Comparison

Shopify Refunds → QuickBooks vs Link My Books: Instant Convert Alternative

Need to import shopify refunds as quickbooks journal entries. keep your books accurate when orders are returned? Link My Books is an automated ecommerce accounting platform with QuickBooks integration. SpreadsheetBroccoli is better for converting CSV files to accounting formats without ecommerce accounting platform subscriptions or API access requirements.

Try Shopify Refunds → QuickBooks yourself

Why Refunds Break Your Books

The Refund Accounting Problem

When a customer returns an order, you need to reduce your recorded revenue. QuickBooks doesn't support native CSV import for Credit Memos or Refund Receipts. Without proper conversion, refunds either don't import or require manual entry. Your P&L shows wrong revenue until corrected.

What This Tool Does

We convert Shopify refunds to QuickBooks Journal Entries: - DEBIT Income Account (reduces revenue) - CREDIT Bank Account (cash out) - Original order reference preserved in memo - Balanced double-entry accounting Your books accurately reflect returns, and your revenue matches actual sales minus refunds.

Quick Comparison

Feature Comparison

Feature Link My Books SpreadsheetBroccoli
Flexible pricing (pay-as-you-go)
Try without signup
No setup or learning required
Data stays on your device Cloud-based
Works on any device
Error detection before upload
Fast email support
No API tokens required
No risk of data corruption
Full data transparency

What Link My Books Does Well

To be fair, Link My Books has genuine strengths:

  • Automated ecommerce accounting platform
  • QuickBooks and Xero integration
  • Amazon, eBay, Shopify, Etsy, Walmart, TikTok Shop integration
  • 100% reconciliation
  • Automatic categorization
  • VAT, GST, Sales Tax support
  • Eliminates manual CSV downloads
  • 5/5 stars on QuickBooks App Store (120+ reviews)
  • 5/5 stars on Xero App Store (510+ reviews)
  • 14-day free trial

Which Should You Choose?

Choose Link My Books if: You are an ecommerce business You need automated ecommerce accounting You want QuickBooks/Xero integration for ecommerce You sell on multiple channels You need 100% reconciliation You prefer ecommerce accounting platform approach
Choose SpreadsheetBroccoli if: You need CSV file conversion to accounting formats You want file-based tools without ecommerce accounting subscriptions You do occasional imports rather than ongoing ecommerce accounting You prefer browser-based conversion without API access You want instant results without platform setup

Ready for the simpler approach?

Try Shopify Refunds → QuickBooks yourself - no signup required.

Convert Your First File

Frequently Asked Questions

It depends on your needs. Link My Books is built for businesses that need advanced automation and accounting integrations. If you're a small business doing monthly imports or occasional conversions, SpreadsheetBroccoli's simpler approach may be a better fit - no subscriptions, no setup, just results.
Not for the same transactions - you'd risk double-counting. However, you could use Link My Books for ongoing automation and SpreadsheetBroccoli for one-off historical imports or quick ad-hoc conversions outside your normal workflow.
Link My Books typically requires 30-60 minutes of initial setup (account creation, API connections, mapping configuration), then runs automatically. SpreadsheetBroccoli takes under 2 minutes per conversion - upload, preview, download. Choose based on whether you need ongoing automation or quick occasional conversions.
Pick a clean cutoff date (end of month works best). Let Link My Books finish processing that period, then disconnect. Export your data from the source platform and use SpreadsheetBroccoli for conversions going forward. The first month needs careful reconciliation to ensure no gaps or duplicates.
Both produce accurate results when used correctly. Link My Books uses API connections for automated data sync. SpreadsheetBroccoli processes the exact file you provide and shows you a preview before finalizing. Our pre-upload validation catches errors before they reach your accounting software.
Link My Books typically charges monthly subscriptions regardless of usage. SpreadsheetBroccoli offers flexible options: free preview before commitment, pay-per-conversion, credit bundles for volume, or subscriptions for heavy users. You only pay for what you actually use.
Link My Books offers various support tiers depending on your plan. SpreadsheetBroccoli provides fast email support to all users. Our file-based approach also means simpler troubleshooting - if something looks wrong, you can see exactly what data was converted in the preview.
Link My Books processes data on their servers via API connections. SpreadsheetBroccoli processes files entirely in your browser - your data never leaves your device. There's no account to hack, no API tokens to secure, and no data stored on external servers.
SpreadsheetBroccoli is ideal for small businesses doing their own bookkeeping, occasional users who need monthly or quarterly imports, and anyone who wants instant results without learning a new platform. Link My Books is better suited for larger operations with dedicated bookkeepers who need ongoing automation.
Link My Books offers automated syncing, real-time connections, and features like multi-channel consolidation or advanced accounting automation. SpreadsheetBroccoli focuses on doing file conversion exceptionally well - fast, private, and simple. We're not trying to replace full accounting platforms, just make conversions effortless.
Absolutely not. This is a major security advantage of SpreadsheetBroccoli over Link My Books. Link My Books requires you to hand over API keys or login credentials, creating a permanent security vulnerability. We only touch the specific file you upload, process it in your browser, and forget it immediately.
It works until it breaks. Automated integrations often fail silently when platforms update their APIs, leaving you with weeks of missing or duplicated data to clean up manually. SpreadsheetBroccoli is deterministic: you verify the file right now, import it right now, and you know it's done correctly. It turns "background anxiety" into "finished work."
You can, but the cost is validation and edge cases. AI often hallucinates math or format structures, and free scripts rarely handle messy real-world data (missing SKUs, strange currency formats, tax anomalies). We have battle-tested validators specifically for Link My Books exports that catch issues a generic script will miss.

Shopify → Quickbooks Online Data Ecosystem

All available data flows from Shopify to Quickbooks Online

Shopify Customers Export Customer profiles with contact info, addresses, and marketing preferences
→
Quickbooks Online Customer Import Customer profiles with contact and billing information
First Name → First Name Last Name → Last Name Email → Email
Customer list migration, CRM sync
Shopify Orders Export Customer orders with line items, shipping, taxes, discounts, addresses
→
Quickbooks Online Invoice Accrual-basis B2B sales (payment pending)
Name → InvoiceNo Created at → InvoiceDate Created at → DueDate
Wholesale, net terms, accounts receivable
Shopify Orders Export Customer orders with line items, shipping, taxes, discounts, addresses
→
Quickbooks Online Sales Receipt Cash-basis B2C sales (payment received at checkout)
Name → RefNumber Created at → TxnDate Billing Name → Customer
Retail, e-commerce, paid orders
Shopify Payouts/Transactions Shopify Payments transactions, fees, and bank deposits
→
Quickbooks Online Journal Entry Double-entry accounting with debits/credits
Date → JournalDate Amount → Credits Fees → Debits
Professional accounting, fee tracking, aggregated imports
Shopify Products Export Product catalog with variants, pricing, inventory, and images
→
Quickbooks Online Products and Services Import Product and service items for invoicing and sales
Title → Name Variant SKU → SKU Variant Price → Sales Price/Rate
Product catalog migration, inventory setup
Shopify Refunds (via Orders Export) Refunded orders filtered from Orders export. Filter by Financial Status = refunded.
→
Quickbooks Online Journal Entry Double-entry accounting with debits/credits
Created at → JournalDate Name → JournalNo Refunded Amount → Debits
Professional accounting, fee tracking, aggregated imports
Shopify Tax Summary Report Sales tax collected by jurisdiction for liability posting
→
Quickbooks Online Journal Entry Double-entry accounting with debits/credits
Period End → JournalDate Tax Jurisdiction → Account Name Tax Collected → Credits
Professional accounting, fee tracking, aggregated imports