The Goal: Understand what actions are permitted or restricted for fee items, invoices, and payments depending on whether Best Practice (BP) Mode is enabled or disabled.
Before You Begin:
- Enabling Best Practice Mode is a requirement if you are using the QuickBooks Online (QBO) integration.
- Different actions are allowed in GrowthZone depending on whether BP Mode is enabled or disabled.
Comparison: Standard Mode vs. Best Practice Mode
| Area | Without BP Mode | With BP Mode (required for QBO) |
|---|---|---|
| Fee Items | Can make changes | Cannot make changes. Instead: deactivate the old fee item, create a new fee item, and map the new fee item to QBO (go to Settings, Integrations, BO, Fee Items). |
| Invoices | Can apply payments | Can apply payments |
| Can be written off | Can be written off | |
| Can be edited/delete (dependent on accounting practices under Finance > General Settings) | Can only be edited under Edit Invoice (invoice number changes to a #-C). Cannot delete transactions. Instead: void and create a new invoice, or edit the invoice as noted. | |
| Payments | Can create a refund; OR | Can create a refund; OR |
| Can unapply a payment (if paid by credit card) and apply it to another invoice on the same record. If for an organization, it can be applied to related contact invoices. | Unapplied payment is visible on the Billing tab as an available credit, and in the Finance rail, Billing section, All Payments — filter to Unapplied Overpayments. Can void and apply payment to the correct invoice. |
Common Pitfalls
- Attempting to delete transactions in BP Mode: In Best Practice Mode, transactions cannot be deleted. Use the void-and-recreate workflow instead.
- Editing fee items in QBO with BP Mode: You must deactivate the old fee item and create a new one — changes to existing fee items are not allowed in BP Mode.