--- title: Understanding the Vendor Application Workflow description: "VendorHearth Pro manages vendor applications from initial submission through review, approval, payment, waitlisting, cancellation, and other administrative actions. Understanding the application workflow makes it easier to know where each vendor currently stands. ## The Basic Application Process A typical VendorHearth…" url: "https://vendorhearth.com/docs/understanding-the-vendor-application-workflow/" updated: "2026-09-22" category: "Applications & Waitlists — application review, approval/decline, Request More Information, transfers, waitlists" --- # Understanding the Vendor Application Workflow VendorHearth Pro manages vendor applications from initial submission through review, approval, payment, waitlisting, cancellation, and other administrative actions. Understanding the application workflow makes it easier to know where each vendor currently stands. ## The Basic Application Process A typical VendorHearth application moves through several stages: **Vendor Applies → Organizer Reviews → Application Approved → Payment Completed → Vendor Confirmed** Not every application follows this exact path. VendorHearth also provides tools for requesting additional information, declining an application, placing a vendor on a waitlist, transferring an application, or cancelling it. ## Application Submission Vendors submit applications for events that are currently accepting applications. Their submission creates an application record associated with both the vendor and the event. The application contains the information needed to review that vendor's request to participate. ## Pending Review A newly submitted application can enter the organizer's review workflow. At this stage, the organizer can review information such as the vendor's business details, category, requested booth option, and application responses. The organizer can then determine the appropriate next action. ## Approving an Application When an application is approved, VendorHearth can move the vendor into the next stage of the event workflow. If payment is still required, the application can enter an **Awaiting Payment** status. Approval itself should not be confused with completed payment. ## Awaiting Payment An approved vendor who still owes their booth fee may appear as awaiting payment. VendorHearth can use this status as part of its payment and reminder workflows. Once payment is successfully completed or appropriately recorded, the application can move into its confirmed state. ## Confirmed Vendors A confirmed vendor has completed the necessary application and payment steps for their event participation. Confirmed applications become important throughout other areas of VendorHearth, including: - Vendor management - Booth assignments - Agreements and documents - Paid Add-Ons - Vendor Spotlights - Event operations - Check-in - Reporting ## Request More Information An application does not always need to be immediately approved or declined. VendorHearth includes a **Request More Information** action. This allows an organizer to send a message to the vendor requesting clarification or additional information. The request is recorded in VendorHearth's communication/activity history while the application's existing review status is retained. This gives the organizer a way to continue reviewing the application without prematurely approving or declining it. ## Waitlisting an Application If a vendor cannot currently be accepted, the application can be placed on the waitlist when appropriate. Waitlisted applications remain available for later review. If capacity becomes available, VendorHearth provides tools for promoting vendors from the waitlist. We'll cover the complete waitlist workflow later in this category. ## Declining an Application If an application will not be accepted, the organizer can decline it. Declining creates a clear application status rather than simply deleting the submission. This helps preserve an accurate record of what happened to the application. ## Cancelling an Application VendorHearth also supports cancelled applications. Cancellation is different from declining an application during the initial review process. For example, an application may need to be cancelled after the vendor was previously approved or participating in the event workflow. ## Transferring an Application VendorHearth includes the ability to move a vendor application from one event to another when appropriate. This can be useful when an application needs to be associated with a different event without forcing the organizer to manually recreate all of the vendor information. Application transfers are covered separately later in this category. ## Application History Matters Whenever possible, use VendorHearth's application statuses and management actions instead of deleting records simply because a vendor is no longer participating. Application history can provide useful context later when reviewing: - Vendor participation - Payments - Communications - Agreements - Event history - Administrative actions ## Application Status Is Not Payment Status One important distinction throughout VendorHearth is that application status and payment information are related but not identical. An application can be approved while payment is still outstanding. Likewise, historical or manually imported applications may have payment information recorded separately. Keeping these concepts separate helps VendorHearth maintain more accurate records. ## Next Step Continue to **Reviewing Vendor Applications** to learn how organizers can evaluate submitted applications and choose the appropriate next action.