
ApproveThis manages your QuickBooks Online Integration approvals.
April 17, 2025
Integration Category: Accounting
Why This Combo Works Like a Swiss Bank Account
Let’s cut to the chase: ApproveThis handles the messy human stuff (decisions), QuickBooks Online handles the numbers (money). Together, they’re like that perfectly synced duo you see in heist movies – except instead of stealing diamonds, you’re stealing back time from approval bottlenecks. For companies juggling invoices, purchase orders, and client payments, this integration isn’t just “nice to have” – it’s the guardrail keeping your financial processes from veering into the ditch.
What Happens When Approval Gates Meet Accounting Automation
QuickBooks Online is where your money lives. ApproveThis is where decisions about that money get made. Connect them via Zapier, and you’ve just built a direct line between “Should we?” and “Here’s how much.” Think of it as adding traffic lights to your financial workflows – except these lights actually prevent crashes (and angry emails from your CFO).
Three Ways This Changes the Game
1. No more Schrödinger’s invoices: That project approval? It either creates an invoice in QuickBooks immediately or triggers a follow-up – no more guessing if something’s “approved but not billed.”
2. Payment confirmations that actually do something: When an invoice gets paid in QuickBooks, ApproveThis can auto-start your next process – vendor payments, project kickoffs, even client thank-you emails.
3. Escalations that don’t require babysitting: Approval thresholds in ApproveThis mean small expenses auto-approve into QuickBooks, while big ones route to the right execs. Your AP team stops playing approval operator.
Real-World Use Cases (That Don’t Suck)
The Marketing Agency Play
Scenario: Client approves a $50K campaign. Normally, your account lead would email finance, someone creates a QuickBooks invoice, then someone else follows up to confirm it’s sent. With the integration:
- Final client approval in ApproveThis triggers invoice creation in QuickBooks
- Auto-adds line items based on approved SOW
- Route exceptions (like scope changes) to PMs via approval groups
Result: Invoices go out 83% faster (real client metric). Because “approved” should mean “billed,” not “added to someone’s to-do list.”
The Construction Company Hack
Problem: Material purchases need superintendent approval, but accounting needs PO numbers in QuickBooks. The old way? Paper forms. The new way:
- Field lead submits purchase request via ApproveThis
- Approved requests auto-create QuickBooks POs with vendor details
- Over-budget items get flagged via calculated fields, escalating to project execs
Bonus: Vacation delegation means when your usual approver is on-site, requests auto-route to their backup. No more waiting for someone to check email from a crane.
The Consulting Firm Angle
Hourly projects require client sign-off before billing. Typical bottleneck: consultants tracking down approvals, then manually transferring hours to QuickBooks. The fix:
- Approval requests in ApproveThis include calculated fields (hours x rate)
- Client approval triggers invoice creation with exact breakdown
- Paid invoices auto-start the next phase’s approval process
Key perk: Clients approve via email without needing QuickBooks access. Your $400/hr consultant stays billable instead of playing accountant.
Setting This Up Without Losing Your Mind
Here’s the beauty part – if you can make a PB&J, you can connect ApproveThis to QuickBooks:
- Log into Zapier (you’re using it already – don’t lie)
- Choose your trigger: “New Request” in ApproveThis or “Invoice Paid” in QuickBooks
- Map the key fields: Amounts, client/project IDs, dates
- Test with a $1 approval to avoid embarrassing yourself
Pro tip: Use ApproveThis’ calculated fields to auto-determine if requests need human approval or can auto-post to QuickBooks. Because you’re a grown-up – some decisions can be automated.
Why Your Teams Will Actually Like This
Finance Team Wins
No more chasing down approvers or guessing if that invoice was client-approved. Approval trails in ApproveThis sync with QuickBooks transactions. Auditors stop giving you that disappointed look.
Operations Wins
Projects start faster because purchase approvals automatically become POs. Vendor questions? Check the approval thread in ApproveThis instead of digging through emails.
Client-Facing Teams
Clients approve budgets via email (no login required), which auto-updates QuickBooks. You look responsive, they don’t get lost in your accounting system. Everyone stays friends.
The Fine Print That Actually Matters
- Approvers don’t need QuickBooks licenses – huge for external clients
- Vacation delegation stops approvals from piling up
- Threshold rules prevent $5k decisions needing CEO approval
- All actions audit-trailed across both systems
Bottom Line: This Isn’t “Integration for Integration’s Sake”
If you’re using QuickBooks Online, you’re already tracking money. If you’re using ApproveThis, you’re already managing decisions. The gap between those is where mistakes happen, delays fester, and profits leak. This integration isn’t about tech – it’s about closing that gap before your competitor does.
Ready to stop being the approval bottleneck? Get ApproveThis, connect it to QuickBooks Online, and start treating approved decisions as actual financial actions. Or keep doing it manually – your funeral.
Integrate with QuickBooks Online Integration and get 90 days of ApproveThis for free.
After you create a Zapier integration, please email us at support@approve-this.com with your account name and we'll add 3 months of ApproveThis to your account. Limit one redemption per account.
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Best Approval Workflows for QuickBooks Online
Suggested workflows (and their Zapier components) for QuickBooks Online
Create invoices for new approval requests in QuickBooks Online
When a new approval request workflow is initiated, automatically create an invoice in QuickBooks Online. Use this integration to streamline your billing process when approvals are granted, ensuring you never miss invoicing authorized projects or services. *Note: Ensure request details are adequately mapped to invoice fields.*
Zapier Components
Trigger
New Request
Triggers when a new approval request workflow is initiated.

Action
Create Invoice
Adds a new invoice (with line item and bundle item support).
Initiate approval requests for paid invoices in ApproveThis
Start an approval workflow in ApproveThis when a QuickBooks Online invoice is fully paid. This automation helps verify financial transactions and initiate further internal processes that depend on confirmed payments. *Note: Customize approval criteria based on invoice amount or client requirements.*
Zapier Components

Trigger
New Invoice Paid
Triggers when an invoice is paid in full. (Balance changes to zero)
Action
Create Request
Creates a new request, probably with input from previous steps.
Add deposits in QuickBooks Online for approved requests
When a request is approved or denied in ApproveThis, automatically create a corresponding deposit in QuickBooks Online. This integration simplifies financial tracking by ensuring all approved funds are recorded promptly. *Note: Set conditions for automatic deposits based on approval types.*
Zapier Components
Trigger
A Request Is Approved/Denied
Triggers when a request is approved or denied.

Action
Create Deposit
Creates a new deposit in QuickBooks.
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