# Vendor and counterparty controls

> Let trusted vendors clear quickly while new, changed, or risky recipients pause for review.

- Human URL: https://conto.finance/solutions/vendor-and-counterparty-controls
- Raw Markdown: https://conto.finance/solutions/vendor-and-counterparty-controls.md
- Terminal view: https://conto.finance/ai/solutions/vendor-and-counterparty-controls

## Proof Points

- **Best for:** Procurement, travel, merchant spend
- **Controls:** Allowlists, trust, merchant rules
- **Outcome:** Faster trusted payments, less drift

## Workflow

### 1. The agent selects a recipient

A workflow chooses the vendor, merchant, or provider that should receive funds for the task at hand.

### 2. Conto checks the recipient against policy

Conto checks the recipient against your approved vendors and trust rules before the payment can settle.

### 3. Trusted counterparties move first

Known recipients clear quickly. New or low-trust counterparties trigger review or a hard block depending on the policy.

## Controls

### Approved-recipient policy

Keep autonomous payments inside a defined set of vendors or merchants without requiring manual review for every repeat transaction.

### Trust thresholds

Use counterparty reputation or network intelligence to decide when a recipient is safe enough to pay automatically.

### Merchant and category mapping

Tie approved recipients back to the kinds of purchases they should be able to receive.

### Drift detection

Catch when the agent reaches for a new recipient or switches to a different route than expected.

## Outcomes

- Trusted vendors and providers stay on a fast lane.
- Security and procurement see recipient drift at the moment it matters, before settlement.
- The counterparty decision is attached to every payment and audit event.

## Related Industries

- [property-management](https://conto.finance/industries/property-management)
- [supply-chain](https://conto.finance/industries/supply-chain)
- [commerce](https://conto.finance/industries/commerce)
- [travel-events](https://conto.finance/industries/travel-events)