Classic QuickBooks Online to Stratus QuickBooks Online Migration

Contractors Cloud has a new, more powerful QuickBooks Online integration. If you've been syncing QuickBooks through the older ("Classic") system, this guide explains what's changing, what to watch out for, and the steps to move over safely.

What Classic does

Classic's QuickBooks Online integration is a manual, one-way export. When you click Sync, it pushes your customers, projects, invoices, payments, and credit memos into QuickBooks. You can also pull in your QuickBooks setup lists — chart of accounts, products & services, classes, terms, and tax codes — on demand.

What Classic doesn't do: nothing you change in QuickBooks ever flows back into Contractors Cloud. If a payment is recorded in QuickBooks, Contractors Cloud won't know about it. Bills and vendor credits aren't part of the QuickBooks Online integration at all in Classic (they were only available through the separate QuickBooks Desktop connector). And if you go a few months without syncing, the connection can expire and you'll need to reconnect.

What Stratus does

Stratus is a true two-way integration. Contractors Cloud is notified whenever something changes in QuickBooks, so the two systems stay in step without you having to think about it:

• Payments recorded in QuickBooks automatically update your invoices in Contractors Cloud — payment status always reflects what QuickBooks says.
• Bills, bill payments, and vendor credits sync both ways. A bill entered or updated in QuickBooks shows up in Contractors Cloud, and vice versa.
• You control the direction for each area. Invoices, bills, payments, and credit memos can each be set to Off, Export Only (push to QuickBooks but ignore changes made there), or Two-Way.
• You control when data leaves Contractors Cloud. Invoices and bills aren't sent the moment you save — you sync them explicitly with Sync & Close, or close without syncing if you're not ready.
• Import tools let you bring existing QuickBooks vendors into Contractors Cloud (as suppliers, installers, or vendors) and import QuickBooks invoices into a project.
• Multiple Contractors Cloud companies can share one QuickBooks company, with records routed to the right place.
• The connection is maintained automatically — no periodic reconnecting.

Connecting Stratus to QuickBooks doesn't break your Classic connection — but once Stratus is connected, do all of your QuickBooks syncing from Stratus. Running syncs from both sides against the same QuickBooks company can create duplicate records, since each side keeps its own record of what has already been synced.

Before you start — please read

• Use only one connection at a time. While both the Classic and new connections are linked to the same QuickBooks company, syncing from both can create duplicate invoices and payments in QuickBooks. The rule is simple: once the new connection is live, stop syncing in Classic.
• Your QuickBooks data is safe. Nothing in QuickBooks is deleted or moved during the switch. This is just a change to how Contractors Cloud talks to QuickBooks.
• Connect the same QuickBooks company you were using in Classic. If you accidentally authorize a different company, disconnect and try again.
• If you see a red warning that says you're connected in both Classic and the new system, that's your cue to finish the switch by disconnecting Classic (see Step 7).
• Using QuickBooks Desktop? This guide is for QuickBooks Online. Desktop uses a different process — contact support.

Steps to switch

Get ready

1. Finish any pending work in Classic. Sync anything you've been holding, so nothing is left unsent.
2. Stop using the Classic QuickBooks sync buttons from this point on.

Make the switch

4. In Contractors Cloud, go to Company Settings → QuickBooks.
5. Click Connect to QuickBooks and sign in, choosing the same QuickBooks company you used before. See QuickBooks Online.
6. Review your sync settings — turn on the records you want to sync, and set your QuickBooks Sync Start Date (records dated before this date won't be sent, so you don't re-send old history).
7. Disconnect QuickBooks in Classic. Go to Corporate Dashboard → QuickBooks and click Disconnect. This completes the switch and clears the "connected in both" warning.

Confirm it's working

8. Sync a test invoice and confirm it appears once in QuickBooks.
9. Record a payment in QuickBooks, then check that the invoice's payment status updates in Contractors Cloud.
10. Keep an eye on your first week of syncing. If anything looks off, contact support.

Need help?

Your Contractors Cloud representative can walk you through the switch and handle the account preparation for you. Reach out before you begin so we can schedule it together.