Note: This article specifically covers the Contact Sync integration. If you're looking for information on Billing Sync, please refer to this article.
Index
Integration Basics
What does this integration do?
The Karbon QuickBooks Online Accountant Contact Sync integration synchronizes customer records between QuickBooks Online Accountant and Karbon. It’s a two-way sync that ensures any changes made in either system are reflected in the other.
Will it import all contacts from QuickBooks Online Accountant?
Yes, it will import all contacts, but it will skip contacts that are missing both a business name and a contact name.
How does it keep data up to date?
The integration supports both manual and automatic data synchronization:
You can manually trigger a sync by clicking the "Sync Now" button on the Connected Apps page.
The integration listens for changes in contact records in QuickBooks Online Accountant and Karbon. If changes are detected (e.g., name, email, phone number, or address), the relevant data is updated in the other application.
What do I need to set up this integration?
You will need admin access to both Karbon and QuickBooks Online Accountant to set up the integration.
Does this integration support linking hidden contacts?
No, hidden contacts in QuickBooks Online Accountant will not be synced, which may result in a new public contact being created in Karbon if there’s no match.
Does this integration support sub-customer/parent contacts?
No, sub-customers with assigned parent customers will not be synced. To include these contacts in the sync, you must first un-nest them by editing the customer record in QuickBooks Online Accountant, disabling the "Is a sub-customer" setting, and updating the company/display name accordingly.
Connecting to QuickBooks Online Accountant in Karbon
Can I connect my QuickBooks Online Accountant account to multiple Karbon accounts?
No, QuickBooks Online Accountant only allows one instance of the Karbon syncing app per account.
What happens if there’s already a contact in Karbon that is similar to a QuickBooks Online Accountant contact?
If both the name and email address match, the integration will attempt to automatically connect the two records.
If only the name or email address matches, you will be given the option to manually find a connection or create a new contact.
If neither the name nor email matches, a new contact will be created in Karbon.
What happens if I delete a contact in QuickBooks Online Accountant?
If you delete a contact in QuickBooks Online Accountant, the synchronization between the two platforms will break, but the contact will still be retained in Karbon.
Can I manually force a sync?
Yes, you can manually sync all QuickBooks Online Accountant records by clicking the "Sync Now" button in the Connected Apps page of Karbon.
Data Mapping
What data will it import into Karbon?
The integration will import the following fields from QuickBooks Online Accountant:
Name
Email
Phone number(s)
Physical address
Mailing address
How is a client match determined?
Exact Match: If both the name and email match, the contact will be automatically matched.
Partial Match: If either the name or email matches, Karbon will show a duplicate resolution screen where you can either select the correct match or create a new contact.
No Match: If neither name nor email matches, a new contact will be created in Karbon.
Can matches be removed?
Yes, you can remove matches either from the QuickBooks Online Accountant client list in the integration settings or from the Organization or Contact details screen in Karbon. However, bulk removal of matches is not supported.
Organizations and Individuals
How do we decide if a QuickBooks Online Accountant contact is an Individual or Organization?
The integration checks the "Display Name" field of the QuickBooks Online Accountant contact:
If the Display Name matches the "Business Name" of the QuickBooks Online Accountant contact, the contact is treated as an Organization.
If the Display Name does not match the "Business Name," the contact is treated as an Individual.
If a client in QuickBooks Online Accountant is created as an Individual (vs. a Business), it will be treated as a Person in Karbon.
Display Name
How do we populate the QuickBooks Online Accountant DisplayName property when the contact is created in Karbon?
When creating a new contact in Karbon with a Contact Type selected to synchronize with QuickBooks Online for Accountants (QBOA), the integration must carefully handle the 'Display Name' field.
QuickBooks Online for Accountants requires the 'Display Name' field to be unique for each client. To ensure proper synchronization, the Karbon integration automatically populates this field using the following logic:
The system attempts to generate an appropriate 'Display Name' value based on the contact information provided in Karbon.
Organizations:
The 'Name' field is used to populate both the 'Business Name' and 'Display Name' for the new client created in QBOA.
People:
The 'First', 'Middle', and 'Last' name fields in Karbon are combined to create the 'Display Name' in QBOA.
The 'First Name' and 'Last Name' fields in QBOA are also updated to match what is entered in Karbon.
Note: QuickBooks Online for Accountants does not include a Middle Name field on the client record.
The 'Display Name' field is mandatory in QBOA and is required for successful synchronization.
The integration includes validation to prevent duplicate 'Display Name' conflicts.
If the proposed Display Name is already in use in QBOA, a new client will not be created.
This name-creation process helps maintain data integrity between Karbon and QuickBooks Online for Accountants, ensuring all compliance requirements are met for accurate contact-to-client mapping.
Addresses
How do addresses in QuickBooks Online Accountant map to Karbon?
The Billing Address in QuickBooks Online Accountant maps to the Mailing Address in Karbon.
The Shipping Address in QuickBooks Online Accountant maps to the Physical Address in Karbon.
Does all address data in QuickBooks Online Accountant get imported into Karbon?
QuickBooks Online Accountant allows up to 5 address lines with a 500-character limit, along with City, Country, and Postal/Zip code. In Karbon, addresses have a single Lines field (up to 200 characters) and shorter fields for City, State, Country, and Postal/Zip code. As a result, some data may be truncated when imported into Karbon.