The quick answer
This example uses an installed custom workflow for the vendor Entity Bank Details child record. Save the new record and check Bank Details Status Pending Approval and Inactive Yes. The assigned approver opens that child record and chooses Approve Vendor Bank Details. Return to the vendor's Bank Payment Details subtab and check Approved, Last Approved Date, Last Approved By and Inactive No. The status and routing fields, notification and approval actions are supplied by this customization. Their availability and the resulting states vary by account.
Person and operating-company names are fictional. The bank details are example data; use your own verified records and values.
Before you start
This example starts with an EFT vendor, Ridgeway Components, an installed bank-details approval policy and Alex Morgan configured as the approver. Jamie Reed submits the new record. The example form uses ABA and subsidiary Example Supply AU. Before starting, confirm that the customization, assigned ABA custom form, required fields and configured approver are available to the users involved. Payment formats, subsidiary requirements, routing and permissions vary by account.
The A/P Clerk role shown here has access to this configured approval path. That does not mean every A/P Clerk role can approve bank details. Check the assigned employee and your account's permissions before acting.
01. Submit the new bank details
Open Ridgeway Components, select Bank Payment Details and confirm EFT Bill Payment is checked. Choose New Bank Details. On the installed ABA form, enter Regional Operating Bank, select payment file format ABA and Type Primary, then complete Bank Number 718, Branch Number 264 and Bank Account Number 62004871.
Enter Ridgeway Trading as Bank Account Name and Supplier payouts as Bank Account Payment Description. Select the existing Example Supply AU subsidiary and check Parent Vendor. Save the new record. Let the workflow assign its approval state.
02. Check the pending state
Back on Bank Payment Details, find Regional Operating Bank. Its Bank Details Status is Pending Approval. Scroll across the bank-details grid to check Last Edited By Jamie Reed, Current Approver Alex Morgan and Inactive Yes.
The vendor exists, and the child bank record exists, but this workflow has left that new bank record inactive while approval is pending.
03. Open the recorded notification
Use the assigned approver’s authorized session or role context. Your account may require a separate login. In this example, Alex Morgan uses A/P Clerk. Open Alex Morgan's employee record from Recent Records, select Communication and open the recorded message about the submitted vendor bank details.
The Email Message has the subject Vendor bank details submitted for review. Read the request and follow View Record. This is the review path demonstrated here. Other configurations may provide another way to open the pending record. A recorded message does not prove delivery to an external mailbox.
04. Approve the bank details
Identify the same Entity Bank Details child record by its name, parent vendor, subsidiary, Type Primary and payment file format ABA. Check its inactive flag. Confirm Pending Approval and Current Approver Alex Morgan on the same record. Then choose Approve Vendor Bank Details.
Reject and Inactivate Vendor Bank Details is also visible. This example uses approval; its rejection and rollback behavior are not demonstrated.
05. Verify the approved state
In this example, Back returns to the vendor. Open Bank Payment Details and identify the same Regional Operating Bank row using its vendor, type, format and subsidiary. Bank Details Status now reads Approved. Last Approved Date displays 10/16/2026 in this example, and Last Approved By is Alex Morgan.
Scroll across the row and confirm Inactive No. The displayed Last Edited By value remains Jamie Reed in this run. Together with Last Approved By, it distinguishes the recorded submitter from the approver in this example.
These checks confirm the child record's displayed approval state. They do not approve a vendor bill or payment batch, validate bank ownership, generate a payment file or establish that money was sent.
Common questions
Does every NetSuite account use this bank-details approval workflow?
No. The status fields, routing, notification and approval actions in this example come from an installed customization. Your account may use a different process or have no equivalent approval workflow.
Why is the new bank-details record inactive?
In the demonstrated configuration, saving the new child record resulted in Pending Approval and Inactive Yes. Approval then resulted in Approved and Inactive No. Verify your installed customization before expecting those transitions in another account.
Does approving bank details also approve a payment?
No. Approval here applies to one vendor bank-details child record. Bill approval, payment-batch approval, payment eligibility and file processing have separate requirements.
Does the Email Message prove the notification was delivered?
No. The recorded message and View Record link show the in-application review path. External delivery needs separate evidence.
What should I check if the approval button is missing?
Confirm that the expected customization and custom form are available, that this is the correct Entity Bank Details child record in the appropriate pending state, and that you are the assigned approver with the required permissions. Ask the account administrator to check the configured routing and role access.