A Rose by Any 'Other Name'

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The Other Names list found in QuickBooks Desktop has been around a long, long time. It provides a place to capture the information of persons or companies that are neither customers, vendors nor employees. 

I think originally when QuickBooks was first released it was a place where we could keep the names of potential customers or potential suppliers. Of course, a half-dozen or so years back, QuickBooks added the Lead Center to track potential customers (a mini-CRM).

Some QuickBooks customers enter names of persons they need to write a check to (where no vendor bill is warranted). Perhaps you're writing a donation to the local Scout Troop or the neighborhood Elementary School. In such cases, Other Names is just perfect.

Sole proprietors will typically list themselves in Other Names so they can write themselves a "Draw" upon their business. Many users will list their "Bank" as an Other Name for purposes of recording bank charges. If you don't want to clutter up your Vendor list with all the various places you purchase using your credit card, Other Names is your answer.

Unfortunately, Other Names is just a list inside QuickBooks. It doesn't afford users with the same layout or features associated with list centers such as the Customer or Vendor Center.  You can't see all the transactions for your Other Names without running a QuickReport on one of the entities listed in the Other Names list.

Other Names also carries with it several restrictions:

  1. You can't use Other Names anyplace that requires either a customer or a Vendor.
  2. You can't have an Other Name listed (identically) as a Customer, Vendor or Employee, because QuickBooks has a "master names" list (the entity listing) that prevents names from being shared across name types.
  3. Other Names are not tracked for 1099s or W2 purposes – just to name three restrictions.

One advantage Other Names has over the other three name types (Customers, Vendors and Employees) is that Other Names can have the type changed, but only once. In other words, you can change an Other Name to a Customer, or change an Other Name to a Vendor, or change an Other Name to an Employee.

Just be aware, as I said, you can't change them again after the initial change is made, nor can you return a changed name back to the Other Name list.

To Change an Other Name to a different Name Type:

1. Open the Other Names list from the Lists Menu

2. Double-click on the Other Name you wish to change

3) Click the Change Type... (highlighted in the red box of the above illustration)

4. When the Select Name Type pop-up window appears, click the radial-button of the name type you wish to convert the Other Name to (Vendor, Customer or Employee)

5. Click the blue OK button – QuickBooks will pop-up the Change Type? confirmation window

6. Click OK to change name type – remember this process can not be undone

QuickBooks Desktop Other Names have a place and a purpose, so use them wisely and change them when needed.

Personally, I have always liked the Other Name list, even though I know some other ProAdvisors frown on it. I can think of a number of instances where this little convenience has been of great benefit.