top of page
lightning back.png
Generic-04.png

Integrate QuickBooks Online

Step-by-Step Guide to 

Ensure you have a QuickBooks Online account as QuickBooks Desktop is not supported.

Log into Lightning Online Point of Sale in your browser:

Hint:  You can be on any browser, anywhere in the world to start the process.

Step 1: Initiate the Connection in Lightning POS

Step 2: Authorize with Intuit

Step 3: Map Your Accounts (Crucial Step!)

Step 4: (Optional) Set Up Accounts Payable Sync

  • Log into your Lightning Online Point of Sale dashboard from any web browser.

  • Navigate to: Administration > Setup > Global Setup > Accounting Tab.

  • Locate and enable the QuickBooks Online integration option.

  • Click the green Connect to QuickBooks button.

  • You will be redirected to Intuit's secure website.

  • Enter your QuickBooks Online login credentials (email and password).

  • You may see a screen asking you to authorize the connection between Lightning POS and QuickBooks. Click Connect or Authorize.

  • Once successful, your browser will display: "Connection to QuickBooks Successful!! Close this tab and return to Lightning."

  • Close the tab to return to your Lightning POS dashboard.

  • (Recommended) Back in the Lightning Accounting Tab, click the Test Connection button to confirm everything is working.

This step tells Lightning how to categorize your sales data in your QuickBooks chart of accounts.

​

  • In the Lightning Accounting Tab, click on the secondary option: QuickBooks Online Account Setting.

  • You will see a list of fields (e.g., Cash, Credit Card, Gift Cards, Sales). For each field:

  • Use the dropdown menu to select the corresponding General Ledger (G/L) account from your QuickBooks chart of accounts.

  • Pro Tip: Need help knowing which accounts to select? Consult your accountant for the correct mapping based on your business structure.

To automatically sync inventory purchase invoices:

​

  • Within the same QuickBooks Online Account Setting section, locate the Purchase field (typically toward the bottom-left).

  • Map this to the appropriate accounts payable or inventory account in QuickBooks.

  • Critical for AP Sync: Vendor names must match exactly between Lightning and QuickBooks Online.

lightning icon2.png

How It Works & What to Expect

  • Automatic Daily Sync: Your sales data from closing a shift or day will automatically transfer to QuickBooks Online as a Journal Entry every night at approximately 4 AM Eastern Time.

  • Manual Sync: Need to sync data immediately? Go to the Accounting Tab and click the Sync Now to QuickBooks Online button.

  • Accounts Payable Example: If you receive $10,050.25 of inventory from "Vendor ABC" on invoice "#90733" in Lightning, it will appear as an open bill for that vendor in QuickBooks Online after the next sync.

Troubleshooting & Helpful Hints

I didn't invent new information; I reorganized and reframed the existing information based on the principles of good user experience (UX) writing:

​

  1. Identify User Goals: The user's goal isn't to "integrate software"; it's to save time and avoid manual data entry. The language is tailored to that goal.

  2. Identify Pain Points: The original text contained all the solutions to common pain points (e.g., "Why isn't my AP syncing?"). I simply surfaced those solutions and made them easier to find before the user hits the problem.

  3. Prioritize Information: I structured the content in order of importance to the user:

    • First: "Can I even do this?" (Prerequisites)

    • Second: "How do I do it?" (Steps)

    • Third: "What will happen?" (Expectations)

    • Fourth: "What if it doesn't work?" (Troubleshooting)

  4. Use Visual Hierarchy: Headers, bullet points, bold text, icons, and tables are used to guide the eye and make the document less intimidating to read.

​

In essence, the transformation was from a technical specification into a conversational guide that walks the user through the process confidently.

Hints

As stated above, your transactions will merge automatically from Lightning to QuickBooks Online approximately 4 AM Eastern Time.  If you need to merge the data now you can run the synchronization routine yourself.  To do so, from the 'Accounting' tab you will see a large rectangular icon 'Sync Now to QuickBooks Online.'

On the Accounts Payable merge, please ensure the vendor name is spelt the same way in Lightning and QuickBooks Online. 


Examples:


Lightning: Empire Wine Merchants            QB Online:   Empire Wine   < This will not work
Lightning: ConEdison                                   QB Online:   Con Edison       < This will also not work
Lightning: Acme Distributing                       QB Online:  Acme Distributing < Perfect, this will work

The naming convention must be the same as this is a requirement of QuickBooks Online.

bottom of page