What Are the Types of NetSuite Users?

There isn't just one type of NetSuite user. To create a platform that benefits both the company that purchased it as well as its customers and vendors, NetSuite is flexible with the types of users it allows.  

NetSuite has four different types of users: 

• Employee users 
• Vendor users 
• Partner users 
• Customer users 

Our cloud software experts break down each type of NetSuite user, how much a user license for each type costs, and how to provide access to them in NetSuite. 

The 4 Types of NetSuite Users 

Employee Users 

This is the most common type of NetSuite user. Employees at your company who need any level of NetSuite access require an employee user license. 

There are two different types of employee user licenses: 

• Full user license - This is best for any employee who needs to access NetSuite regularly. NetSuite includes pre-configured access settings called roles, which align with job titles, such as an accountant, administrator, and sales rep. (You can only assign roles to employees with a full user license). You can create custom roles if needed, too. This is also the only level of employee access that allows a user to view and export data. 
• Employee center license - If certain employees don't need full access to NetSuite, they can probably get away with an employee center license. This grants access to specific actions in NetSuite, such as tracking time, adjusting time sheets, or viewing specific reports. The plus side of these user licenses is that they cost much less than a full user license.  

Cost: The cost of a fully licensed user depends on your NetSuite setup. However, employee center licenses are only a fraction of the cost of a full user license, as their scope is much more limited. 

When you're figuring out the overall price of NetSuite for your company, all of your employee user roles will be factored in. 

How to add an employee user to NetSuite: Navigate to the Access subtab of the employee record. Then, check the "Give Access" box. To assign specific roles to the employee, you will use the Roles subtab of the Access subtab. 

Vendor Users

Vendors can be granted free access to NetSuite to view data relevant to them. This makes the communications process much smoother, plus it allows vendors to have some autonomy. 

They'll be able to see records such as:

• Bills 
• Bill payments 
• Their company information 
• Purchase orders  

Similar to how you assign roles to employees, you can also assign roles to vendors. You will have full control over what they have access to, as you can assign one or more roles. 

One of the most popular roles is the Vendor Center role, which allows Vendors to view purchase orders and order and payment history as needed. This way, your staff won't have to field questions about what their last order was, how much they paid, etc. 

Cost: Free 

How to add a vendor user to NetSuite: First, make sure you've enabled Vendor Access from the Web Presence subtab. Here's how: Setup > Company > Setup Tasks > Enable Features. 

Then, navigate to the Vendor record for the vendor you want to provide access to. From the Access subtab, check the "Give Access" box. Assign specific roles using the Roles subtab of the Access subtab.  

Partner Users

If you work with any third-party NetSuite solution provider, you can grant them access to NetSuite as a partner user. 

Partner users may be needed if you're working with third-party NetSuite providers, including:

• Using a third-party solution provider for your NetSuite implementation process
• Hiring a third party for NetSuite custom development work
• Letting a third-party company install NetSuite integrations or add-ons 

To be granted partner access, the company you're working with can't just be any random agency —  it has to be an authorized NetSuite partner, either as a Solution Provider, Alliance Partner, Commerce Agency Partner, or SuiteCloud Development Network Partner. 

Cost: Standard partners can be added to NetSuite for free. There is also an option to add an advanced partner user, which gives them access to more record types but comes with a small cost. 

How to add a partner user to Netsuite: A Netsuite administrator needs to enable the Partner Access feature by going to Setup > Company > Enable Features. 

Then, to grant individual partner access, go to the Web Presence subtab > Access > check the "Partner Access" box. 

Customer Users 

Customers can be added as NetSuite users but, unlike every other type of user, can only be assigned one role. This is typically the Customer Center role, which allows customers to view and edit certain types of records, including billing methods and personal information, and even make payments. 

Customer users are also able to view:

• Sales orders
• Estimates from sales 
• Payments
• Support cases 

Cost: Free

How to add a partner user to NetSuite: First, make sure you've enabled the Customer Access option on the Web Presence subtab. Here's how: Setup > Company > Setup Tasks > Enable Features. 

Then, navigate to the Customer record of the customer you want to add to NetSuite and check the "Give Access" box on the Access subtab. 

Do You Need Additional NetSuite User Licenses? 

We have a team of NetSuite-certified experts ready to help with all of your NetSuite needs. Whether you need help adding additional user licenses to NetSuite or are looking for a NetSuite-approved team to help with your implementation, we've got you covered. 

Contact us today for a FREE consultation and demo. We can answer any questions you might have!