Overview and System Requirements

Overview

Four components work together to ensure the successful flow of information between Now Commerce and QuickBooks®.

The  QuickBooks Company File
The QuickBooks Company File is the database of record that makes Now Commerce so easy to use. Now Commerce relies on the accuracy and integrity of the data in the QuickBooks company file to properly present information to portal users.

The Now Commerce Company Portal
The Now Commerce Company Portal is the place where portal administrators set up, manage, and use Now Commerce. Administrators can access the company portal from any Internet connected browser.

The QuickBooks Web Connector
The QuickBooks Web Connector is a synchronization utility developed and supported by Intuit. It is used to synchronize Now Commerce with the most recent information from QuickBooks. The web connector can be run manually or it can be automated to run at user-defined intervals. Automation results in routine, unattended synchronizations, ensuring that the information in Now Commerce is in sync with QuickBooks.

Now Commerce is updated with information from the QuickBooks Customer Center, Item List, Price Level List, Sales Rep List and Ship Via List. Now Commerce is also updated with the transaction information for Estimates, Sales Orders, Invoices, Sales Receipts, Credit Memos, and Payments.

Now Commerce does not request, and the web connector does not access company financial information such as banking or ledger information, Social Security numbers, credit card information, or other personal data.

The Now Commerce Order Bridge
The Now Commerce Order Bridge is an order import utility developed and supported by Now Commerce. It is used to take pending orders from Now Commerce and create them as transactions (estimates, sales orders, invoices, or sales receipts) in QuickBooks. The order bridge can be run manually or it can be automated to run at user-defined intervals. Automation results in the routine, unattended creation of transactions in QB.

A typical flow of information between Now Commerce and QuickBooks

1. The QuickBooks Web Connector synchronizes Now Commerce with the most recent information from QuickBooks
2. Now Commerce users place orders online
3. The Now Commerce Order Bridge takes pending orders from Now Commerce and creates them as transactions in QuickBooks
4. Routine work is done in QuickBooks (manual order entry, invoicing, receiving payments, receiving inventory, etc.)
5. The QuickBooks Web Connector synchronizes Now Commerce with most recent information from QuickBooks (anything that has changed in QB since step 1 and as a result of steps 2-4 is updated)

System Requirements

There are minimum system requirements that must be met in order to ensure the successful flow of information between Now Commerce and QuickBooks.

1. Internet Connected Windows PC with QuickBooks Installed
2. Now Commerce requires the installation of two (2) utilities on an Internet connected Windows PC with QuickBooks installed. The QuickBooks company file can reside locally or on a server (including hosted environments), provided the server is Internet connected and there is a copy of QuickBooks on the server.

These utility requirements only apply to the one system that connects Now Commerce to QuickBooks. Portal users can access Now Commerce from any Internet connected browser and do not need any direct access to QuickBooks.

Supported QuickBooks Versions

Now Commerce relies on the QuickBooks Web Connector, which is compatible with both US and Canadian desktop versions of QuickBooks Pro, Premier, and Enterprise. The QuickBooks Web Connector is not compatible with QuickBooks for Mac or QuickBooks Online Edition.