Multichannel selling (Amazon, eBay, Walmart)

How to handle QuickBooks integration when selling on multiple platforms beyond Shopify.

Selling on multiple platforms adds complexity to your QuickBooks integration. Here’s how to keep your books clean across channels.

The multichannel challenge

When you sell on Shopify + Amazon + eBay + Walmart:

• Each platform has different fee structures
• Payouts arrive on different schedules
• Tax calculation varies by platform
• Orders need to be consolidated without duplication
• You need channel-level profitability reporting

Manual CSV approach

Process:

1. Export orders from each platform separately
2. Clean and format each CSV differently (platforms use different structures)
3. Import each batch into QuickBooks with channel labels
4. Manually reconcile 4+ different payout deposits
5. Track fees separately for each platform

Problems:

• Extremely time-consuming (hours per week)
• High error rate with multiple formats
• Hard to get consolidated reporting
• Fee reconciliation becomes a nightmare
• No way to prevent duplicate posting if an order appears on multiple platforms

No-code connector approach

Setup:

• Create separate Zapier workflows for each platform
• Map each platform’s order format to QuickBooks
• Hope field mappings don’t break when platforms update

Problems:

• 4x the connector cost (separate workflows per platform)
• Each platform has different fee structures and APIs
• Marketplace fees (Amazon FBA, eBay promoted listings) are complex
• Payout reconciliation still mostly manual
• Can’t handle cross-channel inventory updates

Accounting-grade app approach

Apps like Webgility are built for multichannel from the ground up:

Unified posting:

• Connects to all major platforms in one app
• Posts all channels to QuickBooks with consistent account mapping
• Automatically tags orders by channel for reporting
• Handles each platform’s unique fee structure

Payout reconciliation:

• Tracks gross sales, fees, refunds, and net payouts per channel
• Creates bank deposits that match actual payout amounts
• Breaks out fees by type (referral, FBA, shipping, promotion)

Channel-level reporting:

• QuickBooks classes or tags per channel
• See profitability by platform
• Compare Amazon vs Shopify margins
• Track which channels are most profitable

Inventory sync:

• Keeps inventory in sync across all selling channels
• Prevents overselling when stock is low
• Updates all platforms when inventory arrives or sells

Platform-specific considerations

Amazon:

• FBA fees (storage, fulfillment, long-term storage)
• Referral fees (% of sale)
• Advertising costs (PPC)
• Co-op reimbursements
• Reserve withholdings

eBay:

• Final value fees
• Promoted listing fees
• Store subscription fees
• PayPal fees (if applicable)

Walmart:

• Referral fees
• Fulfillment fees (WFS)
• Return processing fees

When you need multichannel support

✅ Use accounting-grade app if:

• You sell on 2+ platforms
• You need channel-level profitability
• Managing multiple payouts is overwhelming
• Your accountant needs clean, consolidated books

❌ Manual/connectors might work if:

• You only occasionally sell on other platforms
• Other channels are <10% of revenue
• You’re willing to spend hours on reconciliation

Recommended setup

1. Use Webgility or similar multichannel app
2. Connect all platforms in one place
3. Set up QuickBooks classes for each channel (for reporting)
4. Configure automatic payout reconciliation
5. Review channel profitability monthly to optimize mix

Bottom line

Multichannel selling requires multichannel accounting. Don’t try to patch together separate solutions—use an app built for this from the start. The time and error savings are immediate.