to see a full list of vendors and customers in your workspace. You can search, filter, and click into any counterparty to see all transactions associated with them.

This is also where you can rename a counterparty if the name that synced from your bank is messy or unclear - for example, turning "SQ \*COFFEE ROASTERS 12849" into "Blue Bottle Coffee."

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### Counterparties and the Expenses by Vendor report

The [Expenses by Vendor](/reports/expenses-by-vendor.md) report is built directly from your counterparty data. It shows you total spend per vendor over any time period - useful for understanding where your money is actually going and spotting vendors worth renegotiating.

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### Merging counterparties

The same vendor can sometimes appear under slightly different names depending on how they show up in your bank feed. Kick lets you merge duplicate counterparties so they consolidate into one clean record across your reports and transaction history.

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### Counterparties and Rules

[Rules](/common-workflows/rules.md) can be built around specific counterparties. For example: "Every transaction from this vendor goes to Software & Subscriptions." Once set, Kick applies it automatically - no manual categorization needed.


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