Syncing Transactions

Syncing Transactions

Once QuickBooks Online is connected and set up, Orchard Stack syncs invoices, payments, and credit notes to QuickBooks. Syncing is one-way — from Orchard Stack to QuickBooks — and applies to client private-pay accounts only.

Automatic vs. manual syncing

There are two ways transactions reach QuickBooks:
  • Automatic — if you enabled the "Automatically sync…" options during setup, transactions sync in the background as they happen: invoices when they're committed, and payments and credit adjustments when they're recorded. Allow a few minutes for background syncs to complete.
  • Manual — sync on demand from the Sync Transactions page, either in bulk or one transaction at a time.
You can use both — for example, sync new transactions automatically and use the Sync Transactions page to catch up on anything that didn't sync.

The Sync Transactions page

    Navigate to the Accounting page.
    In the Transactions section, click Sync Transactions . (This button appears only when QuickBooks Online is connected.)
The page has four tabs — All transactions, Invoices, Payments, and Credits — and a date-range filter in the top right with presets such as Today, This month, and Last month, plus a Custom range. The default range is Today.
Syncing requires edit access to the Accounting module.

Sync in bulk

    Choose a tab and set the date range to cover the transactions you want to sync.
    Click Sync transactions .
    Confirm by clicking Yes, sync transactions .
The sync runs in the background — allow several minutes to complete. Only one sync can run at a time; if a sync is already in progress, Orchard Stack asks you to wait for it to finish.
On the All transactions tab, Orchard Stack syncs invoices first, then payments, then credits, so payments and credits attach to the correct invoices.

Sync a single transaction

Click the Sync button on any row to sync just that transaction right away.

Reading the Synced status

The Synced column shows each transaction's status:
  • Yes — synced and up to date.
  • Changed — synced, but the transaction was edited afterward. The change is not re-synced automatically (see below).
  • No — not yet synced.
  • N/A — not eligible to sync (for example, a zero-dollar invoice).

What syncs, and what doesn't

  • Invoices, payments, and credit notes (credit adjustments) sync to QuickBooks.
  • Debit adjustments do not sync. Record these manually in QuickBooks, usually as a journal entry.
  • Zero-dollar invoices do not sync. QuickBooks doesn't support them, so they show N/A .
  • Sync is one-way . Transactions or edits you make in QuickBooks are never pulled back into Orchard Stack.

Editing or voiding a synced transaction

Once a transaction has synced, edits and deletions in Orchard Stack do not flow to QuickBooks:
  • Synced invoices can't be edited in Orchard Stack. If a change is needed, void the invoice or make the correction directly in QuickBooks.
  • Voiding a synced invoice is allowed in Orchard Stack, but you must also void it in QuickBooks — Orchard Stack reminds you when you do.
  • A Changed status simply flags that the Orchard Stack record differs from what was synced; re-syncing won't overwrite the QuickBooks copy. Make matching edits in QuickBooks by hand.

Review the Sync Log

The Sync Log records the outcome of every sync so you can confirm successes and troubleshoot errors.
    Navigate to the Administration page and open QuickBooks Online in the Accounting section.
    Click Sync Log .
Each entry shows the Date, Action, Status (OK, Warning, or Error), and a Message. For example, a missing customer mapping produces an error such as "Client … is not mapped to a QuickBooks Online customer and automatic mapping is disabled."
There's no separate retry button — fix the underlying issue (for example, map the customer or enable automatic creation) and run the sync again. Transactions that already synced are skipped, so it's safe to re-run.

Invoicing Only Mode

If your organization uses Invoicing Only Mode (Administration → Accounting → Accounting Settings), Orchard Stack generates and syncs invoices but does not maintain client balances, payments, or adjustments — those live in QuickBooks. In practice this means only invoices sync to QuickBooks. You can optionally turn on Show QuickBooks Balance on Client Register to display each client's live QuickBooks balance inside Orchard Stack.

What data is synchronized?

Customers

When Orchard Stack creates a customer in QuickBooks, it sends the display name, first name, last name, primary address, phone number(s), and email address. Customer data is not updated in QuickBooks if it later changes in Orchard Stack.

Products (items)

Only the product name is sent when Orchard Stack creates an item. Multiple Orchard Stack products can map to the same QuickBooks item. Product data is not updated in QuickBooks after the item is created.

Invoices

Invoice number, invoice date, memo, the linked QuickBooks customer, billing and shipping addresses, line items (QuickBooks item, quantity, unit price, and amount), any discount, and the invoice total.

Payments

Payment date, amount, method, check/reference number, note, and the linked QuickBooks customer.

Credit notes

Credit note number and date, the linked QuickBooks customer, billing and shipping addresses, the credit total, and a single line item for the credit amount (a "Credit Adjustment" or "Prebilled services credit" item, depending on the adjustment type).

QuickBooks data Orchard Stack reads

  • Ledger accounts — to assign the income, deposit, and liability accounts.
  • Customers — to map clients.
  • Items — to map products.
  • Payment methods — to map payment types.

Frequently asked questions

How are payments and credits applied to invoices in QuickBooks?

Enable Automatically apply payments and Automatically apply credits during setup, and Orchard Stack will apply synced payments and credits to open invoices in QuickBooks. You can also enable the matching automation in QuickBooks (Settings → Account and Settings → Advanced → Automation), or apply them by hand on the Receive Payment screen.

How do I handle prebilling in QuickBooks?

When you prebill in Orchard Stack, your Billing Type can treat the revenue as immediately accrued or as deferred. Accrued revenue syncs as a normal invoiced sale. Deferred revenue is held in the Liability Account you selected during setup until the services are delivered and invoiced the following month, when the prebilled amount is credited from that account. A credit note covers any shortfall, and any additional services are invoiced as usual.

Why don't zero-dollar invoices sync?

QuickBooks doesn't support zero-balance invoices, so Orchard Stack skips them. They appear with an N/A status on the Sync Transactions page.

If I change a client's name in Orchard Stack, will it update in QuickBooks?

No. Customer data isn't synced after the customer is created in QuickBooks. Update it manually in QuickBooks if needed.

If I create a transaction in QuickBooks, will it sync to Orchard Stack?

No. Syncing is one-way, from Orchard Stack to QuickBooks only.