# Customers and suppliers (contacts)

> Add, import and find customers and suppliers in SmartPOS Hub, and use the contact page - balances, ledger, sales, payments, documents and portal.

Source: https://docs.smartposhub.com/customers/contacts/  
Last updated: 2026-10-30  
Product: SmartPOS Hub (https://smartposhub.com)

**Contacts** are the people and businesses you trade with: customers, suppliers, or both. Each contact has a profile, balances, a ledger and the full history of sales, payments and documents. This page shows how to add, import, find and use contacts.

## Where contacts live

The **Contacts** menu has **Suppliers**, **Customers**, **Customer Groups**, **Import Contacts**, **Leads** and **Recovery carts**.

![Customers list with filters, Add button, export buttons and columns Contact ID, Business Name, Name, Email, Tax number, Credit Limit, Pay term, Opening Balance and Advance Balance](https://docs.smartposhub.com/_astro/customers-list.BKfzhYHH.png) (web app page: `/contacts?type=customer`)

The customers list shows each customer's **Credit Limit**, **Pay term**, **Opening Balance**, **Advance Balance**, **Customer Group** and the total sale due. **Actions** on a row include **Pay** (collect what they owe), **Pay Sell Return Due** (refund what you owe them), **View**, **Edit**, **Ledger**, **Deactivate** and **Delete**.

## Add a customer

1. Go to **Contacts › Customers** and press **Add**.
2. **Type & name:** **Contact type** (**Suppliers**, **Customers**, **Both (Supplier & Customer)** or **Lead**) and **Contact is** **Individual** or **Business**. Fill **First Name** (and prefix, middle and last name) or the business name.
3. **Contact details:** **Mobile** (required), **Email**, **Alternate contact number**, **Landline**.
4. **Business & tax:** tax number, **Customer Group** (for automatic discounts or price groups) and **Contact ID** (*Auto* if left empty).
5. **Balance & credit:** **Opening Balance**, **Pay term**, **Credit Limit** — see [credit limits](https://docs.smartposhub.com/selling/customer-credit-limits-and-advances/).
6. **Address** and **Other details** (assigned team members, date of birth). Fields only show when your business uses them.
7. Press **Save** (or **Save & add another**).

![Add a new contact form showing contact type, individual or business, name, mobile, email and the Balance and credit section](https://docs.smartposhub.com/_astro/customer-balance-and-credit-fields.DN17Zblg.png) (web app page: `/contacts?type=customer`)

**Tip:** Adding a customer with the same e-mail or mobile as an existing lead merges the lead into the new customer, with its history.

## The contact page

Click a contact's name. The top shows the profile with copy buttons, and cards for **Total sales**, **Balance due**, **Advance Balance**, **Credit Limit** and **Last sale**, plus quick actions **Add payment**, **New sale**, **Send ledger**, **Add Discount** and **Edit**. **Switch contact** jumps to another contact.

![Contact page for a customer with balance cards, credit limit bar and quick actions](https://docs.smartposhub.com/_astro/customer-paid-in-full-balance.CgN9U1n2.png) (web app page: `/contacts/…`)

Tabs (depending on your modules): **Ledger**, **Sales**, **Subscriptions**, **Documents & Note**, **Payments**, **Activities**, **Conversations**, **Portal**, **Store credit & gift cards**, bookings, repairs, gym, assets and accounting.

On a phone the same page stacks into one column:

![Contact page in a phone browser with balance cards](https://docs.smartposhub.com/_astro/customer-page-phone.saz5t2BK.png)
![SmartPOS Business app Customers list with Owes you filter and balances](https://docs.smartposhub.com/_astro/contacts-list.CICdn9SA.png)
*Web contact page on a phone, and the customers list in the SmartPOS Business app.*

## Import contacts

**Contacts › Import Contacts**: download the template, fill one row per contact (customers can include credit limit, pay term and opening balance), upload it and check the preview before you confirm.

## Suppliers

Suppliers work the same way under **Contacts › Suppliers**; their balance is what **you** owe. See [Supplier payments and credit](https://docs.smartposhub.com/inventory/supplier-payments-and-credit/).

- [Customer ledger](https://docs.smartposhub.com/customers/customer-ledger/)
- [Customer groups](https://docs.smartposhub.com/customers/customer-groups/)
- [Leads](https://docs.smartposhub.com/customers/leads/)
- [Customer portal](https://docs.smartposhub.com/customers/customer-portal/)

## Frequently asked questions

### What is the difference between a customer, a supplier and both?

Customers buy from you, suppliers sell to you. Choose Both (Supplier & Customer) for a business that does both; it then appears in sales and purchases with one shared ledger.

### Which fields are required for a customer?

Only First Name (or the business name for a business contact) and Mobile. Everything else is optional.

### Can I add a customer while selling?

Yes. Press the + next to the customer box in the POS. In POS V2 the quick-add form is filled from what you typed in the search box.

### How do I import my customer list?

Use Contacts › Import Contacts with the Excel or CSV template. Fill one row per contact, upload it and check the preview before importing.

### Why does a person not appear in the POS customer search?

They may be a lead, not a customer. Leads are kept in Contacts › Leads and become customers when they buy or when you convert them.

### Can customers see their own balance?

Yes, if you invite them to the customer portal or they join your store in the SmartPOS Shopper app.

### What is Walk-In Customer?

The default customer for anonymous counter sales. It cannot buy on credit.