This guide is for Cloud POS users in the United States
The UK integration with QuickBooks is currently in its beta testing phase and will be available soon.
Getting started?
If you would like to start using the Cloud POS x QuickBooks integration, please refer to this article:
How do I link Cloud POS to my QuickBooks account? (US)
Citrus-Lime are pleased to provide an integration between Cloud POS and QuickBooks. This integration sends two types of data from Cloud POS to QuickBooks:
- Transactional data
- Closed Purchase Orders
This article explains more about how the integration works and where you can expect to see this data appear in your QuickBooks account. It covers the following topics:
- When is the data transferred to QuickBooks?
- Sales
- Returns
- Gift Certificate Purchases
- Gift Certificate Redemptions
- Deposits paid on customer orders
- Deposits redeemed against customer orders
- Deposits returned to the customer
- Purchases using ‘Customer Account’
- Payments made against Customer Accounts
- Pay-In / Pay-Out
- Purchase Orders
- Frequently Asked Questions
When is the data transferred to QuickBooks?
The data transfer will run once every 24 hours. We typically set this up to process overnight, so that your transactional data is transferred after you have closed your store for the day.
Transactional data is only transferred for closed batches. Therefore, we would strongly recommend opening a new batch each morning and closing a batch each evening, to allow for a timely transfer of data. You can read more about managing batches in Cloud POS here:
How do I close a batch with a Z Report?
Purchase Orders are transferred when they are closed, i.e. when items have been received via Goods In. If a Purchase Order is received in stages, resulting in child Purchase Orders in Cloud POS, each Purchase Order will be transferred as it is received into inventory. You can read more about this in the Purchase Orders section below.
Default Control Accounts
The information below explains where your Cloud POS transactional data will be mapped to, according to the default structure of control accounts. If you have requested custom account mappings from the Support Team during your setup, you will need to refer to those control accounts instead.
For example, by default, purchases of gift certificates are mapped to the ‘Cloud POS Vouchers Control Account’. If you had asked the Support Team to map your gift certificate purchases to an account called ‘Sales of Certificates’, you would need to view that account instead of the one advised below.
If you have requested custom account mappings, it is your responsibility to ensure that the settings on those accounts match with those of the default control accounts.
Sales
Each individual transaction is posted to QuickBooks as an invoice. The tender(s) for that transaction are posted as payments. Payments are matched to applicable invoices automatically.
For example, if a customer purchased an item costing $100, and paid on their card in full, we would expect to see an invoice for $100 and a corresponding $100 card payment.
Transactional data can be viewed in several places in QuickBooks, including:
- in the customer record (Customers & Leads > Customers)
- in your Cloud POS control accounts (Transactions > Chart of Accounts)
- in your sales list (Sales > All Sales)
- in your tax reporting (Tax > Sales Tax)
Here is an example of a sale transaction posted to QuickBooks.
In Cloud POS, there was a sale for a jacket and a water bottle:
In QuickBooks, we see an invoice line has been posted, followed by a payment line. This view shows sales list (Sales > All Sales), but you can also view this information by customer if you prefer (Customers & Leads > Customers).
Each invoice and payment will have a unique number.
Here, the invoice number is CLT1521022B4.
CL: indicates that this has been generated from Cloud POS. It stands for ‘Citrus-Lime’.
T: marks the beginning of the transaction number
1521022: this is the Cloud POS transaction number for this sale
B: marks the beginning of the batch number
4: this is the batch number for this sale in Cloud POS
The payment number is CL15239T1521022B4.
CL: indicates that this has been generated from Cloud POS. It stands for ‘Citrus-Lime’.
15239: this is the Tender ID for the tender type ‘Cash’ in this Cloud POS group.
T: marks the beginning of the transaction number
1521022: this is the Cloud POS transaction number for this payment
B: marks the beginning of the batch number
4: this is the batch number for this sale in Cloud POS
Understanding the Tender ID
QuickBooks has a limited number of characters for the invoice / payment numbers. This is why we use the ID of the tender type (e.g. 15239) rather than the name of the tender type (e.g. ‘Cash’). However, you can view the full tender type name in the ‘Memo' column, as you can see in the example payment above.
You can click to ‘Edit’ an invoice to view more information, including the item lines and the sales tax:
In the Cloud POS Sales Control Account, you can view all invoices with the item lines displayed in a grid format. Here is an example, showing the same transaction as in the example images above:
Returns
When items are returned in Cloud POS, Credit Memos are created in QuickBooks.
Here is an example of a customer who purchased two items for a total of $58.97. The following day, they returned one of the items totalling $53.13, so a Credit Memo has been created for this amount:
The Credit Memo number is CLT1521039B5.
CL: indicates that this has been generated from Cloud POS. It stands for ‘Citrus-Lime’.
T: marks the beginning of the transaction number
1521039: this is the Cloud POS transaction number for this return
B: marks the beginning of the batch number
5: this is the batch number for this sale in Cloud POS
In the Memo field for the Credit Memo, we can also see the original transaction number (for the sale):
You can click to ‘Edit’ the Credit Memo to view the item lines that have been returned.
Gift certificate purchases
Sales of gift certificates will also post an invoice and corresponding payment(s) into QuickBooks. For example, here is an example showing the purchase of a $10.00 gift certificate, paid for using the tender type ‘Manual Credit Card’:
The ‘No.’ field is populated from Cloud POS data, as follows:
Payment: CL15236T1521023B4
CL: indicates that this has been generated from Cloud POS. It stands for ‘Citrus-Lime’.
15236: this is the Tender ID for the tender type ‘Manual Credit Card’ in this Cloud POS group.
T: marks the beginning of the transaction number
1521023: this is the Cloud POS transaction number for this payment
B: marks the beginning of the batch number
4: this is the batch number for this sale in Cloud POS
Invoice: CLT1521023B4
CL: indicates that this has been generated from Cloud POS. It stands for ‘Citrus-Lime’.
T: marks the beginning of the transaction number
1521022: this is the Cloud POS transaction number for this sale
B: marks the beginning of the batch number
4: this is the batch number for this sale in Cloud POS
Gift certificate purchases are also mapped to the Cloud POS Vouchers Control Account as a liability against your business. Purchases of gift certificates are shown in the ‘Increase’ column of this account. The ‘Memo’ field uses the ‘GIFTVOUCHER’ item from Cloud POS.
Gift certificate redemptions
Gift certificate redemptions are also mapped to the Cloud POS Vouchers Control Account. These redemptions reduce the liability against your business.
Certificate purchases are shown in the ‘Increase’ column. Certificate redemptions are shown in the ‘Decrease’ column. In the example below, three gift certificates have been purchased (for $20, $100 and $10), and a total of $10 has been redeemed ($2.56 and $7.44). This makes the total liability balance on the account $120, i.e. there is $120 of outstanding gift certificate balance in issue.
When a gift certificate is redeemed against a transaction, the invoice total is reduced. You will see a discount line on the invoice using the Cloud POS Voucher Item:
Deposits paid on customer orders
When a customer pays a deposit for an order, you will see this reflected as an invoice and a corresponding payment. You may find it helpful to view this in the Customer record, where you will see the invoice and deposit payment side by side:
The ‘No.’ field is populated from Cloud POS data, as follows:
CL15239D700710B4
CL: indicates that this has been generated from Cloud POS. It stands for ‘Citrus-Lime’.
15239: this is the Tender ID for the tender type ‘Cash’ in this Cloud POS group.
D: signifies that this invoice or payment is for a deposit
700710: this is the order number in Cloud POS.
B: marks the beginning of the batch number
4: this is the batch number for this sale in Cloud POS
When viewing the invoice in full (click ‘Edit’ to open this view), you will see that the Cloud POS Deposit Item is used to represent the deposit amount:
Deposits are also mapped into the Cloud POS Deposits Control Account. They show in the ‘Increase’ column and increase the liability against your business. In the example below, we can see two different deposit invoices from two different dates. We can tell from the reference numbers that they relate to Cloud POS order number 700694 ($25 deposit paid in batch number 3) and 700710 ($50 deposit paid in batch number 4).
Deposits redeemed against customer orders
When a customer redeems a deposit against a customer order (because one or more items has been collected/dispatched), QuickBooks will show an invoice and corresponding payment(s).
The ‘No.’ field is populated from Cloud POS data, as follows:
Invoice: CLT1521041B5
CL: indicates that this has been generated from Cloud POS. It stands for ‘Citrus-Lime’.
T: marks the beginning of the transaction number
1521041: this is the Cloud POS transaction number for this sale
B: marks the beginning of the batch number
5: this is the batch number for this sale in Cloud POS
Payment: CL15236T1521041B5
CL: indicates that this has been generated from Cloud POS. It stands for ‘Citrus-Lime’.
15236: this is the Tender ID for the tender type ‘Manual Credit Card’ in this Cloud POS group.
T: marks the beginning of the transaction number
1521041: this is the Cloud POS transaction number for this sale
B: marks the beginning of the batch number
5: this is the batch number for this sale in Cloud POS
The invoice amount will reflect the amount the customer paid after the deposit amount was redeemed. Click ‘Edit’ on the invoice to view further information. You will see the redeemed deposit as a discount line on the invoice, reducing the overall invoice total.
Deposit redemptions are also mapped into the Cloud POS Deposits Control Account. They show in the ‘Decrease’ column and decrease the liability against your business. In the example below, we can see two deposit payments (one for $25 and one for $50) and one deposit redemption (for $50). This means the overall deposit liability is currently $25.
Deposits returned to the customer
If a deposit is returned in Cloud POS, a Credit Memo is created in QuickBooks.
Here, we can see an example of a $25 deposit being taken on 7/25/24, and then the refund of that deposit on 8/14/24.
The Credit Memo number is CL15239D700694B8.
CL: indicates that this has been generated from Cloud POS. It stands for ‘Citrus-Lime’.
15239: this is the Tender ID for the tender type ‘Cash’ in this Cloud POS group.
D: signifies that this credit memo relates to a deposit
700694: this is the Cloud POS order number
B: marks the beginning of the batch number
8: this is the batch number for this sale in Cloud POS
Deposits and deposit returns are also shown in the Cloud POS Deposits Control Account.
If a deposit is taken and returned in the same batch, you will not see an invoice/payment/credit memo in QuickBooks. The transactions have cancelled one another out.
Purchases using ‘Customer Account’
If a customer makes a purchase using their Customer Account, an invoice is created in QuickBooks. This can be viewed in several places in QuickBooks, including:
- in the customer record (Customers & Leads > Customers)
- in your Cloud POS control accounts (Transactions > Chart of Accounts)
- in your sales list (Sales > All Sales)
- in your tax reporting (Tax > Sales Tax)
Here is an example invoice for a customer account purchase:
QuickBooks will automatically set a ‘Due date’ on the invoice that matches the ‘Invoice date’. You can change this ‘Due date’ by clicking to ‘Edit’ the invoice. However, most users would typically manage the settlement of customer account balances using the functionality within Cloud POS.
These invoices will remain unpaid until a corresponding payment has been applied. Please refer to the section below for more information.
Payments made against Customer Accounts
When a customer makes a payment against their account balance, a payment is created in QuickBooks. Initially, the status of the payment will be ‘Unapplied’, as it needs to be matched to the corresponding invoice.
Here is an example of an account payment and the unpaid invoice before matching has taken place. This view shows the customer record.
The payment number is CL15236A6798B7
CL: indicates that this has been generated from Cloud POS. It stands for ‘Citrus-Lime’.
15236: this is the Tender ID for the tender type ‘Manual Credit Card’ in this Cloud POS group.
A: this indicates that the payment relates to a Customer Account
6798: this ‘Header ID’ is a unique value from the Cloud POS database. It is used to ensure that all account payments in QuickBooks have a unique number.
B: marks the beginning of the batch number
7: this is the batch number for this transaction in Cloud POS
Once you have applied the payment to the invoice, the payment status will change to ‘Closed’ and the status of the invoice will update to reflect if it has been ‘Paid’ (in full) or ‘Partially paid’. Here is the same payment and invoice after the matching has taken place:
Pay-In / Pay-Out
A Pay-In (where money is added to the register) is created as a Sales Receipt in QuickBooks. This is reflected as an increase in the relevant tender control account (the default is ‘Cloud POS Till Takings’) and a decrease in the relevant money movement control account (the default is ‘Cloud POS Drops and Payouts’).
A Pay-Out (where money is removed from the register) is created as an Expense in QuickBooks. This is reflected as a decrease in the relevant tender control account (the default is ‘Cloud POS Till Takings’) and an increase in the relevant money movement control account (the default is ‘Cloud POS Drops and Payouts’).
Here is an example of a $100 Pay-In and a $5 Pay-Out in the Cloud POS Till Takings control account:
Here we see the same $100 Pay-In and $5 Pay-Out in the Cloud POS Drops and Payouts control account:
The number of a Pay-In / Pay-Out is formed as follows:
CL15239DP11791B10
CL: indicates that this has been generated from Cloud POS. It stands for ‘Citrus-Lime’.
15239: this is the Tender ID for the tender type ‘Cash' in this Cloud POS group.
DP: this indicates that the transaction is a Pay-In / Pay-Out. It stands for ‘Drop’.
11791: this is the unique ID for this Pay-In / Pay-Out in QuickBooks. They are used to ensure that every Pay-In / Pay-Out number is unique, even if they took place in the same batch with the same tender type.
B: marks the beginning of the batch number
10: this is the batch number for this transaction in Cloud POS
Purchase Orders
Purchase Orders are transferred to QuickBooks when they are closed. This means when items have been received into the store via Goods In. If you have partially received a Purchase Order, only the items that have been received will appear in QuickBooks. Further items will be posted to QuickBooks once they have been received.
By default, Cloud POS will create a Purchase Order and a corresponding Bill in your QuickBooks account. You can view the Purchase Orders and Bills from ‘Expenses > Expenses’. To view just the Bills, navigate to ‘Expenses > Bills’. The date of the Bill will match the date of the Purchase Order.
If you prefer, you can disable the automatic creation of Bills (so that only Purchase Orders are created in your QuickBooks account). To arrange this, get in touch with the Citrus-Lime Support Team.
The item lines received on Purchase Orders are mapped to the ‘Cloud POS Purchases Control Account’. We also map shipping and taxes as follows:
- Purchase Order tax is transferred to the ‘Cloud POS Purchases Tax Control Account’
- Purchase Order shipping (added into the Header of the Purchase Order in Cloud POS) is transferred to the ‘Cloud POS Purchases Shipping Control Account’
- Purchase Order shipping tax (added into the Header of the Purchase Order in Cloud POS) is transferred to the ‘Cloud POS Purchases Tax Control Account’
- Any other fees on Purchase Orders (added into the Header of the Purchase Order in Cloud POS) are transferred to the ‘Cloud POS Purchases Other Fees Control Account’
This example shows some Purchase Orders (and corresponding Bills) in the 'Expenses' view:
The Purchase Orders and Bills have numbers that allow you to identify their ‘pair’:
CL: indicates that this has been generated from Cloud POS. It stands for ‘Citrus-Lime’.
306063: this is the Purchase Order number from Cloud POS
B: this indicates a Bill
You can click into the Purchase Orders to view the item lines. The shipping and taxes will also be displayed in this view, along with the Purchase Order Title and the Supplier Order Reference from Cloud POS (if entered):
Frequently Asked Questions
How is customer information transferred?
If a customer has been set on a transaction in Cloud POS, their sales, returns, deposits, Customer Account activity and so forth will be mapped to a corresponding Customer record in QuickBooks. The first time this customer is used, the integration will automatically create a record for them in your QuickBooks account.
To avoid any potential duplication, the name will be formed from the unique ‘Account Number’ in Cloud POS, for example:
The number before this (here, 1651) is your unique Cloud POS account number.
If no customer is set on the transaction in the Point of Sale, the transactional data will be mapped to a Customer record for the store. You can see an example of this in the image above ('Boston Store').
Why do some of my Purchase Orders and Bills say ‘Cloud POS Vendor’?
When the Citrus-Lime Support Team set up your QuickBooks integration, they ‘map’ each of your suppliers in Cloud POS to the corresponding vendor in your QuickBooks account. They also set up a default option called ‘Cloud POS Vendor’. This is used if a corresponding vendor in QuickBooks has not been mapped.
Before you start using the integration, we would recommend checking that you have a vendor in QuickBooks for each of your suppliers in Cloud POS. If you add new suppliers over time, you can contact the Citrus-Lime Support Team and ask them to add in the new mappings for you.
Where does the ‘Shipping Address’ on my QuickBooks transaction invoices come from?
If items are not due to be shipped to a customer (i.e. it is an in-store purchase or a Click & Collect order), the shipping address on the invoice in QuickBooks will be your store address.
If an order is due to be shipped to a customer, and a Shipping Address has been set on the order in Cloud POS, this should show as the shipping address on the invoice in QuickBooks.
Please note that shipping addresses are not shown on return Credit Memos.