The Importance of Cross-Checking Eviivo and QuickBooks Before Charging

Learn why it's crucial to cross-check Eviivo and QuickBooks before charging customers to avoid discrepancies and ensure accurate billing.

March 4, 2025 By Tim Moody

In this guide, we'll learn how to ensure accuracy when processing customer charges by cross-checking data between Eviivo and QuickBooks. This process is crucial to avoid discrepancies that can lead to charging incorrect amounts. By carefully verifying details such as dates, rates, and taxes, you can prevent errors and maintain consistency in your financial records. We'll also cover how to handle the check-in process, including updating customer information and sending confirmations. This guide aims to help you streamline your workflow and enhance customer satisfaction by minimizing billing errors.

Let's get started

I want to document this quickly because it highlights the importance of cross-checking what Eviivo believes people owe with what QuickBooks calculates.

I can't stress enough how important it is to do this before you charge. I'm referring to a customer who submitted the registration form and requested us to charge the card on file. This customer, as you can see on the invoice, made a change at one point. This occurred during a particularly busy period, possibly during the snowstorm in February.

Step #3: Click on "Changed from Mrs. Otis : 02 / 21 / 2025-02 / 25 / 2025 to Mrs. Otis : 03/01/2025 - 03/04/2025 on or around 2/16/2025" — Click on "Changed from Mrs. Otis : 02 / 21 / 2025-02 / 25 / 2025 to Mrs. Otis : 03/01/2025 - 03/04/2025 on or around 2/16/2025"

I don't remember exactly why, but I adjusted the important things first. I changed the dates because they were delaying their stay by about a week and a half. I updated the calendar and the book, but I forgot to update QuickBooks immediately. Later, when sending the SCI, I noticed the invoice didn't match the calendar. I emailed the client for clarification. It was a bit embarrassing, but he was happy to help and confirmed the calendar dates were correct.

I came in and adjusted the invoice. Now, I'll revert it to how it was when I found it.

He owes a balance of $222, which includes two weekend nights and one weeknight.

Step #5: His balance is shown here — His balance is shown here

In QuickBooks, it shows $222.75, which matches the physical invoice. However, these don't always align. This is why I advise everyone to cross-check QuickBooks directly before charging with Eviivo, not just relying on the printed invoice. In this case, both the printed invoice and QuickBooks agreed, but they were incorrect. Eviivo shows a balance of $191.25 and, as it turns out, this is the correct amount!

Step #6: Click on "$ 191.25" — Click on "$ 191.25"

I started thinking about why the amount was different. Why was it higher in QuickBooks than in Eviivo? I couldn't understand it, so I began examining other details. He paid a $360 deposit.

Step #7: Click on "$ 360.00" — Click on "$ 360.00"

I can see that right there in Eviivo. In QuickBooks, his invoice also shows a $360 deposit was applied.

Step #8: Click on "360.00" — Click on "360.00"

Hmm, alright, good so far. So next, I reviewed the tax amount.

Step #9: Shown here: $27.75 according to QB — Shown here: $27.75 according to QB

The tax amount does not match Eviivo's calculation.

I could determine that by checking the charges in Eviivo.

Step #10: Click on "Charges" — Click on "Charges"

Below, you can see the charges, including the occupancy tax for each of the three nights.

It's slightly less than what QuickBooks indicates. It came out to $26.25, while QuickBooks says $27.75.

Step #12: I know, cat. I know. — *I know, cat. I know.*

At this point, I was quite confused.

I clicked on the bill tab in Eviivo, where you can see all the various charges in Eviivo.

Step #13: Click on "Bill" — Click on "Bill"

You can see everything clearly. It breaks it down, showing the deposit he paid right here.

The weekend room rate is $195 per night.

The tax for that night was $9.75.

The weeknight rate is $165.

The tax on it, followed by the weeknight rate again.

...OH WAIT...

I checked the invoice in QuickBooks and realized I made a significant mistake.

Step #19: Look at the quantities... — Look at the quantities...

It showed a quantity of two weekend rates instead of one. However, if you check the calendar, March 1st was a Saturday, and our weekend rates apply only on Friday and Saturday nights.

Step #20: Click on "6:54 PM" — Click on "6:54 PM"

He was staying Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. I had the quantities reversed on his invoice.

He originally planned for four nights but reduced it to three. Previously, he would arrive on a Friday and stay for four nights. I mistakenly reduced the quantity on the wrong line item, which confused me. Now that I've identified the error, I can adjust the quantities to one weekend rate and two weekdays. QuickBooks now shows he owes $191.25 is the balance due.

That is precisely what Eviivo believes the balance is!

Step #23: Click on "$ 191.25" — Click on "$ 191.25"

This illustrates the importance of never clicking "charge" until you've thoroughly cross-checked with QuickBooks. If there's any discrepancy, identify it before proceeding.

Step #24: Click on "Payments" — Click on "Payments"

Don't assume one is correct and the other is wrong. If I had to guess, I would have thought QuickBooks was correct. Sometimes, when you make changes in Eviivo, it doesn't always update the rate as expected, and you may need to adjust it manually. I found that quite interesting. Normally, I don't get surprised like that, but I did with this one tonight!

That's all I wanted to share. It was a good example of why that's important. But, I'll complete the rest of this check-in process with you. Why not? Payment method time!

Select the first option in the system. This indicates that the card stored in the Eviivo booking engine will be charged.

Step #26: Click on "Card / VCC via the System" — Click on "Card / VCC via the System"

Double-check the amount AGAIN: $191.25

Step #27: Click on "191.25" — Click on "191.25"

Return to QuickBooks and verify that everything is correct. Yes, again! You can't be too careful here folks.

$191.25 is correct. At this point, I like to grab the notation, copy it, and then save and close.

Step #30: Right-click on "Mrs. Otis: 03/01/2025 - 03/04/2025" — Right-click on "Mrs. Otis: 03/01/2025 - 03/04/2025"

Step #31: Click on "Copy" — Click on "Copy"

Step #32: Click on "Save & Close" — Click on "Save & Close"

Exit the invoice now. Also, notice how it says "SP" on the rep.

I had already completed that part of the check-in process before recording this - he had selected yes for promotions. When checking someone in, we obviously charge any balance if applicable, but we also check if they want promotions. If they don't, we mark it as NA for not answered. The rep field will never be blank if they have stayed here. It's only blank until their first time coming here. If nothing else is selected, we choose NA. I had already filled in any missing address information, phone numbers, or similar details - we always need to check those (specifically for certain OTA guests, as we don't always get their address or email for example when they book through an OTA).

It's ready to go. Go back into Eviivo and click "charge."

Before I do that, please take note.

"Email Confirmation" is automatically checked, meaning he will receive a receipt, as will we.

Step #35: Click on "Charge" — Click on "Charge"

Bombs away! It takes just a moment. 🙏

Step #36: Payment successful! 😎 — Payment successful! 😎

A small green box appears near the top. Then, if you look just below it, you should see the charge, and the status will indicate "charged."

Step #38: Click on "Charged" — Click on "Charged"

If it says anything else, you need to contact the guest to check if their card expired or if something else went wrong. That's it. Now, I can close the Eviivo booking and return to QuickBooks.

Step #39: Click on "New Transactions ▼" — Click on "New Transactions ▼"

Step #40: Click on "Receive Payments" — Click on "Receive Payments"

Step #43: Ensure it goes to the General Operating Fund — Ensure it goes to the General Operating Fund

Step #44: Click on "operating fund" — Click on "operating fund"

Step #45: and confirm it's from Eviivo. — and confirm it's from Eviivo.

Currently, things are changing.

A new keyboard is coming with improved macro capabilities, which will change the specific key. However, we have a special key for this. The exciting part is that with the new keyboard, if something is copied, you don't even need to paste it. Just press one key and see what happens.

^ those two steps were one key stroke, folks. MAGIC.

Save and close.

Step #48: Click on "Save & Close" — Click on "Save & Close"

Step #49: Here, you can see that one key typed out the card point balance and then pasted whatever was copied. — Here, you can see that one key typed out the card point balance and then pasted whatever was copied.

Take note moving forward. At the end of the day, while I don't mind what people do if they get it right, I'm really emphasizing copy-paste. Why? Because consistency is crucial, and having a consistent notation is extremely important. You can see why here. The invoice is notated in a specific way, and then there's a deposit processed through CardPoint with that exact notation. Additionally, a balance was processed through CardPoint with the same notation.

I like to email a copy of the paid invoice, even though we both will receive a receipt for the charge.

Let's send a copy of the paid invoice.

I prefer to change the subject line, as it automatically populates with the reservation confirmation.

Change it to just "paid invoice" or something similar, right?

Here's a little trick: click somewhere in the body of the email, then press Ctrl + A on your keyboard to highlight everything.

'A' stands for "All" - I reckon, anyway. This will highlight the entire table, allowing you to easily press backspace to remove it.

I wish I could stop that from appearing, but I don't think I can. Since there's no default signature, I start by going to the signature option and choosing standard.

Step #56: Click on "Signature" — Click on "Signature"

Step #57: Click on "Standard" — Click on "Standard"

You can type a personal note.

Type your message in your own words, then click send.

Step #59: Something like this. — Something like this.

Step #60: Click on "Send" — Click on "Send"

You can double-check again to ensure you haven't forgotten to enter anything in the promo field.

This often happens, including to me. I might forget to add something, especially if it's ignored. If it's ignored, you should write "N/A" for not answered.

He confirmed yes, so we mark SP for send promo.

Save and close.

Step #66: Click on "Save & Close" — Click on "Save & Close"

And that's it. It's a strong reminder to be very careful. There's nothing more embarrassing than charging the wrong amount, especially if it's more than they should pay. In this case, it would have been about $30. Most people might not be furious about that, but if it were $300 or $3,000, they might be.

I've seen that happen, so please be careful. I'm also reminding myself.

The Importance of Cross-Checking Eviivo and QuickBooks Before Charging

Learn why it's crucial to cross-check Eviivo and QuickBooks before charging customers to avoid discrepancies and ensure accurate billing.

March 4, 2025 By Tim Moody

Let's get started

I want to document this quickly because it highlights the importance of cross-checking what Eviivo believes people owe with what QuickBooks calculates.

I came in and adjusted the invoice. Now, I'll revert it to how it was when I found it.

He owes a balance of $222, which includes two weekend nights and one weeknight.

I started thinking about why the amount was different. Why was it higher in QuickBooks than in Eviivo? I couldn't understand it, so I began examining other details. He paid a $360 deposit.

I can see that right there in Eviivo. In QuickBooks, his invoice also shows a $360 deposit was applied.

Hmm, alright, good so far. So next, I reviewed the tax amount.

The tax amount does not match Eviivo's calculation.

I could determine that by checking the charges in Eviivo.

Below, you can see the charges, including the occupancy tax for each of the three nights.

It's slightly less than what QuickBooks indicates. It came out to $26.25, while QuickBooks says $27.75.

At this point, I was quite confused.

I clicked on the bill tab in Eviivo, where you can see all the various charges in Eviivo.

You can see everything clearly. It breaks it down, showing the deposit he paid right here.

The weekend room rate is $195 per night.

The tax for that night was $9.75.

The weeknight rate is $165.

The tax on it, followed by the weeknight rate again.

...OH WAIT...

I checked the invoice in QuickBooks and realized I made a significant mistake.

It showed a quantity of two weekend rates instead of one. However, if you check the calendar, March 1st was a Saturday, and our weekend rates apply only on Friday and Saturday nights.

He was staying Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. I had the quantities reversed on his invoice.

That is precisely what Eviivo believes the balance is!

This illustrates the importance of never clicking "charge" until you've thoroughly cross-checked with QuickBooks. If there's any discrepancy, identify it before proceeding.

That's all I wanted to share. It was a good example of why that's important. But, I'll complete the rest of this check-in process with you. Why not? Payment method time!

Select the first option in the system. This indicates that the card stored in the Eviivo booking engine will be charged.

Double-check the amount AGAIN: $191.25

Return to QuickBooks and verify that everything is correct. Yes, again! You can't be too careful here folks.

$191.25 is correct. At this point, I like to grab the notation, copy it, and then save and close.

Exit the invoice now. Also, notice how it says "SP" on the rep.

It's ready to go. Go back into Eviivo and click "charge."

Before I do that, please take note.

"Email Confirmation" is automatically checked, meaning he will receive a receipt, as will we.

Bombs away! It takes just a moment. 🙏

A small green box appears near the top. Then, if you look just below it, you should see the charge, and the status will indicate "charged."

If it says anything else, you need to contact the guest to check if their card expired or if something else went wrong. That's it. Now, I can close the Eviivo booking and return to QuickBooks.

Currently, things are changing.

^ those two steps were one key stroke, folks. MAGIC.

Save and close.

I like to email a copy of the paid invoice, even though we both will receive a receipt for the charge.

Let's send a copy of the paid invoice.

I prefer to change the subject line, as it automatically populates with the reservation confirmation.

Change it to just "paid invoice" or something similar, right?

Here's a little trick: click somewhere in the body of the email, then press Ctrl + A on your keyboard to highlight everything.

'A' stands for "All" - I reckon, anyway. This will highlight the entire table, allowing you to easily press backspace to remove it.

I wish I could stop that from appearing, but I don't think I can. Since there's no default signature, I start by going to the signature option and choosing standard.

You can type a personal note.

Type your message in your own words, then click send.

You can double-check again to ensure you haven't forgotten to enter anything in the promo field.

This often happens, including to me. I might forget to add something, especially if it's ignored. If it's ignored, you should write "N/A" for not answered.

He confirmed yes, so we mark SP for send promo.

Save and close.

I've seen that happen, so please be careful. I'm also reminding myself.