I appreciate you for chiming into this thread, @tlm84. I'd be delighted to share some information about properly recording vendor transactions in QuickBooks Online (QBO).

We're unable to suggest what specific transactions you should record into your clients' books as long as you have correctly tracked their vendor transactions on time. However, to keep track of Vendor balances, entering bills is essential for knowing how much you owe vendors. You'll want to refer to this article for details on what transaction type you can record, depending on how it will be used: Learn the difference between bills, checks, and expenses in QuickBooks Online.

You're correct that expenses and check transactions will not appear in the Vendor Balance Detail report. This is because the report only reflects payments coded to expense accounts and not true vendor totals.

To get your vendor totals for all of the money-out transactions, I suggest running the Transaction List by Vendor report instead. You'll only have to select the correct Report period to show what transactions have been created associated with your vendors. You can switch to the classic view if necessary.

Furthermore, you can also run the Transaction List by Date report to reflect all payments to your vendors. Here's how:

1. Go to the Reports menu and look for the Transaction List by Date report.
2. Choose the Report period appropriately.
3. For Group By, select Vendor.
4. Tap Customize.
5. Filter by the Transaction Types. If you want to report on a particular vendor or group, select the Name ▼ dropdown menu, then select the appropriate vendor(s).
6. Click Run Report.
   
   
7. Pick Save customization, then hit Save.

Additionally, you can check out this article for additional guidance on handling your business expenses: Enter and manage bills and bill payments in QuickBooks Online. Simply navigate to the Record payments towards bills section for relevant steps in paying your bills in QBO.

Please know that you're always welcome to post a reply in this thread if you have any other questions about managing your vendor transactions. I'll be here ready to assist you. Have a great day ahead!