Import from QuickBooks

This help note explains the steps to migrating or converting your data from QuickBooks Online (QBO) to Saasu. For simplicity Saasu always recommends migrating from other systems at a changeover date rather than bringing in all your old data.

Prior Preparation

  1. Make sure your old accounts are reconciled and up to date
  2. Get a Trial Balance from QuickBooks (as at your changeover date). In QuickBooks go to Reports > under the heading “For my accountant>  Click on Trial Balance to run this report.

NOTE: If your Quicken/Intuit product doesn’t provide CSV (spreadsheet) export files and data but instead provides their own QIF or IIF formats then you will need to find a converter online to change your data. Search Google for “QIF to CSV converters” or “IIF to CSV converters”. If this is problematic, we recommend not importing historical data and converting at an accounting period or year-end instead.

Import Chart of Accounts

  1. In QuickBooks Online go to Reports > under the heading “For my accountant” > Click on Account List > from the drop-down options, Select Export to Excel.
  2. Before importing downloaded file for your Chart of Accounts list, you need to format this file as per the Saasu CSV import format and save as CSV instead of Excel file.
  3. You may add first 3 or 4 accounts from your QuickBooks CSV to your Saasu file manually via Add > Accounts option.
  4. Once these accounts have been added select View > Import / Export > Export Chart of accounts within Saasu file.
  5. The accounts list CSV you have exported from your Saasu file will assist you in understanding how the remaining accounts need to be entered into your CSV.
  6. Go into your Saasu file and navigate to View > Import or Export > Click on Chart of Accounts.
  7. This will open the Import Chart of Accounts page within your Saasu file.
  8. Select Spreadsheet (CSV) from the first drop down.
  9. Click Choose File and browse for the Spreadsheet (CSV) file you wish to upload.
  10. Click the Import button.

Please note within Saasu, we have the following Chart of Accounts category types:

  • Asset
  • Cost of Sales
  • Equity
  • Expense
  • Income
  • Liability
  • Other Expense
  • Other Income

When you complete importing the Chart of Accounts check that the Saasu list has every account you need by ticking it off against the QuickBooks Trial balance report list of accounts.

QBO has a detail type and this column can be ignored while importing. For more information about importing the Chart of Accounts, see this help note.

Import Customers and Suppliers

QuickBooks has both a Customer Contact List and a Supplier Contact list. You will need to export both of these lists to have your customers and suppliers in the single Saasu Contact list.

To export the Customer list go to:

  1. In the left navigation panel, click Reports.
  2. Type Customer Contact List in the search box OR please locate the Customer Contact List under the heading Sales and Customers within the Report menu.
  3. Within the Customer Contact List report, please click the Customize button (Cog icon) located in the upper right-hand corner.
  4. Under Rows/Columns, click the Change Columns link.
  5. Put a checkmark in each of the fields that you want to export.
  6. Click Run Report.
  7. Click the Export icon next to the print option.

To export the Supplier/Vendor list go to:

  1. In the left Navigation panel, click Reports.
  2. Type Supplier Contact List in the search box OR please locate Supplier Contact List under the heading Expenses and Suppliers within the Report menu.
  3. Click the Customize button located in the upper right-hand corner.
  4. Under Rows/Columns, click the Change Columns link.
  5. Put a checkmark in each of the fields that you want to export.
  6. Click Run Report.
  7. Click the Export icon next to the print option.

Once you have exported Customers and Suppliers Contact list files from QuickBooks online and are ready to import your contacts, you can use these steps to import the data into Saasu.

  1. Open the exported files in a spreadsheet program and rearrange the columns to match Saasu’s format (including changing the header names). Learn more about Saasu’s Contact CSV format.
  2. Go into your Saasu file and navigate to View > Import or Export > Click on Import Contacts.
  3. Select Spreadsheet (CSV) from the first drop down.
  4. Click Choose File and browse for the Spreadsheet (CSV) file you wish to upload.
  5. Click the Import button.

Do the above steps for both the Customer Contact List and Supplier Contact List.

We always recommend doing a test import of 3-4 contacts prior to importing a large list. Also, we recommend importing a maximum of 500 contacts at a time.

Duplicates handling

If you are importing a CSV that has a contact that already exists in your Saasu file, we will either ‘Skip’ importing that contact or ‘Overwrite’ that contact based on your selection.

Skip- if we find any matches on the below criteria, we will stop importing that contact.

Overwrite- if we find any matches on the below criteria, we will import the contact and overwrite the existing contact with any details in the import. Note, this will remove any details for a field if the import has a blank field!

De-duplication rules

The system will check for duplicate contacts based on the following fields:

  • Contact ID
  • First Name & Last Name & Email
  • First Name & Last Name & Organisation

Inventory Items

NOTE: Before this step, refer to Importing Items for hints on how to fill in some of the fields.

  1. In QuickBooks go to the gear icon in the top right of the page > click on product and services option > click on the export icon to export the CSV file > Save the file on your computer.
  2. Add the first 3 or 4 items from your QuickBooks CSV to Saasu manually via Items > Items > Add.
  3. Once these items have been added select Export on the Items page and save the template to your computer.
  4. The items you had added will assist in understanding how the remaining items need to be entered into your spreadsheet.
  5. Enter the remaining Inventory Items from your QuickBooks CSV into the relevant columns on the Saasu exported CSV.
  6. We recommend to first import only a few additional Items to ensure you are happy with the process. In Saasu select Items > Items > Import.
  7. Once happy, continue adding your remaining items and import the spreadsheet once complete.

Note that:

  • Within ‘Description‘ column do not use commas in the description
  • The columns On Hand, On Order, Committed, Current Value cannot be updated using spreadsheets (See Item Opening Balances or create purchases)
  • Asset/Income/Cost of Sales Category: need to have the leading ‘Asset:’ Inventory or ‘Income:’ Sales etc

Open Transactions

Both sale and purchase invoices can be imported via spreadsheet or if you only have a few transactions you can key them in (just as they were keyed into your old system). Please note that we suggest importing only open (unpaid) transactions. We do not recommend bringing in historical paid transactions prior to your changeover date. This is because data from multiple financial years can be tricky to line up between systems, as well as the inability to mark invoices as ‘paid’ during importing. In case you do want to import historical paid transactions, we suggest you contact our Accounting Partners to assist you with this.

  1. In QuickBooks Export your Open Transactions.
  2. Create a dummy Sale (or Purchase depending on which you are working on) in Saasu by selecting Sales > Add. Once you have created and saved the Sale or Purchase select Export: Summary and Details (CSV) and save this template to your computer.
  3. Copy your transaction details from your QuickBooks export to the Saasu export, following the style set by your dummy transaction.
  4. Begin with importing just three or four transactions first by selecting View > Import or Export > Sales or Purchases. Once you have selected what it is you are importing you will need to map your information from your spreadsheet to the relevant fields within Saasu.
  5. Once you are happy with your mapping, save the mapping as something you will remember to be able to use next time so you do not have to set up this up again.
  6. Check the 3 or 4 transactions you have imported to ensure you are happy.
  7. If happy with these transactions continue to fill out your spreadsheet with all of your open transactions from QuickBooks and import these the same way.

Opening Balances

  1. Enter opening balances for Accounts via View > Accounts > Opening Balances. NOTE: Don’t enter Accounts payable or accounts receivable balances if you imported or enter any unpaid Sales or Purchases from the old software in the previous step. Add manually any unreconciled items where payments have not yet appeared in your bank statement or credit cards as at the changeover date (you will need this to tick off during bank reconciliation later.
  2. Enter opening balances for Inventory via Items > Items > Opening Balances

Cross check your old reports to Saasu

Run the Trial Balance report in Saasu as at your changeover date and compare it to your old software Trial balances. Allowing for some account names differences, all the account balances should line up.