Step by step instructions (and troubleshooting guide) for syncing Lodgix guests, invoices, items, payment methods and payments with QuickBooks Online.
Setup connection with QuickBooks Online
A window will pop asking for QuickBooks Online credentials
The credentials will be the same login used to access QuickBooks Online. Note the security warning can be ignored. This is only present because we are choosing not to participate in the Intuit App Center at this time.
For Accountants or those that have multiple company files on QBOE
For those of you that have more than one company file associated with your QuickBooks online account, you will be prompted to ask which company file you want to link to your Lodgix.com account.
Authorize Lodgix to access your QuickBooks company data
Your company name from QuickBooks Online should be displayed here
Click Authorize button to continue
Setup Tabs
WAIT!! Before hitting the Synchronize button, make sure to click on Account Mappings tab to map your accounts. More on Account Mapping in the next step.
The Sync date refers to theinvoice arrival date. So setting the sync date to December 1, 2016, will sync all invoices with an arrival date on and after that date.
Any pre-payments (i.e deposits) show up as payments against those invoices.
The sync brings in invoices and payments, but it still requires you to manually batch deposits. The sync success log shows you which payments have successfully come over.
Account Mapping Tab
Lodgix will pull the chart of accounts from QuickBooks Online and ask you to map the line items from Lodgix invoices to your QuickBooks accounts.
Please note that if you decide to add new accounts to QuickBooks after the initial Chart of Accounts has been imported into Lodgix, simple add the accounts into QBooks and then return to Lodgix and refresh the account mappings (CTRL-F5) this will force the Chart of Accounts to be imported again and your new accounts should then show as available mapping options.
INCORRECT ACCOUNT MAPPINGS ARE A VERY COMMON SOURCE OF SYNC ERRORS! PLEASE WORK WITH YOUR ACCOUNTANT AND / OR BOOKKEEPER TO ASSURE THAT ACCOUNTS ARE MAPPED CORRECTLY.
The items on the left are Lodgix invoice line items that need to mapped to accounts in your QuickBooks chart of accounts.
Insurance. Even if you do not offer damage or travel insurance, the account still needs to be mapped. Insurance premiums should be mapped to a revenue account.... later when Lodgix bills for the premium amount, that would a manual entry on the expense side of that transaction.
Other Deposits (aka Security Deposits, Damage Deposits). Even if you do not require security or damage deposits, the account still needs to be mapped to a current liability account.
Review the error log closely, invoice line items cannot be mapped to accounts of certain types (such as A/R or A/P). If mapped incorrectly errors similar to below will show in the error log.
Error: Other Deposits - Invalid account type: You can't associate a product or service with accounts of certain types (such as Accounts Receivable and Accounts Payable). If the product or service is something you sell, use an income account. If the the product or service is something you buy, use an expense account.
Simply update the account mapping to a different account and resync.
Chart of Accounts Tab
The Chart of Accounts tab will show the chart of accounts that was imported from QuickBooks.
Note: There is an optional setting in QBOE to display account numbers. Read this for instructions.
Class Mapping Tab
Make sure to read the next step on Enabling Class Tracking for QuickBooks Online as it goes into detail about the options on this tab. If no classes are populated here, it means that class tracking for QuickBooks Online is either not enabled or no classes have been created within QuickBooks Online.
Enabling Class Tracking within QuickBooks Online
Class Tracking is available within QuickBooks Online, but it is only available as a component of the PLUS package. You can view the available packages from QuickBooks Online here:
The class tracking tab will not be shown if class tracking is not enabled within QuickBooks Online AND at least one class needs to be defined within QuickBooks Online. If class tracking (and at least one class) is enabled after the initial sync, simply refresh the page within Lodgix and Lodgix will detect that class tracking has been enabled and the class tracking setup tab will appear.
You must enable this feature within your company settings at QuickBooks Online (see screen shot above).
Note: The recommended setting when class tracking is enabled is to track classes "one per detail line" rather than tracking classes "one per transaction". Lodgix supports invoices that can contain multiple properties, and if each property is assigned to a different class, Lodgix will only sync that invoice if class tracking is done "per detail line". If class tracking is done "per transaction" the entire invoice would have to be assigned to the same class.
Error Log Tab
Error Log tab displays detailed information on any errors that occur during the sync process
QuickBooks Setup Tab
Lodgix DOES NOT SYNC INVOICES FOR RESERVATIONS THAT ARE YET TO OCCUR. Lodgix will only sync invoices for reservations that are in the past in which the guest has already departed. This was done on purpose as the sync tool is meant to aid primarily in data entry. Invoices that are in the future are subject to change, deletion, cancellation, editing, etc. Coding a true sync with invoice updating requires significantly more resources and complexity.
Initial Sync Date. Choose this date carefully. Lodgix needs to know from what date to begin syncing invoices. This date is keyed off the arrival date within the invoice. If you've already manually entered guest invoices in QuickBooks, you don't want Lodgix to add those invoices all over again and clutter up your QuickBooks with duplicate invoices. Lodgix will autofill a 1/1/2013 date, but data prior to that can be obtained simply by entering an earlier date. THERE IS NO ABILITY TO CHOOSE A DATE FROM WHICH TO START THE SYNC AFTER THE INITIAL SYNC IS COMPLETE.
Synchronize. Pressing this button begins the sync process.
If an error occurs during the sync process (quite common), the error (as well as the corrective action to be taken) will be displayed in the Error Tab. After the error has been corrected, return to the QuickBooks Setup tab and synchronize again. The sync will pick up where it left off, duplicate entries will not be created
Word to the Wise: Engage your Bookkeeper or Accountant
We highly advise that the QuickBooks sync only be initiated by an experienced professional. We are doing our best to provide an intuitive interface and this user manual to help assure that the sync goes smoothly. However, only a QuickBooks Professional will know for sure which accounts are the correct accounts for your company file when setting up the mapping.
Please read our disclaimer on use of the QBO Sync module.