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QuickBooks Invoicing in ClubSoft

ClubSoft supports a QuickBooks-first invoicing workflow for clubs that want QuickBooks to remain their accounting source of truth while still allowing members and guests to pay securely online through ClubSoft.

This setup is designed for clubs that rely on QuickBooks for bookkeeping, reporting, taxes, and invoice records, but still want the convenience of online payments, automated payment links, member portal visibility, and ClubSoft’s operational workflows.

How QuickBooks Invoicing Works

When QuickBooks is selected as your club’s invoice source, QuickBooks creates and owns the official invoice record. ClubSoft then mirrors those invoices into the app so administrators, members, and guests can view and pay them online.

In this setup:

QuickBooks handles accounting.
ClubSoft handles online payment collection.
Stripe processes the payment.

ClubSoft does not use QuickBooks Payments. Online payments are collected through Stripe and then written back to QuickBooks as payments against the original invoice.

What This Means for Your Club

When QuickBooks invoicing is enabled:

  • Invoices can be created in QuickBooks and synced into ClubSoft.
  • ClubSoft can automatically email secure payment links.
  • Members can pay invoices without needing to log in.
  • Guests can pay temporary assignment invoices using secure payment links.
  • Payments collected through ClubSoft are recorded back to QuickBooks.
  • QuickBooks remains the source of truth for invoice balances, sales tax, and accounting records.
  • Or QuickBooks invoices can be created within the ClubSoft app allowing for true 2-way sync.

ClubSoft keeps the member-facing experience simple while preserving the bookkeeping workflow your club already uses.

Invoice Source Settings

ClubSoft supports two invoice source modes:

ClubSoft / Stripe

In this mode, ClubSoft creates invoices directly in the app and payment collection happens through Stripe.

This mode is best for clubs that want ClubSoft to manage invoice creation directly.

QuickBooks

In this mode, invoices are created in QuickBooks and synced into ClubSoft.

This mode is best for clubs that already manage accounting in QuickBooks and want ClubSoft to provide member visibility, payment links, and online payment collection.

When QuickBooks is selected, core billing invoices should originate in QuickBooks or through approved ClubSoft workflows that create QuickBooks invoices.

Syncing QuickBooks Invoices

ClubSoft can import QuickBooks invoices manually or automatically.

Manual Sync

Administrators can manually sync QuickBooks invoices from the Financials area. This pulls new and updated QuickBooks invoices into ClubSoft.

Auto Sync

ClubSoft automatically check QuickBooks for new or updated invoices on a schedule.

This helps keep ClubSoft aligned with QuickBooks without requiring manual syncing each time a new invoice is created.

Automatic Payment Links

ClubSoft automatically emails payment links when new QuickBooks invoices are synced.

When this setting is enabled:

  1. A QuickBooks invoice is created.
  2. ClubSoft syncs or imports the invoice.
  3. ClubSoft matches the invoice to a member or guest when possible.
  4. ClubSoft emails a secure payment link.
  5. The member or guest can pay online.

Manual “Send payment link” is also available from Financials.

No-Login Payment Links

ClubSoft payment links can be securely accessed without requiring the member or guest to sign in.

This is especially useful for:

  • Guests
  • Temporary assignments
  • One-time payers
  • Members who do not regularly use the portal
  • Quick payment collection from email links

Payment links use secure access tokens so the payer can access only the specific invoice/payment page.

Payment Methods

Clubs can choose which payment methods are available for QuickBooks-origin invoices.

Available options may include:

Card Payments

Members and guests can pay by card through Stripe.

ACH / Bank Transfer

If enabled and supported by the club’s Stripe setup, members and guests can pay by bank transfer or ACH.

Check / Offline Payment

Clubs can display check or offline payment instructions on the payment page.

Check/offline payments are not processed online through ClubSoft. The club records the payment manually in QuickBooks, and ClubSoft updates after the next QuickBooks sync.

Processing Fees and Platform Fees

ClubSoft supports flexible fee handling for QuickBooks-origin invoices.

Depending on your club’s settings, fees may be absorbed by the club or passed to the payer.

Fee types may include:

  • Stripe card processing fees
  • Stripe ACH processing fees
  • ClubSoft platform/application fees

Important Accounting Rule

For QuickBooks invoices, ClubSoft preserves this rule:

The QuickBooks Payment applied to the QuickBooks Invoice equals the original QuickBooks invoice balance only.

If a payer pays additional processing or platform fees, those fees are handled separately from the original invoice balance.

For example:

QuickBooks invoice balance:     $260.00
Card processing fee:              $8.19
ClubSoft platform fee:            $3.90
Total paid by payer:            $272.09

QuickBooks Payment applied:     $260.00

This keeps QuickBooks invoice balances clean while still allowing clubs to recover online payment costs when configured.

Fee Accounting Options

ClubSoft supports different ways to handle member-paid fees.

Reporting Only

Fees are tracked in ClubSoft and Stripe reporting, but no separate QuickBooks Sales Receipt is created for the fee amount.

QuickBooks Sales Receipt

When enabled, ClubSoft can create a separate QuickBooks Sales Receipt for member-paid processing/platform fees.

This allows the club to separately track fee income or surcharge amounts in QuickBooks while keeping the original invoice payment clean.

A QuickBooks item/service must be mapped for online payment fee accounting when this option is used.

Card, ACH, and Credit/Debit Notes

ClubSoft can store card funding metadata, such as whether a card payment appears to be credit, debit, prepaid, or unknown.

However, true credit-vs-debit-specific pricing may depend on legal, compliance, and processor limitations. Clubs should confirm their fee policies with qualified legal, tax, or accounting advisors before passing fees to members or guests.

ClubSoft does not provide legal, tax, or accounting advice.

Temporary Assignments and Guest Reservations

ClubSoft supports temporary resource assignments such as:

  • Guest slip rentals
  • Temporary moorage
  • Parking assignments
  • Short-term reservations
  • Sublease/rental windows

Temporary Assignments in QuickBooks Mode

When QuickBooks is the invoice source, ClubSoft can create a QuickBooks invoice for the temporary assignment and mirror it back into ClubSoft.

This works for both:

  • existing members
  • guests / non-members

For guests, ClubSoft can create or find a QuickBooks customer record, create the invoice in QuickBooks, mirror the invoice into ClubSoft, and allow the guest to pay by secure payment link.

QuickBooks Customer Mapping

For QuickBooks invoices to appear under the correct member in ClubSoft, the QuickBooks customer must be linked to a ClubSoft member or guest record.

If ClubSoft cannot match a QuickBooks customer, the invoice may appear as an unmapped QuickBooks customer.

Administrators can resolve this by linking the QuickBooks customer to the correct ClubSoft member.

For ClubSoft-created QuickBooks invoices, ClubSoft attempts to preserve the member/customer relationship so future syncs do not lose the mapping.

QuickBooks Item Mapping

Some ClubSoft workflows require QuickBooks product/service items to be mapped.

Examples include:

  • temporary assignment daily charges
  • marketplace bill-to-account invoices
  • online payment fee Sales Receipts
  • future billing automation workflows

For temporary assignment billing, each relevant resource category can have a QuickBooks item/service selected.

QuickBooks tax behavior follows the QuickBooks item and company settings when QuickBooks is the invoice source.

Marketplace and Events

ClubSoft supports marketplace and event payment workflows while QuickBooks invoicing is enabled.

Depending on your configuration:

  • immediate marketplace checkout can still use Stripe
  • card-on-file payments can still use Stripe
  • invoice-later workflows may be routed to QuickBooks when enabled
  • future bill-to-account workflows may create QuickBooks invoices

This allows clubs to gradually move receivable workflows into QuickBooks without disrupting immediate payment flows.

What QuickBooks Remains Responsible For

When QuickBooks is the invoice source, QuickBooks remains responsible for:

  • official invoice records
  • invoice numbering
  • invoice balances
  • sales tax behavior for QuickBooks invoices
  • accounting reports
  • customer accounting records
  • manual check/offline payment recording
  • credits, refunds, voids, and adjustments when handled directly in QuickBooks

ClubSoft mirrors and helps collect payments, but QuickBooks remains the accounting system of record.

What ClubSoft Handles

ClubSoft helps with:

  • syncing QuickBooks invoices
  • showing invoices in the member portal
  • emailing secure payment links
  • collecting online payments through Stripe
  • writing payments back to QuickBooks
  • showing payment status
  • handling member/guest payment access
  • temporary assignment invoicing
  • extension invoices
  • payment method options
  • fee snapshots and staff payment details

Known Limitations

Some advanced accounting scenarios may require manual review or future automation.

Current or future limitations may include:

  • true credit-vs-debit-specific surcharge logic
  • automated refund or reversal handling for fee Sales Receipts
  • partial payment reconciliation
  • voids and credits
  • external QuickBooks edits after payment
  • complex two-way reconciliation
  • bulk/tagged invoice generation
  • advanced billing automation

These are planned or future workflow areas.

Recommended Setup Checklist

Before using QuickBooks invoicing in ClubSoft, confirm:

  • QuickBooks is connected.
  • Stripe is connected for online payment collection.
  • Invoice source is set to QuickBooks.
  • QuickBooks invoice sync is enabled if desired.
  • Auto-send payment links is configured.
  • Payment methods are selected.
  • Fee responsibility settings are reviewed.
  • Online payment fee item is mapped if using QuickBooks Sales Receipts for fees.
  • Members are linked to QuickBooks customers.
  • Resource categories have QuickBooks items mapped for temporary assignment billing.
  • Staff understand that check/offline payments are recorded manually in QuickBooks.

Setting Up QuickBooks Invoicing

To setup QuickBooks as the source of truth for your invoicing, you will need to go to the Configuration – Billing & Payments and changing the Invoicing Source to QuickBooks (prior to this setup you need to configure both QuickBooks and Stripe in the Integration settings).

Best Practice

For clubs using QuickBooks as their accounting system, the recommended model is:

Create and maintain accounting records in QuickBooks.
Use ClubSoft to make invoices visible and payable online.
Use Stripe for secure payment collection.
Let ClubSoft write payments back to QuickBooks.

This gives clubs the operational convenience of ClubSoft without replacing QuickBooks as the accounting source of truth.