Before You Start

This guide assumes you have active subscriptions to Cin7 Core (formerly DEAR Systems) and QuickBooks Online (Advanced or Plus recommended for inventory features).

Overview

60 min
Setup Time
Advanced
Difficulty
Weekly
Maintenance

What You’ll Learn

  • How to configure Cin7 Core for optimal QBO syncs
  • Setting up robust inventory tracking across channels
  • Mapping COGS, sales, and liability accounts accurately
  • Streamlining multi-location inventory reconciliation
  • Automating advanced reporting for better insights

1. Preparation Steps

Before connecting anything, ensure these accounts are set up in QuickBooks Online:

Required Accounts

  • Inventory Asset (Other Current Asset)
  • Cost of Goods Sold (COGS)
  • Sales (Income)
  • Accounts Receivable (Current Asset)

Optional (but recommended)

  • Inventory Adjustments (Expense/COGS)
  • Freight Expense (COGS)
  • Landed Cost (COGS)
  • Payment Clearing (Bank)

2. Understanding the Integration

The Cin7 Core (DEAR Systems) integration with QuickBooks Online focuses on automating inventory, sales, and COGS synchronization.

Key Benefits

This powerful integration offers significant advantages for complex inventory management.

Benefits:
  • Real-time inventory accuracy across channels.
  • Automated Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) tracking.
  • Multi-location and multi-currency support.
  • Consolidated financial reporting in QBO.
Considerations:
  • Requires careful initial setup and mapping.
  • Specific account types needed in QBO.
  • Can significantly impact existing QBO workflows.

Expert Tip: Proper initial setup of Cin7 Core’s accounting settings is paramount. Errors here can lead to significant discrepancies in your financial reports, especially for COGS and inventory valuation. Take your time to map everything correctly.

3. High-Level Workflow

Here’s a visual representation of how Cin7 Core integrates with QuickBooks Online, typically automating the flow of sales, purchases, and inventory adjustments.

Here is a sample code block to show how an API call might look when syncing data.

{
  "transaction_id": "C7-QBO-20250101-001",
  "type": "Sale",
  "date": "2025-01-01",
  "customer_name": "Acme Corp",
  "total_amount": 550.75,
  "cogs_amount": 210.50,
  "line_items": [
    { "sku": "INV-P-001", "quantity": 5, "price": 100.00 }
  ]
}

4. Setting Up the Cin7 Core Integration

  1. 1

    Enable QBO Integration in Cin7 Core

    Navigate to Integrations -> QuickBooks Online in Cin7 Core. Click the Connect button and authorize access to your QBO account.

  2. 2

    Map General Ledger Accounts

    Within Cin7 Core’s QBO settings, carefully assign your Cin7 Core transaction types (Sales, COGS, Inventory, Discounts, Taxes, etc.) to their corresponding QuickBooks chart of accounts.

  3. 3

    Configure Sync Settings

    Set your preferred sync frequency (manual or automatic), and determine which entities (sales orders, purchases, payments, inventory journals) you want to synchronize to QBO.

  4. 4

    Product & Service Mapping

    Ensure all products and services in Cin7 Core are correctly linked to their corresponding items in QuickBooks. This is vital for accurate COGS and sales reporting.

Common Error: Inaccurate COGS Posting

Make sure your Cin7 Core COGS account is mapped to a ‘Cost of Goods Sold’ type account in QuickBooks, not a generic ‘Expense’ account. This is crucial for proper profit and loss statement categorization.

5. Testing Your Setup

Test Sync Checklist

  • Create a test sales order in Cin7 Core and process it
  • Verify that the sales invoice and payment appear correctly in QBO
  • Confirm COGS entries are accurate for the test sale in QBO
  • Check that inventory levels are updated in both systems
  • Process a test purchase order in Cin7 Core and confirm vendor bills in QBO

Need Help?

Get Support

Integrating complex systems like Cin7 Core and QuickBooks Online can be challenging. Our expert team is here to provide tailored assistance and ensure a smooth setup.

Contact Us