An Overview For How To Work with 3dCart’s QuickBooks E-Commerce Plug-in
By Shana Whitmarsh at LucidStream
Here’s what you need to get started:
- A 3dCart hosting plan that includes the QuickBooks plug-in
- A PC with an Internet connection that’s running on Windows® 2000, XP or Vista. 3dCart has also confirmed that it works with Windows® 7. This should be the same PC on which you’ve installed QuickBooks and that you use to manage your online store. This plug-in is not compatible with Macs.
- QuickBooks or QuickBooks Pro 2003 or newer.
- The 3dCart Instruction Manual, which is informative and also lists the minimum system requirements (reprinted again below): http://www.3dcart.com/quickbooks/manual
- The plugin, which will only work with your 3dCart hosting plan once 3dCart configures it on their end (more on that below). You’ll need to download the QuickBooks 3dCart Plug-In from 3dCart.
The 3dCart plug-in for QuickBooks actually has two parts, a desktop application and a server-side component that 3dCart will install for your online store. You will be downloading and installing a plug-in locally on the computer where you have installed QuickBooks. That PC should also have internet access for you to be able to log into your online store admin panel after you notify 3dCart and they configure the server-side software on their end for your e-commerce store. Their Support Team usually has this software configured within a day of when you notify them that you’d like it to be activated for your account.
Once the 3dCart plugin desktop application is installed on your computer and 3dCart Support has configured the server side software, you can your download store data to QuickBooks, including:
- Exporting your products into QuickBooks
- Download your inventory into QuickBooks
- Generate invoices or sales receipts from your online orders
- Synchronize customer information between QuickBooks and your e-commerce store
How to download store information from 3dCart to QuickBooks — An Overview:
- You need to configure the software before you can use it.
- Log into your 3dCart online store manager
- Go to Plugins > Order Management > QuickBooks
- Make sure that you have entered a username and password in this screen (if you missed this step, you can refer to the setup instructions in the 3dCart QuickBooks setup instruction manual PDF). The password should not have special characters or it might not work.
- Follow the instructions in the 3dCart QuickBooks setup guide for setting up QuickBooks to work with the desktop software that you installed.
- Back up your QuickBooks database before doing your first import/export.
- Start up QuickBooks and log into your 3dCart online store manager
- Start up the 3dCart QuickBooks desktop application and click “Connect”, then choose:
- Product Import/Export
- Inventory Update
- Order Download
Each time you want to download information from the online store, you will need to be logged into your store admin panel and QuickBooks while you’re using the desktop 3dCart QuickBooks software application, where you make a manual request to download information. When you make that request, it should update your local QuickBooks automatically with information that is downloaded from the online store to QuickBooks. As we mentioned earlier, 3dCart will need to configure the server side of the software to work with the plugin. If you’re a LucidStream e-commerce client or you’d like some help getting started with QuickBooks, we can help facilitate this process. If you’re installing QuickBooks and you don’t have an existing database, you don’t need to set QuickBooks up any special way, other than to follow the instructions in the 3dCart QuickBooks Setup Guide PDF.
System Requirements and Compatible Versions of QuickBooks:
System Requirements
Client (local computer or computers)
Processor: Pentium® or better
OS: Windows® 2000, XP, Vista
RAM: 256-Mb
Disk space: 50 MB
Monitor: 800×600 Resolution
Software: QuickBooks 2003 or higher, the Pro Edition or higher (this includes specialized editions such as the Accountant Edition, Contractor Edition, Nonprofit Edition, etc.), U.S. versions only. The request processor is not available in earlier editions of QuickBooks, in QuickBooks Basic Edition, or the Web Based QuickBooks.
To recap, the 3dCart QuickBooks Plug-in Supports these versions of QuickBooks:
- QuickBooks
- QuickBooks Pro Edition 2003 or higher
3dCart Knowledgebase Article:
Once the plug-in is installed and 3dCart has configured it, if you have trouble connecting, please make sure that your password doesn’t have any strange characters, and you have a reliable connection to the Internet.
3dCart Knowledgebase Article:
https://support.3dcart.com/Knowledgebase/Article/View/298/0/a-note-about-the-quickbooks-plugin
More information about setting up the QuickBooks Plugin for tax and shipping costs:
3dCart Knowledgebase Article:
Do you have more 3dCart questions? Call LucidStream!
If you’d like some help with your current 3dCart e-commerce store or you want to get set up quickly with a new online store, please complete the form below to contact us or call LucidStream at 888-508-0575. Visit our website, where you can view our work with custom e-commerce design and development on 3dCart’s platform. LucidStream is a Platinum Certified 3dCart Partner . Our e-commerce services include:
- Video e-commerce: live and on-demand streaming video for e-commerce
- Custom e-commerce design and development on 3dCart’s platform
- Complete setup including helping new merchants with shipping and merchant account providers
- API and custom programming services
- Online marketing and promotions planning and execution for e-commerce store owners
- Email marketing campaign management
- Social network profile setup and visual branding (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google +1)
- Free training and ongoing support
This 3dCart tutorial for getting started with QuickBooks in 3dCart was written by Shana Whitmarsh at LucidStream.
