Salesforce to QuickBooks Integration: A Step-by-Step Guide

Connecting your QuickBooks (QB) and Salesforce accounts unifies your accounting and sales departments. Not only does it remove silos between the two departments, but it also saves your bookkeeper time from double-entry of information.

Take a look at the three options below for your Salesforce to Quickbooks integration.

You have three main options to choose from to execute your Salesforce to QuickBooks integration. You can use:

1. the Salesforce Connector by QuickBooks app,
2. Salesforce CRM Connector for QuickBooks Enterprise Diamond, or
3. an integration solution.

Option 1: Use the Salesforce Connector by QuickBooks app

Salesforce Connector by QuickBooks is QB’s latest app offering. It’s only available for the QB Online Advanced plan and works with Salesforce Professional and Enterprise plans.

You can get this connector for 50% less than the original price for your first six months of use. Instead of paying $99 per month, you can get it at $49.50.

It’s either unavailable or does not work with the following:

• Simple Start, Essentials, or Plus plans of QuickBooks
• QB’s accountant and wholesale clients
• Salesforce Essentials

If you’re using any of the following, Salesforce Connector may not work for you. You can proceed to Option 3 instead.

But if you’re on the Advanced plan and you’d like to give this connector app a try, you can follow these steps:

Step 1: Get and connect Salesforce to QuickBooks Online Advanced

Note: You need administrator access for QB and Salesforce to complete the integration between the two.

1. Select “Apps” in the lower-left corner of your dashboard.
2. Next, type “Salesforce Connector by QuickBooks” in the search bar.
3. Click “Get app now” then follow the steps on your screen to subscribe. Select “Continue”.
4. Choose how far back you want QB to start downloading transactions from Salesforce. Once you’re done selecting the date, click “Agree”.
5. After this, sign in as an admin in the Salesforce pop-up window. Click “Allow” to start the sync process.

Step 2: Choose the Salesforce opportunities you’ll bring in QB

Salesforce has different types of opportunities. Instead of bringing them all to QB, you must only choose the ones your bookkeeper needs.

To change the sales form type for future opportunities, follow these steps:

1. Open the Salesforce menu then go to the “Customize section”. Click “Import settings”.
2. In the dropdown, select the transaction type you want then click “Save”.
3. QB will import information based on the transaction you set. After this, it will create a draft invoice, estimate, or sales receipt based on the information you have on Salesforce.

Note: Draft transactions will only count on your reports once you approve them.

Step 3: Map fields from Salesforce to your fields in QuickBooks

Setting up your custom map lets you capture the same data you have on Salesforce to QuickBooks. This includes the type of opportunity, sales representative, and quoted price. 

If you have any data in Salesforce that you don’t need in QB, you can leave the field blank or vice versa.

You can also add a custom field if any of the data on both apps doesn’t fit. Select “Add a custom field in QuickBooks” to set up the new information. Next, select the field from Salesforce that you want to import. Once you’re done, select “Save and Close”.

If you need to change these settings,

1. Open the Salesforce menu in your QB account then go to the “Customize section” link.
2. Click “Import settings” then you can make the adjustments you need. This won’t affect your approved and saved opportunities. 

When you’re done with QuickBooks-Salesforce integration, QB will download opportunities automatically once you mark it as “Closed-Won” in Salesforce. You can still make changes to the data you receive before approving it because it’s still in draft form.

This option lets you connect your Salesforce to QB. However, it still has many limitations. For one, you can only use it for specific plans. It also has integration issues.

If you want to try the Salesforce Connector by QuickBooks app, you can get it here.

Related: How to Record Startup Costs in QuickBooks

Option 2: Use Salesforce CRM Connector for QuickBooks Enterprise Diamond

The Salesforce CRM connector is an add-on tool for QB Enterprise Diamond users. It syncs information between the two platforms, enabling your sales representatives and accountants to collaborate seamlessly.

Unlike the first option, this connector provides you with a dedicated account team. They will support you with onboarding and sync configuration. It takes away the hassle of possible integration issues and gets your hands off from doing the process yourself. 

But it comes with a higher price tag. The Salesforce CRM connector add-on alone costs $150/month per company file. Meanwhile, the actual Enterprise Diamond plan costs $321.60 per month for your first year of subscription.

You can also learn more about its pricing here.

Option 3: Use an integration solution

If you’re not on any of the plans mentioned above, using a cloud integration tool will be your best option.

A cloud integration tool acts as a bridge to unify two different software. It synchronizes your Salesforce and QuickBooks data, then automates your workflows. The cost and process may differ from one provider to another.

But what apps could those be?

Salesforce recommends their prebuilt apps which you can find on AppExchange. It includes:

• DBSync
• Workato
• InterWeave
• Breadwinner
• Autofy 

You can browse for more options here.

As of this writing, there’s no solution to integrate QuickBooks and Salesforce Essentials yet. If you need to connect the two apps, you may want to consider getting an upgrade or subscribing to another plan.

Consider which integration software will fit your needs and budget when selecting among your options. There are free and paid options available. You can check first if the free options are enough to do the job. Otherwise, you can consider the paid options. You may also want to check if the provider offers integration support, or if they can do it for you, so you can do other core tasks while the integration is ongoing.

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Read Next: Exploring QuickBooks’ Online Inventory Management Feature

Which option is for you?

The best option among the three depends on the current QuickBooks and Salesforce plan that you have. But for now, it’s best to go with the third option because of its more flexible capabilities.

Salesforce Connector by QuickBooks is still relatively new — the possible reason why it’s only available in the Online Advanced plan and users are still complaining of integration issues. Meanwhile, the Salesforce CRM Connector is only available for QuickBooks Enterprise Diamond users. It also has a hefty amount, which may not be practical for small businesses.

Choose what you think is the most feasible for your business. Instead of giving you headaches, it must make the job easier for you. After all, it’s the reason why you’re considering trying the Salesforce to QuickBooks integration.