6.2 Importing Existing Customers

Import your existing customers into Printavo (via QuickBook Online connection or list upload)

Some shops choose to start their Printavo journey with a blank slate of customers. Some shops choose to import all or some of their previous customers. Both of these options are valid choices with pros and cons, but if you do decide to import customers then Printavo has simplified that process for you by one of three methods:

1. Importing your customers from QuickBooks Online (QBO)
2. Importing your customers from QuickBooks Desktop
3. Importing your customers from other sources (.CSV spreadsheet)
4. Troubleshooting

Where to do this: My Account > Import/Export Data > Import Data > Customers/Payment Terms

1. Importing your customers from QuickBooks Online (QBO)

Users on the Standard tier and above can head to My Account > QuickBooks Online Export to connect your QuickBooks Online to Printavo, where we'll automatically import your customers from QuickBooks for you.

Do you import inactive customers?

Printavo will allow you to import your existing customers from QuickBooks Online to Printavo. We do not import inactive QuickBooks Online customers to Printavo during the process. 

How are Main Contacts and Additional Contacts handled in Printavo?

We transfer Main Contacts and Additional Contracts just like it is in QuickBooks Online to Printavo. The same relationship is held in Printavo and will be listed accordingly as the Customer and Additional Contacts.

*Importing Customers Note*

Importing customers will duplicate customers in your existing Printavo. It will not combine customers. Take this into account when importing customers from a list that is already in your Printavo. 

2. Importing your customers from QuickBooks Desktop

1. Open QuickBooks.
2. Click Reports > Customers & Receivables > Customer Contact List. (Example)
3. In that new window, click Export. This will open Microsoft Excel with your exported customer list. (Example)
4. Download this example file (also found at the bottom of this article) and migrate your current customer list to mimic its format. Make sure the column headers stay the same. Do not delete any columns even if no data will be entered into them.
5. Clear all formatting from your document.
   1. In Excel, push Command/Ctrl + A to select all the cells in your CSV then go to Edit > Clear > Formats
   2. In Google Sheets: Format > Clear Formatting
6. Inside your new formatted Microsoft Excel file, go to File > Save As...
7. Change the format to "Windows Comma Separated .CSV". (Example)
8. Save your file and upload that new file at the bottom of the Customers/Payment Terms import page.

3. Importing your customers from other sources (.CSV spreadsheet)

1. Download this template file (also found at the bottom of this article) and copy your current customer list into it. Make sure the column headers stay the same. Do not delete any columns even if no data will be entered into them.
2. Clear all formatting from your document.
   
   1. In Excel, push Command/Ctrl + A to select all the cells in your CSV then go to Edit > Clear > Formats
   2. In Google Sheets: Format > Clear Formatting
3. Save your file and upload that new file at the bottom of the Customers/Payment Terms import page.

4. Troubleshooting

If your file fails to upload, there are a few possible sources for the cause. Check through this list and if you've attempted to fix all of the following to no avail, please reach out to us at support@printavo.com and we'd be happy to help!

• Was a column removed?
  • Even if a column will contain no data it should not be deleted or removed from the template. 
• Was a column header edited?
  • It is important to not edit any information within of any of the column headers. Even adding a space or deleting a letter will disrupt the upload.
• Do you have any blank rows?
  • Blank rows will cause uploads to fail, so be sure to delete any blank rows.
• Was formatting cleared?
  • Even though the text in the document may look plain and boring, sometimes the text has formatting encoded that's not visible to the naked eye. Be sure to clear formatting in your document to help ensure a smooth upload.
• Is the document saved in the correct format?
  • It's important to save your file in the .CSV UTF-8 format as shown in the following screenshot:

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