QuickBooks Tip: A Closer Look at Intuit’s Mobile GoPayment App

With the evolution of smart phones and tablets, businesses have been able to develop new technology in the ever-growing mobile environment.  One such creation is the mobile credit card reader, which has become a popular tool to enable businesses to process customer sales and transactions on-the-go.

There are a number of companies, such as Square and PayPal, that offer mobile credit card readers. To no surprise, Intuit QuickBooks has introduced its own version of the easy to use card reader:  GoPayment.  Unlike other mobile card readers, QuickBooks GoPayment offers users the ability to synchronize transactions processed through its mobile app with QuickBooks Online and the desktop versions.

Be wary that if you are accepting someone’s credit card information using public Wi-Fi, check that it is a secure network. As with any method of accepting payments, you should continue to address the security of the credit card information you maintain.

Getting started

GoPayment makes it easy to get paid. If you follow the steps below, you’ll be processing credit card payments faster than you can text these instructions to your assistant.

1. Download the app from Intuit’s QuickBooks Payments site, the Apple App Store (for iOS) or Google Play Store (for Android).
2. If you have an existing account with QuickBooks, TurboTax or Mint, you can simply sign in after installing the app and confirming your account. Depending on the type of account you have, you may have to input some additional information. If you don’t have an existing Intuit account, fill out the short registration form.
3. Once you receive your confirmation email, you should be all set.
4. Start processing mobile transactions!

After you register with GoPayment, Intuit will mail you a mobile card reader that you can attach to your mobile device to swipe accepted credit cards. However, you don’t need to wait for the card reader to start taking mobile payments; you can process transactions through the app by manually entering the credit card information.

GoPayment’s integration with QuickBooks

The main feature that sets GoPayment apart from other mobile card readers is the option to link it to your existing QuickBooks account. This integration offers you the ability to download all the GoPayment transactions processed by mobile devices into QuickBooks. This not only makes it quick and easy to  process multiple transactions, but it also makes it easier for you to record mobile transactions so you can prepare timely reports.

Linking GoPayment with your existing QuickBooks online is a very simple process. Follow these steps to set it up.

1. Sign into QuickBooks Online. Make sure you are signed in as an “Administrator.”
2. Next, click on the Company/Gear icon and go to “Company Settings.”
3. On the left, select “Payments.” (Note: If you do not see Payments then click on “QuickBooks Payments.”)
4. On the right, next to “Existing Account,” click the “Connect” button. (If there is no “Connect” option, find the “Link Merchant Service” and click the link “Start Here.”)
5. When the Intuit Payment Solutions page opens, it will automatically look for any existing accounts with your login.
6. Click on the GoPayment account you want to connect with QuickBooks Online.
7. Confirm that you are connecting the right account and then click “Link Account.”
8. Your GoPayment account should now be linked with QuickBooks Online, and you can start downloading mobile payment transactions into QuickBooks

You can also link GoPayment to your desktop version of QuickBooks by following the steps below.

1. Sign into QuickBooks as “Administrator.”
2. From the Customer drop-down menu, select “Link Payment Service to Company File” (Note: If you use a QuickBooks version older than 2013, go to Credit Card Processing Activities > Add Credit Card Processing > Link Merchant Account to Company File.)
3. Once you have connected to the Intuit Payment page, sign in using your GoPayment login credentials.
4. Download GoPayment transactions into QuickBooks.

How much does it cost?

There are currently two pricing plans available for GoPayment.

The first plan has no monthly fee, and will cost you 25 cents per transaction plus 2.40% for swiped transactions and 3.40% for keyed-in transactions.  The second plan has a monthly fee charge of $19.95, but reduces the transaction rates to 1.60% and 3.20%, in addition to the 25-cent fee per transaction. You will receive the best value with the monthly fee plan if your business processes more than $3,000 in mobile transactions.

If you find that a significant portion of how you do business includes transacting with customers while on-the-go, then QuickBooks GoPayment is a tool to consider. GoPayment can be a valuable addition to the Intuit suite of products for existing QuickBooks users.

Contact me or another one of Kaufman Rossin’s QuickBooks ProAdvisors for help integrating mobile payment processing into your QuickBooks account.