Vendor Verification

Muin’s Vendor Verification agent checks each vendor’s record and screens it against SAM.gov and the OFAC sanctions list. It covers business registration details, tax ID format, insurance and sanctions, so the routine due diligence is the same for every vendor.

Why Verify Vendors?

Manual vendor verification is:

Time-consuming - Hours of research per vendor
Error-prone - Easy to miss outdated information
Inconsistent - Different people check different things
Hard to track - No central record of what was verified

Automated verification ensures:

Consistent checks - Same process for every vendor
Up-to-date data - Direct source verification
Complete records - Full audit trail
Continuous monitoring - Re-verify on schedule

Verification Checks

Business Registration

Checks that the vendor’s record in Muin is complete. It does not search a state business registry.

Check	What’s Verified
Legal name	A legal business name is on file
Tax ID	A tax identification number is on file
Address	Street, city, state and postal code are all filled in
State code	The state is a valid US state code
Payment terms	Payment terms are set on the vendor profile

The check passes when most of these hold and both the legal name and tax ID are on file. With some missing it passes with a warning (incomplete); with too much missing it fails (insufficient).

SAM.gov Status

For vendors doing government work:

Check	What’s Verified
SAM registration	The vendor is found in SAM.gov, by UEI, CAGE code, DUNS or legal name
Exclusions	No active SAM.gov exclusion
Registration details	Registration status, expiry date, UEI and CAGE code, as SAM.gov returns them

A vendor not found in SAM.gov passes with a note, since registration is only required for federal contractors. When SAM.gov cannot be reached, the check uses the SAM.gov status and exclusion data already stored on the vendor, and says so. With neither, the check is marked unavailable.

Tax Identification (TIN)

Checks the tax ID on file:

Check	What’s Verified
TIN present	A tax identification number is on file
TIN format	A valid EIN, SSN or ITIN format

This is a format check. Muin does not match the name and number against IRS records.

Insurance Coverage

Reads the insurance details on the vendor profile:

Check	What’s Verified
Insurance verified	The vendor’s insurance is marked verified
Expiration date	An expiry date is on file and has not passed; within 30 days is flagged
Coverage details	Coverage details are on file

OFAC Screening

Checks the vendor’s name against the US sanctions list:

Check	What’s Verified
SDN list	The vendor’s name has no match on the US Treasury’s Specially Designated Nationals list

When the list cannot be reached, the check is recorded as unavailable and counts as not passed. It is never shown as clear.

Running Verification

From Vendor Detail Page

Navigate to Vendors → Directory
Click on a vendor to open their profile
Find the Verification Summary card in the sidebar
Click Start Verification
Select which checks to run (or keep all selected)
Click Start Verification

What Happens During Verification

Start → Queue → Execute → Analyze → Report
  │       │        │         │         │
Submit  Added   Run each   Review   Update
 checks  to     check      results  status
        queue

Checks queued - Selected checks added to processing queue
Execute - Each check reads the vendor’s record or its source (SAM.gov, the OFAC list)
Analyze - Results compared to requirements
Report - Summary generated with pass/fail status

Verification Progress

While verification runs:

Status shows “In Progress”
Individual check statuses update as they complete
You can navigate away—verification continues in background
Notification when complete

Understanding Results

Verification Status

Status	Meaning	Action
✅ Verified	All checks passed	No action needed
⚠️ Partial	Some checks passed, some failed	Review failed checks
❌ Failed	Critical checks failed	Investigate before using vendor
⏳ Pending	Verification in progress	Wait for completion
❓ Unknown	Never verified	Run verification

Individual Check Results

Each check shows:

Pass/Fail status
Details of what was found
Source where data came from
Timestamp when checked
Confidence level of result

Verification Summary Card

The summary card on vendor profiles shows:

Overall verification status
Last verification date
Quick summary of each check type
Button to start new verification
Link to full verification history

Verification History

Viewing History

From vendor profile, click View Details in Verification Summary
Or navigate to vendor → Verification tab

History Shows

All past verification runs
Date and time of each run
Who initiated the verification
Results of each check
Any changes from previous runs

Comparing Results

Track changes over time:

See when status changed
Identify what failed that previously passed
Monitor for compliance gaps

Configuring Verification

Default Check Selection

Set which checks run by default:

Navigate to Settings → Vendors → Verification
Enable/disable check types
Set required vs. optional checks
Save configuration

Verification Requirements

Define what vendors must pass:

Setting	Description
Required checks	Checks that must pass for “Verified” status
Optional checks	Run but don’t affect overall status
Blocking checks	Failures prevent vendor activation

Automatic Re-verification

Schedule periodic re-checks:

Frequency - Monthly, quarterly, annually
Trigger events - Re-verify when documents expire
Notifications - Alert when status changes

Verification Workflows

New Vendor Onboarding

Integrate verification into onboarding:

Vendor submits information
Automatic verification triggered
Results reviewed by procurement
Vendor approved or flagged for follow-up

Periodic Re-verification

Keep vendor data current:

Schedule runs automatically (e.g., quarterly)
Only vendors due for re-verification are checked
Changed statuses flagged for review
Compliance dashboard updated

Document Expiration Triggers

Re-verify when documents expire:

Insurance certificate expires
Verification automatically runs insurance check
If failed, vendor status updated
Notification sent to appropriate team

Best Practices

Before Verification

Ensure data quality - Verify vendor name and TIN are correct
Have documents ready - Insurance certs, W-9 on file
Set expectations - Some checks take longer than others

Interpreting Results

Investigate failures - Don’t auto-reject, understand why
Consider context - New business may lack history
Document decisions - Record why you accepted/rejected

Ongoing Management

Schedule re-verification - Don’t rely on one-time checks
Monitor expirations - Insurance and licenses expire
Review periodically - Adjust thresholds based on experience

Troubleshooting

Verification Taking Too Long

Some checks take longer:

SAM.gov can be slow during peak times
Try running fewer checks at once

Check Failed Unexpectedly

Common causes:

Name mismatch - Legal name differs from display name
TIN error - Typo in tax ID
Stale data - Information changed since last check

Cannot Find Vendor

If the business registration check fails:

Fill in the legal name and tax ID on the vendor’s record
Complete the street, city, state and postal code
Use a two-letter US state code

API Access

Programmatic Verification

For integrations, use the verification API:

POST /api/v1/vendors/{vendor_id}/verifications
{
  "check_types": ["business_registration", "tin_verification"]
}

Webhook Notifications

Receive notifications when verification completes:

{
  "event": "vendor.verification.completed",
  "vendor_id": "...",
  "status": "verified",
  "checks": [...]
}

Next Steps

Now that you understand vendor verification:

Vendor Directory - Managing your vendor list
Compliance Tracking - Document requirements
Risk Scoring - Understanding vendor risk