> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.mathership.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Customer Bans
> Block customers from ordering from your vendor account
# Customer Bans
Customer bans let vendors block specific customers from ordering or connecting through Mathership.
Use customer bans when a customer should no longer be allowed to follow your vendor company, access your products, or place orders with you.
## What is a customer ban?
A customer ban is a block between your vendor company and a customer company.
When a customer is banned:
* The customer cannot follow your vendor through the vendor catalog
* The customer can be hidden from active customer lists
* The customer cannot place new orders with your vendor company
* Your products can be excluded from that customer’s available product list
A ban does not delete the customer, the relationship, or historical orders.
Customer bans are used to control future access. They do not remove past order history.
## When to ban a customer
Use a customer ban when:
* You no longer want to accept orders from a customer
* The customer should not be able to follow your vendor company
* The customer relationship is no longer valid
* There is a payment, contractual, or operational issue
* The customer should be temporarily blocked from ordering
Examples:
| Situation | Action |
| --------------------------------- | -------------------------- |
| Customer should not order anymore | Ban the customer |
| Customer relationship is paused | Ban temporarily |
| Customer was added by mistake | Ban or remove relationship |
| Customer should order again later | Unban the customer |
## What happens when you ban a customer?
When you ban a customer, Mathership creates a customer ban record for your vendor company.
After the ban:
* The customer is blocked from ordering from you
* The customer may no longer see your vendor in the public catalog
* The customer cannot follow your vendor again while banned
* Your products are excluded from that customer’s available vendor products
* Existing order history remains available
Banning a customer does not delete old orders. Previous orders remain available for documentation and reporting.
## Banning a customer
To ban a customer:
1. Go to **Customers**
2. Open the customer you want to block
3. Click **Ban Customer**
4. Optionally enter a reason
5. Confirm the ban
The customer is then blocked from active ordering.
## Ban reason
You can optionally save a reason for the ban.
Examples:
| Reason | Example |
| ----------------- | ------------------------ |
| Payment issue | Open invoices |
| Operational issue | Delivery not possible |
| Contract issue | Contract ended |
| Test account | Created for testing only |
The reason is mainly for internal reference. Keep it short and factual.
## Already banned customers
If a customer is already banned, Mathership does not create a duplicate ban.
The system can return that the customer is already banned.
If a previous ban was removed, banning the customer again can reactivate the existing ban record.
## Unbanning a customer
You can remove a customer ban when the customer should be allowed to order again.
To unban a customer:
1. Go to **Customers**
2. Open the banned customer
3. Click **Unban Customer**
4. Confirm the action
After unbanning:
* The ban is removed from active use
* The customer can be allowed to order again
* The customer may be able to follow your vendor again
* The relationship can continue if it still exists
## What happens when you unban a customer?
Unbanning removes the active block.
This means:
* The customer is no longer blocked by the ban
* The customer can appear in customer management again
* The customer may be able to access your products again
* The customer may be able to place orders again, depending on the relationship and product availability
Unbanning does not automatically create a new relationship if none exists. It only removes the ban.
## Ban vs. inactive relationship
A customer ban is different from an inactive relationship.
| Action | Meaning |
| --------------------- | ---------------------------------------------- |
| Ban customer | Blocks the customer from ordering or following |
| Unban customer | Removes the block |
| Inactive relationship | Customer relationship exists but is not active |
| Delete customer data | Not the same as banning |
Use a ban when you specifically want to prevent access.
Use an inactive relationship when the customer should simply not be part of the active customer list.
## Customer visibility
Banned customers can be excluded from customer lists.
Depending on your view, you may have an option to include banned customers.
This is useful when you want to:
* Review blocked customers
* Check why a customer was banned
* Unban a customer
* Audit customer access
## Effect on the vendor catalog
If your vendor company is public, customers can normally find you in the vendor catalog.
A banned customer may not see your vendor in the catalog.
If they try to follow your vendor while banned, Mathership prevents the connection.
## Effect on orders
Banned customers cannot place new orders with your vendor company.
Existing orders are not deleted.
This means:
* Old orders remain in order history
* Reports can still include historical data
* The customer cannot create new orders while banned
* Unbanning can allow future ordering again
## Example: Ban a customer
You no longer want to accept orders from a customer because the business relationship has ended.
| Field | Example |
| -------- | ---------------------------- |
| Customer | Main Restaurant |
| Action | Ban customer |
| Reason | Contract ended |
| Result | Customer can no longer order |
## Example: Temporary block
A customer should be blocked until an open issue is resolved.
| Field | Example |
| ------------ | ------------------------------- |
| Customer | City Bistro |
| Action | Ban customer |
| Reason | Open invoice |
| Later action | Unban customer after resolution |
## Example: Unban a customer
A previous issue has been resolved and the customer should be allowed to order again.
| Step | Action |
| ---- | ---------------------------- |
| 1 | Open customer details |
| 2 | Check ban status |
| 3 | Click **Unban Customer** |
| 4 | Customer can be active again |
## Best practices
### Use bans carefully
Only ban customers when you really want to block access.
For normal cleanup, use customer management or relationship settings instead.
### Add a clear reason
A short reason helps your team understand why the customer was blocked.
Good examples:
* Contract ended
* Payment issue
* Duplicate customer
* Delivery area not supported
### Review banned customers regularly
Check banned customers from time to time.
Some bans may only be temporary and can be removed later.
### Keep historical orders
Do not use bans to remove order history.
Order history should remain available for reporting, documentation, and customer service.
## Common problems
### Customer cannot follow my vendor
Check whether the customer is banned.
A banned customer cannot follow your vendor through the catalog.
### Customer cannot place an order
Possible reasons:
* The customer is banned
* The customer relationship is inactive
* Products are unavailable
* The customer is using the wrong company account
### Customer still appears in history
This is expected.
Banning a customer does not remove historical orders or past relationships.
### I cannot ban a customer
Check that:
* You are logged in as a vendor
* You are using the correct vendor company
* The customer exists
* You have permission to manage customer access
### I cannot unban a customer
Check that:
* The customer is currently banned
* You are using the correct vendor company
* The ban record exists
* You have permission to manage customer access
## Related pages
View customer information, delivery locations, and relationship details.
Manage customer numbers used for vendor/customer relationships.
Add a new customer or connect an existing customer to your vendor account.
Connect your vendor account to an existing customer company.
Review, resend, or cancel customer invitations.
View orders received from connected customers.