A vendor is a business that comes to your property, such as a landscaper, a pool service, a cleaner, a repair company or a delivery service. Add your vendors to MyWatchtower before they arrive. Gate staff can then find the vendor by name, and each visit shows in the entry history of your property. This article tells you how to add, find, change and delete a vendor. It is for residents. The last section is for community staff.
Open the vendors of your property
1. Open your property. On a computer, select Property in the navigation. On a phone, tap the center button in the bottom bar.
2. Select the Visitors tab.
3. Under Show, select Vendors. The choice shows how many vendors your property has.
If you have more than one property, select the address at the top of the page, then choose the property.
To find a vendor, type at least 3 characters in Search Vendors. A property with no vendors shows No vendors yet.
The status of a vendor
Each row shows the name of the vendor, the type Vendor and a status:
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Permanent (green) | Access with no end date. |
| Active (amber) | Dated access that started. The line under it gives the end date, for example "until Jun 14, 2026". |
| Upcoming (violet) | Dated access that did not start yet. The line under it gives the start date. |
| Expired (gray) | Dated access that ended. The vendor stays on the list until you delete it. |
| Denied (red) | The vendor is restricted and cannot enter. |
On a computer, icons in the Access column show what the vendor has, for example a Kiosk PIN, a QR pass, a Linked vehicle or a Schedule.
Add a vendor
Vendors use the same wizard as guests. You can start it in two places:
- In the Vendors view of the Visitors tab, select Add Vendor. The wizard knows the property and the type, so it opens on the details step.
- On your dashboard, select the Add Guest tile, Register a new guest or vendor. On the Add a guest step, choose the property in Property if you have more than one. Under Type, select Vendor, then select Next.
Vendor Details
1. Type the Vendor Name: the name of the company or of the person. Use the name that the vendor gives at the gate, so gate staff can find it.
2. Optional: in Associate Vehicle (Optional), choose a vehicle of your property. If the vehicle is not on the list, select Add new vehicle.
3. Optional: in Notes (Optional), type instructions for the gate, for example "Uses the service gate". Gate staff see the notes when they process the vendor.
4. Optional: select the camera button on the picture to add a photo of the vendor. Gate staff see the photo when they record an entry. If you do not see the camera button, your role does not include photos.
5. Select Next. Next is available after you type a name.
Access
Under Access period:
- For a vendor with no end date, select This is a permanent vendor. See *Making a Guest or Vendor Permanent*.
- Otherwise, set the Start Date and the End Date. Both are today until you change them. Set dates that cover the whole service period, for example six months of weekly service.
To limit the days or the hours of entry, select Advanced schedule (optional). Choose the days, and select Only during certain hours to set From and To. For example, a pool service can enter on Tuesday and Friday from 08:00 to 12:00. At a time outside the schedule, gate staff cannot record an entry for the vendor. See *Setting a Guest's Entry Schedule*.
If your community uses QR codes or kiosk PIN codes, the step also has Access controls:
- Enable QR Code Access creates a QR code that the vendor shows at the gate. Choose One-time use, Limited uses (set Max Uses) or Unlimited (within date range). For a permanent vendor, the last option reads Unlimited. See *Issuing a QR Code When Creating a Guest*.
- Enable kiosk pin access makes a PIN for the entry kiosk. MyWatchtower creates the PIN for you. Select Regenerate for a new PIN, or Set Custom PIN to type your own.
If you do not see these options, your community does not use them, or your role does not include them. Contact the management office of your community.
Submit
Select Submit. MyWatchtower shows a message, for example Vendor Bayline Pool Service created successfully. The Vendors view of your property then opens.
Give entry details to your vendor
MyWatchtower does not send the vendor a message. Give the vendor the details yourself:
- To send a QR code, open your property, select the Credentials tab, then select QR. Select the code, then select Share or Download. See *Sharing and Downloading a QR Code*.
- To find the kiosk PIN, open the vendor. The Kiosk PIN section shows the PIN.
- Tell the vendor the name of your community and your address.
Change a vendor
1. In the Vendors view, select the row of the vendor. The Edit Vendor dialog opens. On a phone, it fills the screen.
2. Change the fields that you need:
- Name and Notes.
- Associate Vehicle (Optional): a vehicle of your property.
- Permanent Vendor: select it for access with no dates. Clear it to set dates.
- Entry Start Date and Entry End Date. The end date cannot be in the past.
- Entry schedule: the days of entry. Select Only during certain hours to limit the hours. Keep at least one day selected.
- Kiosk PIN: select Enable kiosk pin access to add a PIN, or clear it to remove the PIN.
3. Select Save. The button is available only after you change a field. MyWatchtower shows Vendor updated successfully.
To give the vendor a QR code, select Generate QR Code in the QR pass section. The QR code wizard opens with the vendor selected. See *How to Create a QR Code for Your Guest*.
To add, replace or remove the photo, select the button on the picture at the top of the dialog. A photo change saves at once.
Restrict a vendor
A restricted vendor is on the deny list of your property. The row shows a red Denied status, and gate staff cannot approve an entry for the vendor.
1. Select the row of the vendor.
2. Select Restricted Vendor.
3. Select Save.
The vendor moves to the Restricted view and loses its entry dates. If the vendor has a kiosk PIN or a QR code, remove them before you restrict the vendor. For the details, and to remove a restriction, see *Edit or Remove a Guest*. To restrict a vendor that is not on your list, see *How to Restrict a Visitor in MyWatchtower*.
Delete a vendor
1. In the Vendors view, find the row of the vendor.
2. Select the trash button at the end of the row.
3. In the Delete Vendor dialog, select Delete. To keep the vendor, select Cancel.
MyWatchtower shows a message, for example Vendor Harborview Realty deleted successfully. The vendor can no longer enter for your property, and its kiosk PIN and QR codes stop working. The entry history stays. You cannot undo a delete. To give the vendor access again, add it again.
Who can do it
By default, the Owner, Manager and Resident property roles can add, change, restrict and delete the vendors of their property. Your community can change these permissions. If you do not see a button, your role does not include it. Ask the Owner of your property or your community office.
For community staff
Staff find every vendor of the community in Community > Visitors. Under Show, select Vendors.
- Select Create vendor to start the wizard. Search for the property, or select Global Vendor for a vendor that can enter for each property, such as a pool service of the community.
- Select a vendor to open its page. The page shows the access window, the schedule, the credentials and the entry history. Select Edit to open the Edit Vendor dialog.
- In the Visitors tab of a property, a row also opens the page of the vendor.
By default, the Admin, Supervisor and Gate Attendant roles can see, add and change vendors. Only the Admin role can delete them.