(008) QuickBooks Online - Imperfections In the Integration with 1place.cloud

Summary

This KBA is intended to explain the scenarios where the Integration between QuickBooks Online (QBO) and 1place.cloud are not 100% perfect (due to restrictions in and/or lack of features in the QuickBooks Online API).  In other words, the following scenarios outline where our hands are tied, or where we cannot perfect the integration. 

QuickBooks Online (QBO) Integration Imperfections  

Receiving a Payment in QBO that includes SOME money received AND uses SOME credit

• EXAMPLE SCENARIO:
• Suppose Customer X has these 3 open, unpaid Invoices:
• Invoice 101, Open Balance: $100
• Invoice 102, Open Balance: $200
• Invoice 103, Open Balance: $300
• Suppose ALSO that Customer X has these 2 open, unapplied Credit Memo's on file:
• Credit Memo 200, Unapplied Balance: $50
• Credit Memo 210, Unapplied Balance: $350
• Now suppose Customer X sends in a payment of $200 (and makes a note to apply the $400 of unused Credit towards the remaining $400 Balance Due).
• In this case QBO will apply the money received and the open/unapplied Credit Memo's towards the $600 balance and make the balance due $0.
• HOWEVER, QBO DOES NOT provide a way for 1place to determine exactly which Invoice(s) the $200 was actually applied to.
• WORK AROUND:
• Apply money received on a Payment.
• Then create ANOTHER Payment to apply the unused Credits.

A scenario where giving a Customer an early payment discount causes the 1place Invoice Total to not match the QBO Invoice Total 

• EXAMPLE SCENARIO: 
• Suppose you create an Invoice in 1place for $10,000 that includes a 5% early payment discount if paid within 30 days of the Invoice date.  
• The Invoice will be synced into QuickBooks with an Invoice total = $10,000. 
• Now suppose the Customer sends a payment of $9,500 for the Invoice 29 days after the Invoice date.  
• Using the Receive Payments screen in 1place the discount can be manually (or automatically) entered into a special discounts field, so the $9,500 payment will satisfy the 1pace Invoice and mark it as paid in full--WITHOUT CHANGING THE INVOICE TOTAL.  
• This payment will then sync into QBO using a special type of Discounts Allowed GL account. 
• However, rather than allowing a way for the PAYMENT to be offset with a discount, QBO requires that the INVOICE TOTAL be offset (or in other words CHANGED) using the Discount field on the QBO Invoice.  
• For various reasons, we (OneSource Software, the makers of 1place) do not agree with the idea of allowing the Invoice Total (or in other words, the Sale) to be change--days or months later.  We do not agree that the Invoice Total should be changed by an early payment discount, as this changes the company's SALES figures.  We also do not agree that Invoice Totals should be randomly changed, in most cases, days or months after the sale, and possibly even after Tax Returns have been filed.
• Due to this difference in philosophy, if your company does provide early payment discounts and does sync your Invoices into QuickBooks Online, the Total Sale (for each Invoice) in 1place will be equal to the amount of the Sale, not equal to the amount of the Sale less any discounts added to the sale--AFTER THE SALE.  However, while the Gross Sales may differ, the overall NET PROFIT should be the same in both systems. 

The COST OF GOODS SOLD on 1place Invoices and Credit Memo's cannot be Synced to QBO

• The API Problem:
• The QuickBooks Online API (used to create Integrations into QuickBooks Online) does NOT allow an exterior app (like 1place) to pass in a Cost of Goods Sold on Invoices or Credit Memo's created OUTSIDE of QBO.
• When Inventory is received AND PAID FOR in QBO, QBO will then increase the Value of the Inventory on its Balance Sheet.  Then when Invoices are synced into QBO, with Items that QBO recognizes, it determines its own COST OF GOODS SOLD - which CAN be a value different than the COST OF GOODS SOLD stored in the 1place Invoice or CM line item.  In this case the Total Cost of Goods Sold can be different--which can cause the Profit and Loss Statement (Income Statement) in QBO to be out of sync with 1place.
• The 1place Work Around:
• 1place has a new 'Month End' screen which can be used to auto compare the Cost of Goods Sold amounts between 1place and QBO for every Invoice and Credit Memo.  This tool can also auto create a QBO Journal Entries to enable the 2 systems to be in exact sync.