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How to find duplicate customers and suppliers in Billing

Use Duplicate check on the Parties page to find the same customer or supplier recorded twice, then fix it in Smart Books.

Level: beginner · Updated 31 Oct 2026

Before you start

Why duplicate parties are a problem

When the same customer or supplier is recorded twice, their bills and payments are split between two accounts. Neither account shows the true amount they owe you, or you owe them. The Duplicate check in Billing helps you find these pairs.

How a match is decided

Billing only points out matches that you can verify yourself. Two or more parties are shown together when they share the same GSTIN, the same phone number, the same email address, or the same name once capital letters, punctuation and endings such as "Pvt Ltd" are set aside. There is no score. You decide whether two parties really are the same.

Find the duplicates

  1. Open Parties. Select Parties in the menu.
  2. Look for the banner. If Billing sees possible duplicates, a banner titled Keep your party data clean says how many sets look like the same party recorded twice. Select Review. If you do not want to see it now, select the cross to hide it.
  3. Or use Duplicate check. This button is beside the Ledger mapping button. A number on it shows how many sets were found. If nothing looks duplicated, the button is greyed out and its hint reads "Nothing looks like a duplicate".
  4. Read each set. A panel opens on the right. Each set begins with the reason, such as a shared GSTIN, and how many parties match. Under it, every party shows its name, number, GSTIN, state and the amount outstanding.
  5. Look closer if you need to. Select Statement beside a party to see its transactions. This link appears only if your profile can view statements.

Fix the duplicate

You cannot merge parties in Billing. Merging two accounts moves every bill and payment recorded against one of them, so that is done in Aicountly Smart Books. Select Fix these in Smart Books at the bottom of the panel. Smart Books opens in a new tab, and you can correct or merge the accounts there. Come back to Billing afterwards and open Duplicate check again to see whether the set has gone.

If nothing shows

When no two parties share a GSTIN, a phone number, an email address or a name, the panel says so. That is good news: your party list is clean.

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Steps

  1. Select Parties in the menu. You see your customers and suppliers.
  2. If some parties look duplicated, a banner says Keep your party data clean, with how many sets look like the same party recorded twice. Select Review.
  3. You can also select Duplicate check in the row of buttons above the list. It shows the number of sets. If there are none, the button is greyed out.
  4. Each set starts with the reason it matched and says how many parties match. Every party shows its name, number, GSTIN, state and amount outstanding.
  5. Select Statement beside a party to look at its transactions, if your profile allows it.
  6. Select Fix these in Smart Books at the bottom. Smart Books opens in a new tab, where you correct or merge the accounts.

Troubleshooting

Still stuck? Contact support or ask in the community.