QuickBooks Desktop 2022: E-commerce Integration powered by Webgility

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Intuit recently released QuickBooks 2022 Desktop. The Author has been evaluating various pre-release versions of these products for almost a year and has spent hours communicating with Intuit personnel, including product managers and developers, so we can help you learn about the new products. This article is one in a series of individual product features intended to provide additional content to that found in our QuickBooks Desktop 2022 Product Summary.

About E-commerce Integration powered by Webgility

For QuickBooks Desktop users with an e-commerce presence, integration with Webgility means total management of all their e-commerce channels in one place, helping their business scale and offering a truly unified customer experience. Webgility integrates with major e-commerce platforms, marketplaces, payment processors, and shipping solutions.

This new functionality will be available to all QuickBooks Desktop 2022 users, including Pro Plus, Premier Plus, QuickBooks Desktop Accountant, and all QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise Solutions (v22.0) versions in the United States; however, the E-commerce Integration requires a separate Webgility subscription (see the disclosure information below found in the footnotes to this article).

How E-commerce powered by Webgility works with QuickBooks Desktop

Webgility is an integrated App that works with QuickBooks Desktop, but it requires a separate Webgility subscription.

Setting-up Your Webgility Subscription

NOTE: The following represents a summary of the steps in setting-up the Webgility integration with QuickBooks. It should NOT be considered a step-by-step guide to integration. We are illustrating Webgility and QuickBooks Enterprise in this summary.

  • From the QuickBooks Desktop menu bar, select Company, then choose My Company.
  • Go to the Apps, Services & Subscriptions Recommended for You Section of the My Company window, select Get E-commerce Integration.
  • If you're not already signed up for Webgility, you will need to select the subscription plan (shown below) that is most appropriate to your requirements. It's recommended that QuickBooks Desktop Pro Plus and Premier Plus customers select the Webgility E-commerce Core subscription, while QuickBooks Enterprise customers select either the Webgility E-commerce Classic or Deluxe subscriptions . Note: Users have the option to customize the volume of monthly orders, number of sales channels, and numbers of users for any Webgility subscription during sign-up. 
  • If you already have a Webgility subscription you will simply Activate the integration.
  • Once you have purchased or activated your Webgility subscription, proceed to integration.
  • At this point you will also book an appointment for on-boarding with a Webgility Implementation Specialist who will assist you with the set up process.

Integrating and Configuring Webgility

  • You will work with your Webgility Implementation Specialist to download, install and integrate Webgility with your Sales Channel(s) and your QuickBooks Desktop version.
  • After the initial download and installation, your Webgility Integration Specialist will help you connect Webgility to your sales channel(s). Webgility provides seamless e-commerce integration with Shopify, WooCommerce, Big Commerce, Magento and online marketplaces like eBay, Amazon, and Walmart.com. In the example below, the first integration being implemented is with Shopify.
  • Once Webgility is connected to your first sales channel, the Webgility Desktop will begin downloading information.

Once your sales channel information has been downloaded, you can proceed with the rest of your configuration. During setup, Webgility offers a maximum of setup flexibility to allow you to configure how every aspect of your data flows from your sales channel(s) to QuickBooks and be treated from a tracking standpoint.

A fundamental purpose of integrating Webgility and QuickBooks is the automatic posting of all your e-commerce transactions to QuickBooks, saving you time and preventing the need for manual entry. For example,  you have the option to manage your orders individually or in batches so that you can always match your bank balances. You can make these choices for each sales channel or even each payment method within individuals sales channels.

Webgility gives you control over that process as part of the configuration. For example, the screen below shows a typical configuration for the Posting Rules tab in the Orders set-up process.

  • Posting options include [A] individual vs. group order posting to QuickBooks.
  • The type of QuickBooks transaction [B] you want to be posted for each sales transaction (note that you can use different transaction types based on either order status or payment method).
  • Section [C] allows you to map QuickBooks payment methods and shipping methods to those in your sales channel(s).
  • Section [D] lets you enable related transactions like Purchase Orders, Credit Memos, and Refunds, and the associated workflows that Webgility offers that can streamline operational efficiencies in purchasing, fulfillment, returns, refunds, and more. 

But there is more to posting transactions than just the rules configured in the above window; there are other necessary settings you will also configure, as shown in the illustration below.

  • You must define how your transactions are numbered [A], and you might elect to use the number from your sales channel order, or the number QuickBooks assigns to the transaction type you have specified.
  • It's also essential to identify how products are reported on your QuickBooks order (also in Section A below). Some users want these items identified as described in their sales channel, but others want the description to appear as listed in QuickBooks.
  • In Section [B] above, you also determine how shipping charges are recorded for shipping income customers pay to have their orders shipped. Again, this must correspond to a QuickBooks item used to reflect shipping income; if you have multiple items, then map them as a part of this setup.

Webgility also offers maximum flexibility in how your products should be identified, linked to QuickBooks, and treated from a tracking standpoint. In addition, Webgility offers full integration with QuickBooks Enterprise Advanced Inventory functionality to maximize the efficiency of both QuickBooks and Webgility. Finally, as you can see from the screen below, Webgility gives you the ability to define many variants in how your products are mapped between your online store(s) and QuickBooks.

  • Typically most QuickBooks users select the option [A] above to match their sales channel(s) product SKU with their QuickBooks Item Name/Number. Still, there are many options when considering all the naming conventions and how Webgility allows you to handle variants.  
  • Webgility allows you to set rules on when matching products [B] are not found in QuickBooks.
  • The integration related to Advanced Inventory [C] when using QuickBooks Enterprise lets you map your various inventory sites when you work out of more than one inventory location for a given sales channel.

You will easily publish essential details about your products between QuickBooks, Webgility and each of your integrated sales channels in minutes. And, no matter how many sales channels you are managing, you will never oversell because Webgility makes it convenient to manage stock across multiple inventory sites and multiple sales channels with quantities and pricing updates at a moment's notice.

  • Transfer any inventory item or product from your sales channel(s) to QuickBooks or vice versa.
  • Transfer inventory items or products between inventory locations when using QuickBooks Enterprise Advanced Inventory.
  • Transfer one or a thousand items/products simply by clicking the Transfer Product(s) button with any/all of them selected.

Along with your products, another area of related consideration must be sales tax. Sales tax settings can vary quite a bit between different clients with different sales tax needs. The illustration below shows the typical Webgility settings used in more straightforward configurations. 

  • While some users will let QuickBooks re-calculate sales taxes if they have a 3rd Party Sales Tax solution (like Avalara), the vast majority will choose to post the sales taxes calculated by their sales channel(s) to a line item [A] in QuickBooks.
  • You will also specify settings, including line item(s) for non-taxable items [B], and can designate items [C] as taxable or non-taxable.
  • If you have a highly complex sales tax situation, you should work with a tax specialist and inform your Webgility Implementation Specialist how you need sales tax configured.

Because Webgility has omni-channel capabilities, your customers will find consistency in inventory, pricing, and product information across sales channels, creating a positive experience that will grow satisfaction and sales. Customers are a high priority, and Webgility recognizes that there can be variability in how you choose to handle customers from another QuickBooks user or even a different one of your own sales channels. For example, you might want to record individual customer transactions in one sales channel, or you might want to post all transactions to a single customer such as 'SHOPIFY DEMO CUSTOMER' from your Shopify channel.

You can see from the Webgility screen below that you have maximum flexibility in setting up customers. You define how you track and match those customers between your sales channel(s) and QuickBooks.

  • One of the most critical aspects of managing customers is matching them [Section A] between the sales channel(s) and QuickBooks. Most QuickBooks users select Email to Email as their first method of comparative matching.
  • As with many other areas of the configuration process, you need to tell Webgility how to handle information when things don't match up; in Section [B], you specify what to do with non-matching customers.  
  • You may or may not elect to use various other settings [C and D above]; your Webgility Implementation Specialist will help you with areas you require.

One of the benefits of Webgility is the ability to deal with discounts coming from your online store orders.

  • If your store uses coupon code discounts, you must enable the recording of discounts and choose a discount item for Webgility to track those discounts.  
  • You also need to set whether those discounts are applied before or after tax.
  • You also have an option to record coupon codes as specific line items in QuickBooks if you want to track individual discounts. 

If you are using sales channels like Shopify, eBay, Amazon, and others, you may need to manage the fees and expenses associated with those channels. The Webgility screen shown below is designed just for that purpose. For example, in the case below, a Shopify sales channel is illustrated.

  • Webgility allows you to record the payment fees to your processor, in this case, Shopify, and designate the QuickBooks line item and the related accounting.
  • You also can record refunded payment fees and the related QuickBooks line item and accounting.
  • Your Webgility Implementation Specialist will help you with this tracking should you require assistance.

Using Webgility with QuickBooks Desktop

After set-up is complete, you will be taken to the New Orders view on the Webgility Dashboard (shown below).

  • Once an order is downloaded into Webgility Desktop, you can direct it to be posted into QuickBooks.
  • Select the order(s) you want to post to QuickBooks, using the check-boxes to the left of each Order #, then click the blue Post to QuickBooks button at the bottom of the Webgility Desktop.
  • If you double click on any order, you will be shown the Order Details (illustrated below).
  • Most of the information about an order appears on this screen, including product details, customer, payment information, shipping details, and QuickBooks-related information. Additional information linked to the order is easily accessed simply by changing tabs within this window.

You might not be aware that Webgility has comprehensive shipping features built into the order management features it offers. Webgility provides integrations to UPS, FedEx, ShipStation, and Stamps.com. Suppose you have two or more shipping providers connected to Webgility; you can compare the rates for all carriers and available service types to select the lowest rate possible that still gets the order to your customer on time.

There are many other areas of day-to-day use of Webgility that your Webgility Integration Specialist can guide you in.

Webgility Intelligence is a new AI-based analytics application that will give you even greater insight into your business performance and profitability when coupled with QuickBooks.

To learn more about this feature:

If you are reading this (due to our publication date) then you either already attended, or you missed, Insightful Accountant's special  September QB Talks held on October 6, 2021 when Laura Madeira presented a special version of her "What's New in QuickBooks Desktop for 2022". You could of course read Laura's Intuit Firm of the Future article on QuickBooks Desktop 2022 or you could attend one of two webinars that Laura will be presenting on behalf of Intuit. You can register for those Intuit webinars at the Firm of the Future article website here.

Editor's Acknowledgements

A special thank you goes out to Madhumita Tayade, Leslie Duke, Jamie Herbstman, Nipun Bahatia and Kim Ambsbaugh, all of Intuit, who were involved in a special pre-publication review of this specific article due to the complexities involved in covering all the aspects of the integration between QuickBooks and Webgility. Your comments, suggestions and review were of tremendous benefit.

Thanks to Webgility for the use of many of the images and illustrations in this feature, Insightful Accountant adapted them from their Help Center information for solely for educational purposes. A general acknowledgment to Intuit for many graphic images used in this feature, some were used as provided from Intuit resources, Insightful Accountant adapted others to magnify or emphasize a specific QuickBooks feature. In addition, Laura Madeira provided some images, and the Author prepared additional graphic images used in this feature from pre-release copies of QuickBooks 2022. Title art adapted courtesy of Intuit.

Footnotes & Disclosures:

The E-commerce Integration feature described herein requires a separate Webgility subscription account billed directly from Webgility. Your Webgility account will automatically be charged the package price on a monthly or annual basis, starting when you initiate your subscription until you cancel. Prices shown for Webgility subscription accounts were current at the time of publication, pricing may change over time, Insightful Accountant has no control over, nor guarantees, any prices reflected within this article.

To cancel your Webgility E-commerce subscription at any time, you must log in to your Webgility account customer portal or contact the Webgility customer success team at customersuccess@webgility.com or by calling 877.753.5373 ext. 2. Cancellations become effective at the end of the monthly billing period, and subscriptions terminate at that time. You will not receive a prorated refund; your access and subscription benefits will continue for the remainder of the billing period.

Be aware that cancellation or termination of any QuickBooks subscription will not automatically cancel your Webgility subscription. Each subscription must be canceled individually.