Connecting QuickBooks to Trade2Base
The QuickBooks integration automatically pushes invoices and payments from Trade2Base into QuickBooks so your bookkeeper or accountant always has up-to-date records without any double entry. Setup takes around five minutes.
Connecting QuickBooks via OAuth
Go to Settings → Integrations → QuickBooks
Click the Connect QuickBooks button.
Authorise in QuickBooks
You are redirected to QuickBooks Online. Sign in with your QuickBooks credentials and click Authorise to grant Trade2Base access to your QuickBooks company.
Return to Trade2Base
After authorising you are returned to the integration settings page. Trade2Base confirms the connection is active and displays your QuickBooks company name.
Note
You need to be an admin in both Trade2Base and QuickBooks to complete the connection. If you get an authorisation error, check you are signed in to QuickBooks as a Company Admin rather than a Standard User.
Mapping VAT rates to QuickBooks tax codes
After connecting, Trade2Base shows you each VAT rate you use and asks you to map it to the equivalent QuickBooks tax code. This step is required before any invoices can sync.
Standard rate (20%) → select your QuickBooks 20% VAT on Sales code.
Reduced rate (5%) → select your QuickBooks 5% VAT on Sales code.
Zero rate (0%) → select your QuickBooks Zero Rated Sales code.
Exempt → select your QuickBooks Exempt code if applicable.
Click Save mappings. Trade2Base uses these codes on every invoice it sends to QuickBooks.
How customer records are mapped
When Trade2Base syncs an invoice for the first time, it searches QuickBooks for a customer with a matching name. If a match is found, the invoice is linked to that existing QuickBooks customer. If no match is found, Trade2Base automatically creates a new customer in QuickBooks using the name, email address, and billing address from the Trade2Base customer record. You do not need to create customers in QuickBooks manually. If a customer's name in Trade2Base differs slightly from the name in QuickBooks (e.g. “Mr J Smith” vs “John Smith”), a sync error is raised so you can resolve the match manually — see Handling sync errors below.
How and when invoices sync to QuickBooks
You choose the trigger for invoice sync in the QuickBooks integration settings:
On send — the invoice is pushed to QuickBooks as soon as you send it to the customer. This is the default and recommended option.
On payment mark — the invoice is pushed to QuickBooks only when you record a payment against it in Trade2Base. Use this if you prefer to keep draft and unpaid invoices out of QuickBooks.
How Stripe payments sync automatically
When a customer pays an invoice via your Stripe payment link, Trade2Base receives confirmation from Stripe and immediately records the payment against the invoice. This payment is then synced to QuickBooks as a payment receipt against the corresponding invoice. The payment method is recorded as “Stripe” in QuickBooks. Manual payments (cash, BACS) recorded in Trade2Base are also synced to QuickBooks with the payment method and date you entered.
Handling sync errors
If a sync fails, a red badge appears on Settings → Integrations → QuickBooks showing the number of failed items. Common causes and fixes:
Duplicate customer names — two customers in QuickBooks have the same name. Rename one in QuickBooks, then retry the sync from Trade2Base.
VAT code mismatch — a VAT rate on the invoice does not have a mapping. Go to the VAT mapping screen, add the missing mapping, and retry.
QuickBooks token expired — QuickBooks OAuth tokens expire after 101 days of inactivity. Go to Settings → Integrations → QuickBooks and click Reconnect.
Invoice number conflict — the invoice number already exists in QuickBooks. Edit the invoice number in Trade2Base to make it unique, then retry.
Disconnecting QuickBooks
To disconnect, go to Settings → Integrations → QuickBooks and click Disconnect. Trade2Base will stop syncing invoices and payments immediately. Any data already synced remains in QuickBooks — disconnecting does not delete historical records. You can reconnect at any time using the same OAuth flow.
Differences between Xero and QuickBooks sync in Trade2Base
Both integrations sync invoices, payments, and customer records — core functionality is the same.
Xero uses “Branding Themes” for invoice appearance; QuickBooks uses its own template system. Trade2Base invoice PDFs are sent separately in both cases.
Xero supports tracking categories (e.g. by department or location); the QuickBooks sync does not map to Classes or Locations by default.
QuickBooks supports both QuickBooks Online Simple Start, Essentials, and Plus. Trade2Base requires Essentials or Plus for VAT return integration.
Xero has a native bank feed; QuickBooks has bank feed via QuickBooks Banking. Both work alongside Trade2Base without conflict.
If you are switching from Xero to QuickBooks (or vice versa), disconnect the old integration first and run both for a period in parallel if your accountant recommends it.
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