Intuit vs. Amaka: Which is the best Square and Quickbooks integration
Kaci Carson
February 11, 2024
A Square to QuickBooks Online accounting integration has the ability to sync data to provide you with up-to-date financial information. Choosing the right option that compliments your business is invaluable in the process of streamlining your accounting and finance tasks.
That’s why we’re doing a Square to QuickBooks integration review, comparing the differences between two options: Connect to Square, Intuit’s native integration, and Square + QuickBooks Online, Amaka’s third-party integration. We’ll cover a comparison of key features including reconciliation, support options, and more.
Intuit vs. Amaka integration features
Both Intuit and Amaka offer a variety of features that goes beyond data syncing from Square to QuickBooks Online. Below is a comprehensive chart of the key features of each platform to give you further insight of the benefits each platform possesses.
From the chart, it is clear that there are some features available with Amaka that are not available with Intuit. For example, with Amaka, products and services from Square can be added automatically. For Intuit, this would need to be a time-consuming, manual process.
Amaka also supports a wider range of transaction types, including gift card purchases, along with shipping revenue, negative payments, and loan payments.
| Features | Intuit | Amaka |
| Daily Square imports to QuickBooks Online | ✔ | ✔ |
| Supports a daily sales summary | ✔ | ✔ |
| Supports per transaction sync (not for large sales volumes) | ✔ | ✖ |
| Separated by total collected, discounts, refunds, fees, sales tax and tips | ✔ | ✔ |
| Syncs gift cards, negative payments, chargebacks and held funds | ✖ | ✔ |
| Syncs shipping revenue, and shipping revenue discounts and surcharges | ✖ | ✔ |
| Track sales by location, product or category with QuickBooks classes | ✖ | ✔ |
| Ability to split daily sales summary by product, category or location | ✖ | ✔ |
| Synced amount from Square automatically matches up to Square payout | ✖ | ✔ |
| Supports both single and multiple Square locations | ✔ | ✔ |
| Back syncs data | ✔ | ✔ |
| Custom account mapping by tax type | ✔ | ✔ |
| Custom account mapping for every transaction and payment type | ✖ | ✔ |
| Products and services added automatically | ✖ | ✔ |
| Ability to set time of sync | ✖ | ✔ |
Reconciling Square transaction in QuickBooks Online
One of the main differences between Amaka and Intuit’s integrations is the process involved with reconciling transactions. The reconciliation process involves comparing data from Square to the payouts that get deposited into your bank account. This is crucial to ensure that there are no discrepancies.
Reconciling with Amaka’s Square + QuickBooks Online integration
With Amaka, once a transaction is made, it will go into a temporary clearing account. The clearing account is a temporary holding place for the transaction. The use of a clearing account ensures that the data is up-to-data immediately and can be seen across your reports and financial statements. You can also reference the amount Square is yet to deposit.
Once Square deposits the payout into your bank account, you can allocate these to the clearing account to offset the temporary balance and then post the balance to a permanent account.
Amaka also has the ability to automatically match transactions to your bank feed. Payouts coming in or out of your business bank account are synced as bank transfers. Square fees are both separated and subtracted in the synced sales invoice which means there are no discrepancies between the invoices and deposited amounts. All that is required is that you click ‘Match’ to confirm matched transactions.
Reconciling with Intuit’s Connect to Square integration
With Intuit, the transaction doesn’t go into a clearing account, and doesn’t immediately appear in your reports and financial statements when synced. Instead, you need to take the extra step of going into QuickBooks and manually adding each transaction. Then, once Square deposits the payout into your bank account, you can start matching up transactions to the bank feed.
However, Square deducts their fees before depositing the payout, meaning the deposited amount will be different to the amount of sales made. In Intuit, Square fees are not deducted from the synced sales receipt, which requires you to manually adjust each of the sales receipts in order for it to match up to the amounts in the bank feed. This could end up taking many hours in the long run.
Customer support options
There are some differences between Intuit and Amaka in support options. Intuit has a help desk as their main option for customer support.
For Amaka, there are several support options available. Like Intuit, there is also a help desk available for users. Amaka also offers continuous support from a team that are both QuickBooks-certified and CPA-trained, meaning they are qualified to assist you in any questions that relate to your specific accounting integration needs.
There is also the option to schedule a 30-minute Zoom call, where you can meet 1-on-1 with the Amaka support team and voice any questions or concerns you may have. These support options are completely free and highlight how Amaka is able to provide support at every step of the customer journey.
Pricing options
There are price differences between Intuit’s native Connect to Square integration and Amaka’s integration. Intuit’s plan is currently free for all users. For Amaka, there is also a free option available along with a Premium plan and Premium+ plan. While the free plan is best suited for small businesses, the plans advance in features and capabilities that can cater to larger businesses.
Because of these different plans available, the Amaka integration is one that can grow with you as your business grows, providing continuous support based on your current integration needs. Below is a chart that highlights the cost and what is included for each plan.
| Plan | Free | Premium | Premium+ |
| Pricing (USD) | $0 | $18/month or $156/year | $49/month or $468/year |
| Transactions | Up to 60 per month | Up to 500 per month | Unlimited |
| Backsync | Up to 1 day | Up to 90 days | Up to 365 days |
Setup process and configuration options
Being able to set up your integration with ease is crucial. Because the integration will sync important data, having a simple setup process eliminates any potential QuickBooks and Square problems that may occur. With Amaka, you can choose from the 2-Minute Express or Advanced configuration options. Otherwise, you can choose the Guided setup.
- 2-Minute Express configuration: This option allows you to set up the integration in a matter of minutes with default settings.
- Advanced configuration: This option allows you to choose your own custom mapping and is recommended for accountants and bookkeepers.
- Guided setup: This option allows you to set up alongside an Integration Specialist on a 1-on-1 Zoom call.
Intuit’s Connect to Square integration currently doesn’t offer a variety of setup options. This requires you to set up the integration on your own. With Amaka, the option of support during your setup process makes it a suitable choice for your Square + QuickBooks integration.
Square + QuickBooks Online integration reviews
Customer reviews provide valuable insights into the user experience you will get on the platform you choose before you try it out for yourself. Currently, there are no Intuit customer reviews available for Intuit’s native Connect to Square integration.
Amaka has garnered 1000+ five-star reviews. This is not only because of the high-quality product but also because of the gold-standard customer support. The CPA-trained, QuickBooks-certified team is there for all users around-the-clock for onboarding and to provide ongoing support.
The integration between Square and QBO is simplified and works very well. Integration was easy. I needed tech support to assist in synching historical data and they were easy to work with and accomplished the task. — Debbie
Amaka saved me time and money setting up Square. It was refreshing to have a company and person who actually seemed to care about their customers. What an awesome experience, I highly recommend this service! — Will
Key takeaways on accounting integration options
It’s important to choose an accounting integration that supports your business and aids your overall financial management. With the right Square to QuickBooks integration in place, you’ll be able to rely on accurate, up-to-date data and handle your bank feed reconciliation easily.