Managing Products and Services with Synder – Per Transaction Sync

This guide provides instructions for managing products and services in Synder. It covers the following topics:

• Assign transactions to the correct products
• Create new products when needed
• Handle missing items in QuickBooks Online/Xero
• Fixing product-related issues

Use this guide:

• If you want automatic product assignment for synced transactions
• If you want control over whether new products are created automatically

Do not use this guide if you:

• Manage inventory in your accounting platform without using Synder
• If you want to set up product mapping. Refer to the following guide: Synder Product Mapping Feature

How Synder Records Products

Synder allows two options for recording products in QuickBooks Online/Xero:

1. Use a common product/service name  – All transactions use a single generic name (e.g., “Stripe product”). This option simplifies reporting when inventory or COGS tracking is not required.

2. Use original product/service name and SKU – Synder searches for a matching item in QuickBooks Online/Xero using the product name or SKU. Synder can also create products in your accounting system after selecting the Create New Product option.

When a matching product is found:

• Synder assigns the transaction to the existing product.
• Synder records the transaction amount in the income account linked to that product in QuickBooks Online or Xero.

If no matching product is found, Synder can:

• Create the item automatically in QuickBooks Online/Xero
• Cancel the transaction
• Map the product to an existing item using Product Mapping

If the product name is missing from the integration, Synder will use a default product specified in the field “use … instead”.

Creating Products That Don’t Exist in QuickBooks Online/Xero

Synder can automatically create new items in QuickBooks Online/Xero if they do not exist, with configurable settings to define the creation process.

Non-inventory, Service items (QuickBooks Online/Xero)

Non-inventory items are products or services sold or used in transactions that Synder does not track as inventory. Synder automates the recording of payments, fees, and sales from platforms such as PayPal, Stripe, and Shopify into your accounting system.

To create products as Non-inventory or Service:

1. Select the appropriate product type in your settings.
2. Assign the following accounts:
   • Income account: Tracks sales revenue
   • Expense account: Used for bills or purchase orders when ordered from a vendor

Inventory items (QuickBooks Online)

Synder supports inventory tracking and inventory items must already exist in QuickBooks Online with names that exactly match the payment processor. Synder cannot create inventory items because QuickBooks requires a starting Quantity on Hand, which Synder cannot access. Existing inventory items will sync, and QuickBooks will automatically update stock levels.

Required Fields for Inventory Items:

1. Income account: Tracks sales
2. Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) account: Tracks costs of sold inventory
3. Inventory start date: Defines when inventory tracking begins; transactions before this date will not sync properly
4. Initial Quantity on Hand: Sets starting inventory quantity for the product
5. Inventory Asset account: Tracks purchased inventory value
6. Inventory adjustment account: Records adjustments such as shrinkage or write-offs

Inventory items (Xero)

Configure the application to create inventory products in your books. Synder will create a new inventory product if no product with the same name or SKU exists in your books. Before import, manually adjust the quantity of inventory products in Xero as needed. 

Note: Synder cannot post sales that result in negative inventory to Xero. These transactions will display a Cancelled status in Synder.

Required Fields for Inventory Items:

7. Income account: Tracks sales
8. Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) account: Tracks costs of sold inventory
9. Inventory Asset account: Tracks purchased inventory value
10. Inventory adjustment account: Records adjustments such as shrinkage or write-offs

How to Prevent Synder from Creating New Items

To maintain full control over what Synder records in your books, enable the Cancel Synchronization option.

When you enable this setting, Synder automatically cancels any transaction that contains an item not yet in your books. Refer to the Cancel Synchronization if Item Not Found guide for more details.

Synder shows the “Collect items for product mapping” option when you enable “If the matching product is NOT found in accounting – Cancel synchronization” in the settings. By default, this option is off.

After you synchronize a transaction that contains products not yet in your books, enter their Name and SKU on the Not Mapped page in Product Mapping settings. Refer to the Synder Product Mapping Feature guide for more details.

Parsing Product Information (only for Stripe)

If you use a Charge transaction in Stripe and enter a product name in the description field, enable the setting to get the product name from the description. 

Note: Synder can create only one product from the description field. You can use either the product name or SKU, but it must match the name or SKU in your accounting system.

Common Issues and Fixes

• Error: The [X] Product Can’t Be Processed as It’s Linked to a Large Number of Transaction
• How to Assign QuickBooks Classes on Product Lines Using Synder
• How to Fix Inventory Products Sync Fail
• How to Fix the “Track Quantity on Hand” Error
• There Is No Income Account Associated With the Item XX. Error and How to Fix It
• Transaction Can Not Be Synchronized Without Product or Service
• What Should I Do if a Common Product Is off and Items Are Synced With a Stripe Product?

FAQ (Common Questions)

• Can Synder create multiple products from one transaction?
  Yes, Synder can create multiple products that do not exist in the accounting platform.
  
• How do I make all transactions use a single product?
  Enable Use common product/service name in settings.
  
• Can I cancel only some transactions with missing products?
  No, “Cancel Synchronization if Item Not Found” applies to all transactions with no matching product.
  
• What happens if Synder can’t find a matching SKU?
  Synder either creates a new product, cancels the transaction, or requires mapping, depending on your settings.
• How to manage income accounts associated with products?
  Your accounting software controls this by letting you change the income account for each item.

Reach out to Synder Team via online support chat or email with any questions you have – we are always happy to help you!