This guide highlights some common issues that can occur when integrating EZRentOut with QuickBooks Online, and shows you how to fix them for a seamless transfer of data between the two applications.
To learn more about setting up this integration, read our blog on Integrating QuickBooks Online with EZRentOut.
Troubleshooting QuickBooks Online Integration Issues
Before you try linking the two accounts, we recommend that you first sign into your QuickBooks account. After this, the following errors could pop up during different points in the integration process:
The customer name already exists in QuickBooks
QuickBooks only allows unique Display Names in its customer listings. If your EZRentOut customer listing has more than one customer with the same name, the sync will fail.
You also receive the same error if a business name and a customer name are the same in EZRentOut.
In order to fix this, you will have to edit the QuickBooks Display Name field on the conflicting customer’s detail page from your EZRentOut account. This field only appears once your EZRentOut and QuickBooks accounts are connected.
QuickBooks shows email address as business name while syncing an Order
QuickBooks automatically picks email addresses while syncing Orders. If your first name field while creating customer in EZRentOut is unfilled, then the email address is shown as the customer name.
In order to fix this, please go to Customers from the side navigation bar -> Select customer and click edit from customer’ details page.
You can fill in the first name field on the page and click update. Once this is updated, Quickbooks will sync Orders with the business name provided.
QuickBooks encountered an error while calculating tax
This error appears if you try syncing an order again, after changing the tax settings for a customer or an item. To fix this problem, try reverting to the original tax settings for the concerned customer or item by going to their detail page and syncing the order again.
Unable to update invoice in QuickBooks
Any actions other than creating, updating and deleting payments do not transfer from QuickBooks to EZRentOut. If you receive an error stating that an invoice number is deleted or marked ‘Inactive’, this implies that you are trying to edit invoices from your QuickBooks account. All actions other than creating, updating and deleting payments should be taken from EZRentOut.
An alternate workaround is that you unlink and relink your QuickBooks account from your EZRentOut Settings.
Syncing Default invoice line items outside the order total
Default invoice line items that are outside the order total can be synced to QuickBooks in two ways:
1.You will have to set all default invoice line item values to 0, or delete them and sync again.
In this example, the Security fee and other invoice line items outside of the order total will have to be set to $0 or deleted using the cross icon on the left.
2. It is required that invoice line items settings are enabled. To do so, please Go to Settings → Add On → Integrate QuickBooks Online and check “Sync line invoice line items excluded from order total”
Cannot automatically sync tax
In older QuickBooks versions, you have to manually add taxes to your QuickBooks account. This means you have to replicate the name and rate of all applicable taxes in EZRentOut to your QuickBooks account.
From your EZRentOut account, go to Settings → Company Settings → Policy → Tax Details to view your taxes and their rates.
Now, replicate these taxes to your QuickBooks account.
Mapping Accounts Receivable and Accounts Payable when integrating EZRentOut and QuickBooks
Under Settings → Add Ons → Integrate QuickBooks Online, ensure that none of the account fields are mapped to Accounts Receivable and Accounts Payable.
In the example above, the Rental Income Account is mapped to Accounts Payable. This will generate the following error:
Another word of caution: always choose all the QuickBooks Accounts manually when configuring the QuickBooks integration from your EZRentOut account.
If you directly press Connect, all the accounts will be mapped to Accounts Payable (since it is the first option in the dropdown menu).
These two accounts are reserved for QuickBooks’ internal reporting and hence, cannot be synced over from QuickBooks.
There is an error if an EZRentOut Customer has a colon (:) in their name
If your EZRentOut customer has a colon (:) in their name, you will have to edit their QuickBooks Display Name and remove the colon from it. A colon is used to show a relationship in QuickBooks, which is why using it in names leads to exceptions.
Note: Typewriter apostrophes aren’t supported in QuickBooks and will be edited to a regular apostrophe wherever used.
There is an error if an EZRentOut Item has a colon (:) in its name
Similar to the above error, QuickBooks will display an error if your EZRentOut Item has a colon (:) in its name. Instead, you will have to remove the colon and rename the Item. You cannot use the colon because it shows a parent:child relationship in QuickBooks.
Auto-sync isn’t working or is taking too long
Often times, when you are auto syncing Orders, you might notice that the process takes a long time. 10 Orders may sync in about 2 hours on average, but could even take 6 hours in some cases.
This happens because the QuickBooks API has limitations that restrict instant auto syncs. QuickBooks Online, is in fact, implementing the API throttling changes it announced back in 2016 on August 12, 2019.
These may impact the time taken for Auto Sync to happen. Rest assured, the auto sync will eventually run its course. A summary will be emailed to you at the end.
Failed to update invoices in QuickBooks Online because the item has been marked ‘Inactive’
This error shows up if you created an item in QuickBooks, synced it to EZRentOut, and then made it inactive in QuickBooks. In order to sync again, the item has to be marked as ‘Active’ again on QuickBooks.
An unknown QuickBooks payment is being applied to your EZRentOut invoice
This payment indicates an automatically applied credit that has synced over from QuickBooks. Such an entry may create negative Payable Amounts in EZRentOut.
Let’s first understand how excess payments are processed in QuickBooks Online by default.
Whenever a customer overpays on an order in QuickBooks, the remainder is added to their account as credit. This credit is reserved in the system until it can be automatically applied to the next invoice coming in for the same customer.
As this invoice syncs from EZRentOut to QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks applies the reserved credit to it. This action prompts EZRentOut to update the corresponding invoice at its end.
Here’s an example.
A customer in QuickBooks has $27.60 worth of credit in their account. They place a new order through EZRentOut for a MacBook. Here’s a look at the invoice.
The Payable Amount is $87.60. This invoice will sync to QuickBooks Online.
Before any payment is accepted on this invoice, QuickBooks will directly apply the credit to it. Once the $27.60 are factored in, the balance due becomes $60.00.
Now, the user tries to log $87.60 worth of payment to the EZRentOut invoice.
Here’s what happens as the payment is added:
- Once you update the invoice in EZRentOut(adding a payment worth of $87.60 in this case), the auto-sync from QuickBooks is initiated.
- Upon syncing, EZRentOut factors in the credit from QuickBooks.
- Simultaneously, it also processes the remainder (Payable Amount minus Credit) against the Payable Amount (in this case, $60.00).
- This results in a Payable Amount of $0.00.
This is QuickBooks’ default behavior for applying credits. To troubleshoot, head to your QuickBooks account. Select the Gear icon → Account and Settings → Advanced and click on the Pencil icon in Automation.
Now, deselect ‘Automatically apply credits’ and save the changes. This will enable you to apply credits only to invoices of your preference.
QuickBooks payments to sync automatically in EZRentOut
Payments in QuickBooks can be synced to EZRentOut. Go to Settings → Add Ons → Integrate QuickBooks. Select all payment-related boxes for smooth two-way sync.
For example, if an invoice is paid in QuickBooks then it is synced automatically in EZRentOut as well. The sync is performed instantly. However, the QuickBooks Webbooks may take longer if any outstanding payments are processed before the sync.
Invoices in EZRentOut are showing a negative Payable Amount
If you normally make payments through EZRentOut but still see occasional updates coming in from QuickBooks Online, these might make Payable Amounts negative in EZRentOut. By default, all updates made in either applications sync through to one another.
The simple fix for this is to enforce a strict one-way sync – from EZRentOut to QuickBooks Online.
We recommend only processing payments in EZRentOut and syncing them to QuickBooks. To implement this, head to your EZRentOut account. Go to Settings → Add Ons → Integrate QuickBooks.
Here, deselect ‘Edit Payment’ and save the changes. You’ve now enabled one-way syncing!
Note: Once you’ve made this change, be sure to make all future payments in EZRentOut so both applications retain the updates.
Sales Tax isn’t showing up when customers make online payments
There is no opportunity for a sync between EZRentOut and QuickBooks when customers make payments via the EZRentOut Webstore. Consequently, the sales tax does not sync to EZRentOut from QuickBooks in such cases.
There are two possible ways to fix this depending on how you tax your customers.
1. Identical sales tax for all customers:
If you apply one consistent sales tax to all orders in QuickBooks, simply duplicate the tax in EZRentOut. This will ensure that every order in EZRentOut is taxed, taking out the dependence on a sync from QuickBooks.
2. Variable sales tax for customers:
Sales taxes often vary depending on state, locality and county in the US. QuickBooks Online allows users to set up location-based tax rates and calculates these using the physical location of the order.
In EZRentOut, however, you cannot define multiple sales taxes. For this reason, we recommend calculating the highest sales tax possible in your area of operations and defining this percentage as the Sales Tax in EZRentOut.
Now, every time an order levies a tax lower than your specified rate, EZRentOut will accept the payment and calculate an amount to be refunded. Users will then “refund” this to make the order total $0.00.
To demonstrate, here is an example.
Our company takes in orders from all over the state of New York in the US. An order comes in from New York City, New York. Let’s see how our sales tax will apply to it.
Sales taxes are calculated in QuickBooks and then synced to EZRentOut. For our example:
- The highest combined sales tax for the state of New York: 8.875%
- The combined sales tax applicable to this physical address: 12.89%
- Net Amount with highest possible sales tax: $77.60
- Net Amount with sales tax applicable to order location: $87.60
- Amount to be refunded: $10.00
Hit “Refund” to adjust the negative Payable Amount.
Please note all US companies can sync order-level taxes in EZRentOut. All non-US companies can sync both item-level and order-level taxes in EZRentOut.
Read More: How to sync negative Order Payments with QuickBooks Online?
Syncing Businesses from EZRentOut to QuickBooks
EZRentOut enables you to treat a business exactly like an actual one. This means you have the ability to add employees under each business. However, when you map a Business to QuickBooks, it maps as a Customer, not a Business. Furthermore, all the employees of a Business in EZRentOut map as separate Customers in QuickBooks. This defeats the entire purpose of creating a Business.
A solution for this is to create a business as a Customer in QuickBooks yourself. To make use of this solution, you first have to enable the relevant settings. Go to Settings → Add Ons → Integrate QuickBooks Online and enable the “Sync orders based on business names instead of individual customer names” setting.
To add the structure of a business within that Customer, i.e. adding the employees, you have to create sub-customers. Each sub-customer can act as an employee.
Continuing with the above example, any changes on the employee Carra Brown made in EZRentOut will also be updated on the sub-customer under the same name in QuickBooks. This way, changes you make for Business in EZRentOut are mapped in QuickBooks too.
It is important to note that in order to make any changes in EZRentOut and for them to be updated in QuickBooks too, you need to ensure that you create the same ‘Display Name’ for the business in both EZRentOut and QuickBooks.
This is the only solution available to map Businesses from EZRentOut to QuickBooks Online.
How to change invoice number sequence and format?
You cannot change the invoice number sequence yourself, as that needs to be changed from the backend by development. However, you can change the format of the invoice number. To do so, simply go to Settings → Company Settings → Advanced Settings → Order Identification Number Format and select the ‘Order Number’ field from Placeholders.
Next, from Settings → Add Ons → Integrate QuickBooks Online → Invoice# Mapping, change from Order Number to Order Identification Number.
What happens when you extend the rental/billing duration for an open order?
Let’s say you have an open order that has been paid, and then you extend the rental and billing duration, how does that work with QuickBooks? Does it create a new invoice for the extended duration or edit the existing invoice?
You can extend the current rental duration easily and the amount owed will be automatically recalculated. This amount will be updated on the existing QuickBooks invoice.
However, if you want a separate invoice for this updated amount, then you can simply return the existing Order and start a new one. This way, a new separate invoice is created.
Why do invoice line items create separate invoices in QuickBooks?
EZRentOut creates separate invoices for each line item because each external invoice line item is paid separately and refunded separately.
If EZRentOut syncs all invoice line items in one invoice and the client charges a partial payment against that invoice in QuickBooks, EZRentOut will not know which invoice line item is to be marked fully paid and which to be marked partially paid.
Does depreciation get synced to QuickBooks?
This one has a simple answer: No, depreciation does not get synced to QuickBooks.
Fix open ID depreciation error in QuickBooks
We no longer support login from QuickBooks SSO. Just make sure to open EZRentOut separately on the web browser and not through QuickBooks.
Authorization error: oauth token expired
This error could occur due to the following reasons:
- The current QuickBooks account was recently connected to another EZRentOut account.
- The admin in QuickBooks has been changed or has lost their admin rights in EZRentOut.
- The API limit from Intuit’s end was breached (the number of syncs exceeded their 24-hour limit).
To fix the error, you simply have to go to Settings → Add Ons → Disable the QuickBooks Online Integration → Hit ‘Update’ from the bottom of the page. Now go back and re-integrate the two systems.
Note: We recommend taking a screenshot of the settings you have currently before disabling.
Unable to sync because the account period has closed
Please go through this QuickBooks resource on closing books for a period of time. After going through the resource, you want to find the settings for the closed period in your QuickBooks account → open it again → change the closing date to include the dates of the Order → Sync.
If the sync fails again, please go to QuickBooks → Gearbox→ Account and Settings. Click Advanced and turn the accounting period off. Then, sync orders in EZRentOut.
Make sure you close down the period again to prevent any unwanted changes to invoices of the other Orders from the closed period.
What is a Stale Object Error?
This error occurs when two people in the system are working on the same Order at the same time. QuickBooks does not allow for two or more people to access the same resource at the same time. To solve this problem, simply ensure that a single person works on the Order at a time.
Invoice not found in QuickBooks
In case you can’t find a particular invoice in QuickBooks, you might want to search for it using the case sensitive invoice number, which looks like: ‘INV-****’
This should hopefully cover all the issues you could run into when syncing your EZRentOut account to QuickBooks Online. If you have any questions about our integration, feel free to write to us at support@ezo.io.
