Xero Has It. QuickBooks Doesn’t. The API Gap you must know.

Xero Has It. QuickBooks Doesn’t. The API Gap you must know.

If you’ve ever tried to reconcile transactions in QuickBooks Online (QBO) and felt like it took forever, you’re not alone. In fact, one U.S. CPA confided to me recently:

I avoid QuickBooks Online whenever I can. The fact that it doesn’t have an API for reconciliation makes my job twice as hard. With Xero, I can automate bulk reconciliations straight from Excel or third-party apps. With QBO, I’m stuck clicking buttons manually.

That’s a bold statement.

But let’s break it down.

The API Gap: QBO vs. Xero

• Xero: Offers a dedicated Bank Transactions API, which third-party tools and even Excel can use to bulk reconcile data. Example: upload a CSV, and the reconciliation runs almost automatically.

  👉

  Xero Bank Transactions API docs https://developer.xero.com/documentation/api/accounting/banktransactions

• QuickBooks Online: Does not provide any API for reconciliation. You can fetch and create transactions, but marking them as reconciled is not exposed via API.

  👉

  Proof from Intuit Developer docs: QBO API Reference (notice there’s no “reconciliation” endpoint).

• Multiple times, the feature of the reconciliation API was requested in the Intuit Developer Forum.

This leaves accountants stuck in the UI a manual, click-heavy process.

QBO’s October 2024 Update: A Small Step Forward

To be fair, Intuit has started moving in the right direction.

In the October 2024 release, they added a flag in the Transactions API to indicate whether a check has cleared the bank.

👉 Source: QBO Release Notes October 2024

This helps but it’s still not reconciliation. You can see if a check cleared, but you still can’t reconcile it via API.

Why This Matters for Businesses

Let’s take three real-world examples:

• Retail store: Daily card settlements from POS. Bank feed occasionally misses or duplicates transactions manual checking line by line.
• SaaS company: Thousands of Stripe micro-transactions monthly. Without automation, staff spend hours reconciling small-dollar entries.
• E-commerce: Shopify payouts include multiple orders, refunds, and fees in one lump deposit. Matching these manually in QBO is painful without bulk reconciliation.

And the problems multiply when you add:

• Bank feed gaps missing/duplicate transactions
• High transaction volume 1,000s of daily entries
• Multiple currencies & subsidiaries FX adjustments complicate matching
• Partial payments & deposits difficult to align with bank statements
• Lack of a clear audit trail manual adjustments without proper notes

The Workaround: Chrome Extension Automation

Until Intuit opens reconciliation via API, there’s a workaround: Use a Chrome extension to mimic the clicks inside QBO’s web interface.

We have created such an extension for SyncTools based on their requirements.

We can make a custom extension for you, too !!

After installing the extension, when you open QuickBooks, you’ll see a new button: “Reconcile with SyncTools” on the reconcile page of QuickBooks.

When you click the “Reconcile with SyncTools” button, SyncTools connects to your application and pulls all transactions already marked as reconciled in within SyncTools.

SyncTools compares each transaction with QuickBooks using smart matching:

• For matched transactions, SyncTools simulates the user action in QuickBooks (ticking the reconciliation box).
• It can mark multiple transactions in bulk with one click.
• Nothing else is changed only the reconcile status.

• After QuickBooks is updated, SyncTools notifies your app that reconciliation is complete.
• Status in your app is updated to Reconciled in QuickBooks.

A Vision for the Future: Why Intuit Should Open the Reconciliation API

In 2025, QuickBooks Online is no longer a “free for developers” platform.

With the introduction of API service fees (Intuit API Pricing Platform Service Fees), developers and accountants now pay real money for program access.

• Builder plan: free, but capped at 500,000 CorePlus API calls.

• Silver / Gold / Platinum tiers: from $300 to $4,500 monthly fees with scaled CorePlus usage.

  Refer to the following table for the program fee, API credits, and API rate card by tier.

  

  (See: Intuit’s own API pricing table)

If Intuit is monetizing API usage, then it’s time to unlock high-impact endpoints that actually reduce manual work for accountants, bookkeepers, and businesses.

Right now, the Reconciliation API is missing a pain point every CPA I’ve spoken to has flagged. Without it, automation platforms and bulk workflows are forced into hacks like:

• Chrome extensions mimicking clicks in the UI
• Workarounds that carry audit/compliance risk
• Hours of manual work that Xero users simply don’t face

👉 If Intuit app partners are paying to use the platform, Intuit must consider enabling reconciliation APIs.

It’s not just about feature parity with Xero. It’s about honoring the time and trust of the accounting professionals who keep small businesses compliant and confident.

⚡ Final Thought: Intuit’s October 2024 update was a good step (showing if a check cleared via the Transactions API). But imagine the productivity leap if tomorrow’s release notes simply read:

New: The QuickBooks Online Reconciliation API is now available.

That single line would save accountants millions of clicks per year and reinforce QuickBooks Online as the platform of choice for the next decade.