Finding a Sample COI for a Vendor
One of the most common tasks is locating the sample COI that has been set up for a specific project. A sample COI shows your vendors exactly what a compliant certificate should look like, including the correct certificate holder name, required limits, and endorsement language.
How to find a sample COI:
Navigate to the project from your dashboard by clicking on the project name.
In the project view, look for the Documents or Requirements section.
Click on Sample COI to view or download the template that was configured for this project.
You can share this sample directly with your vendor or their insurance broker so they know exactly what is required.
Pro Tip When a vendor or broker asks why their COI was rejected, sending them the sample COI is often the fastest way to resolve the issue. It eliminates ambiguity about what you need. |
Adding Notes to Individual Projects
Billy allows you to add internal notes to projects to help your team track context that does not fit into the standard compliance workflow. This is useful for noting exceptions, special arrangements, or follow-up reminders.
How to add a note:
Open the project from your dashboard.
Look for the Notes or Comments section within the project details.
Type your note and click Save. Notes are visible to all admin users on your team but are not visible to vendors.
If you do not see a notes feature on your project, reach out to the Billy support team via chat. Notes functionality may vary depending on your account configuration.
Seeing Who Uploaded a COI
It can be helpful to know whether a vendor uploaded their own certificate or whether it was submitted by someone on your team. Billy tracks this information in the document history.
How to check:
Navigate to the vendor within the project.
Click on the document you want to inspect.
The document details panel will show the upload date and the email address of the person who submitted the file.
This is especially useful when debugging compliance issues. If a document was uploaded by the vendor, you can ask them to resubmit. If it was uploaded by your team, you may need to check whether the correct file was used.
Replacing a Document on the Dashboard
When a vendor’s insurance is renewed or a corrected document needs to be uploaded, you may need to replace an existing file on the dashboard.
How to replace a document:
Go to the vendor’s compliance page within the relevant project.
Locate the document you want to replace.
Click the upload or replace button next to that requirement.
Select the new file and submit. The old document will be archived and the new one will go through the review process.
If you have a corrected document that has already been manually reviewed and approved outside of Billy (for example, via email with the vendor), you can upload it and request the Billy team mark it as approved through the chat widget.
Understanding Overrides
Overrides allow you to manually mark a vendor as compliant for a specific requirement, even if their uploaded documents do not pass Billy’s automated review. This is useful when you have reviewed the documents yourself and determined they are acceptable.
When to use overrides:
Coverage limits: A vendor’s umbrella policy bridges the gap to meet the required limit, but Billy’s automated review only checks the primary certificate.
Endorsement language: The vendor’s blanket endorsement uses non-standard language that is acceptable to your legal or risk team but is not recognized by Billy’s automated checks.
Workers’ Comp exemptions: The vendor is a sole proprietor in a state that does not require WC, and you have verified their exemption.
Temporary compliance: A vendor’s renewal is in process and you want to keep the project moving while waiting for updated documents.
How overrides work:
Overrides are applied on a per-project, per-vendor, per-requirement basis. If you override a requirement for Vendor A on Project X, it does not carry over to Project Y. If you need the same override on multiple projects, you will need to apply it to each one individually.
Blanket Overrides If you frequently need the same override for a vendor across multiple projects, talk to the Billy support team about whether a blanket override can be configured for that vendor at the account level. This can save significant time for vendors who appear on many of your projects. |
To request an override, use the chat widget and specify the vendor name, project name, and which requirement you want overridden. Include a brief reason so your team has an audit trail.
Requesting an Expedited Review
Billy’s standard review turnaround is one business day. However, there are times when you need a faster response, such as when funding is tied to a vendor’s compliance status or a project deadline is approaching.
How to request an expedited review:
Open the Billy chat widget from your dashboard.
Include the vendor name, project name, and the specific document you need reviewed.
Mention that the review is urgent and provide context about the deadline (for example, "funding release depends on this vendor being compliant by end of day").
The Billy team will prioritize your request and respond as quickly as possible. For the fastest results, make sure the vendor has already uploaded their documents before you request the expedited review.
Managing Inactive Vendors
When a vendor is no longer working on a project, it is good practice to deactivate them in Billy. This stops automated compliance reminders from being sent to the vendor and keeps your dashboard clean.
How to deactivate a vendor:
Navigate to the project and find the vendor you want to remove.
Click on the vendor’s profile or compliance page.
Look for a Deactivate or Remove option. This will stop all notifications for this vendor on this project.
Deactivating a vendor does not delete their records or past compliance history. If the vendor returns to the project later, they can be reactivated and their previous documents will still be available.
Reducing Notification Fatigue Vendors who receive repeated reminders for projects they are no longer involved in often reach out frustrated. Keeping your vendor list current is one of the simplest ways to improve the vendor experience and reduce inbound support requests. |
Understanding Review Timelines
Billy’s compliance review team processes documents on a rolling basis during business hours. Here is what to expect:
Submission Type | Expected Turnaround |
Standard document upload | Within 1 business day |
Expedited review request | Same day (when requested before 2 PM ET) |
Override request | Within 1 business day |
Re-review after correction | Within 1 business day |
If a review is taking longer than expected, check the chat widget for updates. During peak periods (such as the beginning of a month when many policies renew), turnaround times may be slightly longer.
Getting Help
The Billy support team is available through the chat widget on your dashboard. When reaching out, include as much context as possible to help the team resolve your issue quickly:
Vendor name and project name
Specific requirement that is affected (for example, "GL Additional Insured")
What you have already tried (for example, "vendor uploaded twice but still showing non-compliant")
Urgency level and any deadlines
For account-level questions such as adding new team members, changing insurance requirements, or configuring new projects, contact your Billy account representative or reach out through the chat widget.