When LedgerPort syncs an order from Shopify to QuickBooks, it needs to know what kind of transaction to create on the QuickBooks side. That is what the order sync method controls.
LedgerPort supports five methods: Sales Receipt, Invoice, Estimate, Daily Summary, and Tag-Based. Each one suits a different type of store or workflow. Choosing the right one upfront saves a lot of cleanup later.
Understanding Five Sync Methods
Sales Receipt
A Sales Receipt in QuickBooks records a sale where payment is collected at the time of purchase. This is the most common method for standard Shopify stores where customers pay at checkout.
Use this if:
- Most of your orders are paid immediately through Shopify Payments, PayPal, or another payment gateway.
- You run a direct-to-consumer store and do not extend credit or payment terms to customers.
- You want a straightforward, one-to-one record for each order in QuickBooks.
Each Shopify order creates one Sales Receipt in QuickBooks, including line items, taxes, shipping, and discounts.
Invoice
An Invoice in QuickBooks records a sale where payment is expected later. When LedgerPort syncs an order as an Invoice, it creates the Invoice first, then creates a Payment record when the order is paid in Shopify.
Use this if:
- You sell wholesale or B2B and offer payment terms (for example, net-30 or net-60).
- You need to track outstanding balances for customers who pay after fulfillment.
- Your accountant prefers to see open receivables in QuickBooks.
Note: If you use Invoices, LedgerPort will create two records per order: the Invoice when the order is placed, and a Payment when it is marked as paid in Shopify.
Estimate
An Estimate in QuickBooks is a non-posted record used to represent a potential or pending sale. It does not affect your books until it is converted to an Invoice or Sales Receipt.
Use this if:
- You take orders that are not yet confirmed or paid.
- Your workflow involves quoting customers before finalizing a sale.
- You want orders to appear in QuickBooks for review before they are recorded as actual revenue.
This is the least common method for Shopify stores. If you are unsure whether you need it, you probably do not.
Daily Summary
Instead of creating one record per order, Daily Summary mode creates a single journal entry at the end of each day that aggregates all orders from that day. Your QuickBooks stays clean and manageable, even during busy periods.
Use this if:
- You process a high volume of orders (roughly 100 or more per day) and do not need per-order detail in QuickBooks.
- Your accountant or bookkeeper works from totals rather than individual transactions.
- You want to reduce clutter in QuickBooks without losing accuracy.
Note: Daily Summary posting is available on the Growth and Scale plans. It is not included in the Starter plan.
Tag-Based
Tag-Based mode lets you use Shopify order tags to control how each order is recorded in QuickBooks. You create rules that map specific tags to specific transaction types, so different kinds of orders are handled differently without any manual work.
For example:
- Orders tagged wholesale sync as Invoices.
- Orders tagged retail sync as Sales Receipts.
- Orders tagged do-not-sync are skipped entirely.
Use this if:
- You have a mixed-order store serving both retail and wholesale customers.
- You want to exclude certain orders from syncing (returns, internal orders, test orders).
- You need different QuickBooks workflows for different sales channels or order types.
Note: Tag-Based routing is available on the Scale plan only.
Choosing the Right Method
Not sure which one fits your store? Here is a quick way to think about it.
| If you… | Use this method |
|---|---|
| Run a standard DTC store where customers pay at checkout | Sales Receipt |
| Sell B2B or offer payment terms to customers | Invoice |
| Take custom or pending orders before confirming payment | Estimate |
| Process a high volume of orders and prefer summarized books | Daily Summary |
| Have a mix of retail, wholesale, or orders that should be excluded | Tag-Based |
If you are still unsure, Sales Receipt is the right starting point for most stores.
You can always change your sync method later from Sync Config » Orders.
How to Configure Your Sync Method
- From the left sidebar, click Sync Config.
- Click the Orders tab.
- Under Sync Method, select the option that fits your store.
- If you selected Tag-Based, add your tag rules in the table below the dropdown. Enter each Shopify tag and the QuickBooks transaction type it should map to.
- If you selected Daily Summary, configure the account mapping fields that appear below the dropdown.
- Click Save to apply your changes.
Note: Changing your sync method does not affect orders that have already been synced. It only applies to orders going forward.
If you run into any issues, contact us and our support team will be happy to help.
