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QuickBooks 3PL (Fulfilment Accounting) Integration

Steps to set up and use the QuickBooks Fulfilment Accounting integration for 3PL customers in Mintsoft.

Tom Higgs avatar
Written by Tom Higgs
Updated over 2 weeks ago

The QuickBooks Fulfilment Accounting integration allows you to automatically create invoices in QuickBooks based on 3PL costs processed in Mintsoft. This article guides you through the complete setup process, from changing your integration type to creating your first invoice. You'll need administrator permissions in both Mintsoft and QuickBooks to complete these steps.

Important: This article only applies to 3PL customers wanting to set up a QuickBooks Fulfilment Accounting integration with Mintsoft.


Prerequisite - Change the Accounting Integration Type

Before adding the 3PL QuickBooks connection on Mintsoft, you need to change the integration type for your Mintsoft database. To change the integration type, follow the steps below:

  1. Click Settings, then click Customer Account Settings.

  2. Click the Accounting tab.

  3. Change the Accounting Integration Type to QuickBooks.

  4. Click Save.


Add a 3PL QuickBooks connection to Mintsoft

Important: To successfully connect to QuickBooks, you must be using the https://om.mintsoft.co.uk URL.

To add a 3PL QuickBooks connection on Mintsoft, follow the steps below:

  1. Click Connect, then click Accounting Integrations.

  2. Click QuickBooks, then click Add Account.

  3. Select the Integration Type as Fulfilment Accounting.

  4. Leave all other fields blank until you authorise the connection, then click Add.

  5. Click Connect against the connection you just added.

  6. Log in and connect to QuickBooks.

Important: For Fulfilment Accounting integrations, the Client field is automatically set to ALL and applies to all your clients. This is different from Accounting-type connections where you can specify individual clients.

Once you've authorised the connection, you can edit the connection in Mintsoft. Check the default income account is correct for your sales. Sales post here if an item code isn't already set up.


Set up account mappings

Once you have added the QuickBooks connection, you must complete ledger mapping to create 3PL invoices in QuickBooks for all invoice item type groups. To set up account mappings, follow the steps below:

  1. Click Connect, then click Accounting Integrations.

  2. Click QuickBooks.

  3. Click Account Mappings against the connection you want to update.

  4. Map the AccountCodeType in Mintsoft to the relevant QuickBooks Income Account.

Available AccountCodeType values

The following AccountCodeType values are available for mapping:

  • Picking - Used for picking and handling costs

  • Postage - Used for standard postage costs

  • VATFreePostage - Used for VAT-exempt postage

  • Rework - Used for rework costs

  • Packaging - Used for packaging materials

  • Admin - Used for administrative fees

  • Generic - Used for generic invoice items without a specific type

  • Collection - Used for collection costs

  • Returns - Used for return processing costs

  • GoodsIn - Used for goods-in and receiving costs

  • Storage - Used for storage fees

Note: You only need to map the AccountCodeType values that are relevant to your 3PL pricing structure. However, if an invoice contains a cost for an unmapped type, the invoice creation will fail.

QuickBooks item creation

When you create an account mapping, Mintsoft automatically creates a Service-type item in QuickBooks if it doesn't already exist. These items follow the naming pattern Mintsoft:{AccountCodeType}.

For example:

  • Mintsoft:Picking

  • Mintsoft:Postage

  • Mintsoft:Storage

These items are linked to the Income Account you specify in the mapping.


Set up VAT rates

Once you have created the account mappings, you must ensure that any ledger accounts you've mapped have a VAT rate set in your chart of accounts on QuickBooks. To check this within QuickBooks, follow the steps below:

  1. Within QuickBooks, click Accounting, then click Chart of Accounts.

  2. Edit the accounts and make sure they have a specified VAT rate.

  3. Make sure all your transactions have a VAT rate before you save.

VAT and tax code handling

The system automatically handles VAT and tax codes based on your customer's location:

  • UK Customers - Uses standard VAT rate, or the customer's default tax code if set.

  • Non-UK Customers - Uses tax-exempt code.

  • US Customers - Uses TAX and NON codes.

  • VATFreePostage - Always uses tax-exempt code regardless of customer location.

Note: Make sure the following tax codes are active in QuickBooks:

  • Standard tax code for UK customers

  • Exempt tax code for non-UK customers

If these codes are inactive, invoice creation will fail with an error.

Error: Creating QuickBooks Invoice Error

If you receive the following error when trying to create an invoice for QuickBooks (Fulfilment Accounting):

Error: Creating QuickBooks Invoice Error: {"Fault":{"Error":[{"Message":"A business validation error has occurred while processing your request","Detail":"Business Validation Error: Make sure all your transactions have a VAT rate before you save.","code":"6000","element":""}],"type":"ValidationFault"},"time":"[Time]"}.

Ensure you have set up VAT rates following the steps above.


Configure clients and customers

To create a 3PL invoice in QuickBooks, you must identify which QuickBooks customer is mapped to which Mintsoft client. This can be done by ensuring the client name on Mintsoft exactly matches the display name of the customer on QuickBooks. The match is case-sensitive and must be identical character-for-character.

To check or create a new customer on QuickBooks, follow the steps below:

  • Within QuickBooks, click Invoicing, then click Customers.

Important: If the names don't match exactly, you will receive the following error: Unable to find Customer in QuickBooks with Name: [Client Name]

To resolve this error, either:

  1. Update the client name in Mintsoft to match the QuickBooks customer display name, or

  2. Update the customer display name in QuickBooks to match the Mintsoft client name.


Create a 3PL invoice

Once you've confirmed your 3PL invoice on Mintsoft, click Create Invoice In The Accounting Integration to export the invoice to your QuickBooks account.


Important limitations for Fulfilment Accounting integration

Export Orders not supported: The Export Orders feature is only available for Accounting-type QuickBooks connections. For Fulfilment Accounting integrations, you can only create invoices, not export individual orders.


Troubleshooting

Missing account mapping error

If you receive an error like:

Please ensure [AccountCodeType] Costs are Mapped to a QuickBooks Item.

This means you're trying to create an invoice that includes a cost type that hasn't been mapped yet. To resolve this error, follow the steps below:

  1. Click Connect, then click Accounting Integrations.

  2. Click QuickBooks, then click Account Mappings.

  3. Create a mapping for the missing AccountCodeType to a QuickBooks Income Account.

  4. Ensure the Income Account has a VAT rate set in QuickBooks.

  5. Try creating the invoice again.

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