The Raken + QuickBooks Online integration connects your Projects, Employees, and Vendors/1099 contractors between QuickBooks Online and Raken, and can optionally sync Pay Types and Cost Codes for complete payroll and job costing data — then syncs completed time cards back to QuickBooks Online with pay type and cost code detail included. Existing records are matched once during setup; anything new you create in QuickBooks Online after that syncs to Raken automatically, provided that record type's sync is enabled.

Note: This article describes the current version of the integration. Existing customers who connected before this update are being migrated to it on a rolling basis. If you don't yet see a Confirm Matches step or the option to sync Pay Types and Cost Codes, your account hasn't been migrated yet — contact your Customer Success Manager for your migration timeline.

Quick Answer

The Raken + QuickBooks Online integration is set up and managed by Raken's Customer Success team. To get connected, reach out to your Customer Success Manager or email help@rakenapp.com. For the exact connection steps, see Getting Started with the Raken + QuickBooks Online Integration.

QuickBooks Online integration requires the Performance Plan and QuickBooks Online Plus, Advanced, or Intuit Enterprise Suite.

How It Works

Once connected, the integration handles:

Projects — QuickBooks Online Projects sync to Raken as Projects. Projects that already existed in both systems are matched once during setup; new Projects created afterward sync automatically as long as Project sync is enabled for your account.
Employees — QuickBooks Online Employees sync to Raken as Workers the same way — matched once at setup, then automatic for new employees going forward, provided Employee sync is enabled.
Vendors / 1099 contractors — QuickBooks Online Vendors with the 1099 box checked sync to Raken for independent contractor time tracking, following the same match-once-then-automatic pattern. Vendor sync is optional — roughly half of connected accounts choose not to enable it.
Pay Types (optional) — QuickBooks Online Payroll Items can be imported as Raken Pay Types. Existing Payroll Items are imported in one batch during a CS-assisted setup session (any duplicate Pay Types already in Raken are cleaned up at that time); new Payroll Items created afterward sync automatically. Payroll Items are import-only — there is no matching option for this record type.
Cost Codes (optional) — QuickBooks Online Service Items can be imported as Raken Cost Codes the same way — a one-time batch import during setup, then automatic for anything new. Service Items are also import-only. Important: QuickBooks Online only supports a single company-wide list of Service Items — Cost Codes always import as company-level codes in Raken, never project-level, regardless of how your existing Raken cost codes are structured.

Matching only happens once, during initial setup, for records that already exist in both systems (Projects, Employees, and Vendors support matching; Payroll Items and Service Items are import-only). After setup is complete, anything new you create in QuickBooks Online — a new Project, Employee, Vendor, Payroll Item, or Service Item — syncs to Raken automatically, with no manual step required, as long as sync is enabled for that record type.

When your team logs time in Raken, you sync completed time cards to QuickBooks Online Time Activities — including pay type and cost code data where enabled — so your payroll and accounting teams receive complete, accurate records without manual rework. See Syncing Time Cards with the Raken + QuickBooks Online Integration for the full walkthrough.

Note: Worker classifications do not sync in either direction between Raken and QuickBooks Online.

How Onboarding Works

The Raken + QuickBooks Online integration uses a CS-managed onboarding model. Here's how it works:

You connect your QuickBooks Online account to Raken by logging into Company > Integrations > QuickBooks Online and clicking + Connect. This authorizes Raken to access your QuickBooks Online data. See Getting Started with the Raken + QuickBooks Online Integration for the full click-by-click walkthrough.
From there, your Raken Customer Success Manager handles all configuration — matching existing Projects, Employees, and Vendors, optionally importing Pay Types and Cost Codes, setting sync preferences, and validating the first sync.
Once setup is complete, new Projects, Employees, Vendors, and (if enabled) Payroll Items and Service Items created in QuickBooks Online sync to Raken automatically for any record type you've enabled — no further action needed. You can view your integration settings and linked records at any time from Company > Integrations > QuickBooks Online.

Note: If your existing Raken cost codes are set up at the project level, expect some cleanup during onboarding — Cost Codes imported from QuickBooks Online always land as company-level codes, so your CS team will work with you to reconcile the two structures.

To get started, contact your Customer Success Manager or email help@rakenapp.com.

Troubleshooting & FAQ

Which QuickBooks Online plan do I need?

The integration requires QuickBooks Online Plus, Advanced, or Intuit Enterprise Suite (IES). It is not compatible with QuickBooks Online Simple Start or Essentials.

Can I import QuickBooks Online Customers as Raken Projects?

No — only QuickBooks Online Projects sync as Raken Projects. Make sure your jobs are set up as Projects in QuickBooks Online, not Customers.

Does a Project I create in QuickBooks Online automatically appear in Raken?

Yes — as long as your integration setup is already complete and Project sync is enabled for your account. New Projects created in QuickBooks Online after setup sync to Raken automatically, with no manual step needed. The only time a Project needs manual matching is during initial setup, to link Projects that already existed in both systems beforehand. The same is true for new Employees and Vendors.

Does the integration support vendors and 1099 contractors?

Yes, if Vendor sync is enabled for your account — it's optional, and roughly half of connected accounts choose not to use it. QuickBooks Online Vendors with the 1099 box checked sync to Raken for independent contractor time tracking. Time synced for vendors goes to QuickBooks Online Time Activities alongside employee time.

Does syncing pay types and cost codes affect how start and end times sync?

Yes — there is a trade-off to be aware of. Raken stores start/end/break time on the parent time card, but pay type and cost code detail on individual time entries within that card, which don't carry their own start/end context. Because of this, when pay type and cost code sync is enabled, time syncs as duration only (total hours) — detailed start time, end time, and break time do not sync as dedicated fields in this mode. If you need start and end time visible in QuickBooks Online, contact your Customer Success Manager — a future enhancement may allow this detail to sync as a note field alongside duration, but that is not yet available.

Can I disconnect and reconnect the integration?

Yes. Navigate to Company > Integrations > QuickBooks Online and use the settings to disconnect. Contact your Customer Success Manager before disconnecting if you have active synced data.

I'm an existing QuickBooks Online customer — do I have this version of the integration yet?

Not necessarily. Existing customers are being migrated from the previous self-service version to this CS-managed version on a rolling basis. Until your account is migrated, your integration won't have Pay Type/Cost Code sync or the Confirm Matches step described in this article. Contact your Customer Success Manager to find out where your account stands.

What happens to my integration if my account isn't migrated yet?

Your existing sync keeps working normally — nothing already connected will stop syncing. What changes once your account is migrated is that self-service configuration access moves to your CS team: you'll no longer import or match new Projects, Employees, or Vendors yourself. If you'd like to move up your migration or have questions in the meantime, contact your Customer Success Manager.

Having trouble with something not covered above — records not showing up, integration stuck Paused, synced time not appearing where expected? See Troubleshooting the Raken + QuickBooks Online Integration for the full diagnostic guide.

Technical Specifications

Compatibility: Web app only
Sync type: Projects, Employees, and Vendors are matched once during setup, then sync automatically for new records (if enabled). Pay Types and Cost Codes are import-only, with a one-time batch import at setup and automatic sync of new items afterward. Time card sync to QuickBooks Online (Raken → QBO) is on-demand.
QuickBooks Online plan required: Plus, Advanced, or Intuit Enterprise Suite
Raken plan required: Performance Plan
Role required: Account Administrator
Onboarding: CS-managed — contact your Customer Success Manager to get started

Considerations

Requires the Performance Plan and QuickBooks Online Plus, Advanced, or Intuit Enterprise Suite.
Only QuickBooks Online Projects sync as Raken Projects — Customers do not.
Existing Projects, Employees, and Vendors are matched once during initial setup. After that, new ones created in QuickBooks Online sync to Raken automatically — provided that record type's sync is enabled — with no ongoing manual step required.
Payroll Items (Pay Types) and Service Items (Cost Codes) are import-only — there is no matching option for these two record types.
Cost Codes always import as company-level codes, never project-level, because QuickBooks Online only maintains a single company-wide Service Items list. Accounts with existing project-level cost codes should expect some reconciliation during onboarding.
Time tracking must be enabled on each QuickBooks Online employee record for that employee to be eligible to sync to Raken.
Vendors and 1099 contractors are supported but optional — only Vendors with the 1099 box checked sync, and roughly half of connected accounts choose not to enable this.
Onboarding and initial setup is CS-managed. You connect your QuickBooks Online account; your CS team handles the one-time matching and import process.
Pay Type and Cost Code data is imported once from QuickBooks Online during a CS-assisted setup session (existing duplicates in Raken are cleaned up at that time). After that, new Payroll Items and Service Items created in QuickBooks Online sync automatically. When this sync is enabled, time syncs as duration only — start/end times and breaks do not sync as dedicated fields.
Synced time appears under Project Time Activity in QuickBooks Online — not under Time > Time Entries. This is due to how Intuit's Time Entries tab is designed, not a Raken limitation.
Worker classifications do not sync in either direction.
Existing customers are being migrated from the prior self-service version to this CS-managed version on a rolling basis. Not all current customers have this experience yet. Migrating to the new permission model is mandatory; opting into the new Pay Type/Cost Code sync feature itself is optional.

Raken + QuickBooks Online Integration