How to connect the NetSuite accounting software to Abacus

This integration is only available for customers on the Professional pricing plan. Please get in touch if you're interested in upgrading your plan.

Abacus supports a direct integration with NetSuite that syncs over both reimbursable expenses as well as corporate card expenses. When reimbursable expenses are approved in Abacus, we will sync over a Bill & Bill payment into NetSuite to reconcile those expenses. When corporate card expenses are approved, we push in individual entries for those charges. The entry will include two line items: 1) a debit against the account and 2) an offsetting credit against your corporate card account. You also have an option to sync on an accrual basis.

Below are instructions on how to integrate Abacus with your NetSuite account.

Step 1 - Enabling Features in NetSuite

Log into NetSuite as an Admin. We will need you to enable a few options to allow Abacus and NetSuite to communicate. When you are logged in, go to:

Setup  > Company > Enable Features

The navigation looks like this: 

When on this page, make sure you go to the SuiteCloud tab and then check off four options that we need 'on' in order to sync data. 

• Client SuiteScript
• Server SuiteScript
• Token-based Authentication
• SuiteSignOn

Those options will look like: 

Step 2 - Installing Abacus in Your NetSuite

Now we will need you to install the "Abacus Bundle" in your NetSuite account. This is the integration package. In the main navigation, go to: 

Customization > SuiteBundler > Search & Install Bundles

When on this page you can search for "Abacus" and when it appears as a search result, select it then click on Install and Install Bundle.

Here is what it will look like: 

You will then click 'OK' on the following prompt:

This will then take you to a page called 'Preview Bundle Update' where you will select Update Bundle:

You will then click 'OK' on a second prompt:

This will bring you to the 'Installed Bundles' page where you will see the download of Abacus pending. It will take a minute or two to download. We recommend waiting until it has loaded completely before moving on to the next step!

Step 3 - Abacus Settings in NetSuite

Now you will assign an Abacus "Role" to a NetSuite user. This will be the user log-in that you use later to initiate the connection between Abacus & NetSuite, so the credentials should be accessible and preferably be for a system admin.

We recommend that you create a NEW NetSuite user, ascribing the Abacus permissions to that user. This will allow the account to remain usable if someone leaves your accounting team. 

• Navigate to: Setup > Users/Roles > Manage Users
• Select the user you want to assign the role to
• Click on "Edit"
• Select the Access Tab
• Under "Roles," Add "Abacus Integration" 

The "manage user" bar will look like this:

The edit button on User account will look like this in the top left of the screen:

It will look like this when you add the role:

Please note-- If you have multiple subsidiaries make sure the user you are assigning the Abacus Integration role is assigned to the exact subsidiary you will be connecting to Abacus!

Step 4 - Connecting Abacus to NetSuite

You're now ready to go to the Abacus website and log in as an Administrator: 

• When logged in, go to your Accounting Sync settings
• Click on "Connect to NetSuite"
• Use the username and password of the NetSuite account that was registered to the "Abacus Role" from earlier 
• Click on "Next"

It will look like this:

You will now be asked to pick which company in NetSuite you would like to connect to. If this login can only access one company there will only be one option in this list. If the list is empty it means none of the companies have a user with the Abacus Integration role (See Step 3).

• Select the company from the dropdown menu
• Click on "Connect"

Step 5 - Select a default expense account

Once Abacus is connected to your Netsuite, the next step is customizing the integration with your Netsuite. First, select a default expense account. For any expenses that are missing a category in Abacus, this default expense account will be applied. This should be something like 'miscellaneous' or 'other expense' in your chart of accounts. Keep in mind that if any items in your GL change in NetSuite, they'll also need to be updated in Abacus.

Step 6 - Select sync mode and bank account

Here is where you will select Cash or Accrual method of syncing. For more information on these options, read this article on Accrual accounting with Abacus. Once this is set, select the bank account that's being used to reimburse your expenses. 

Step 7 - Select an AP account (optional) 

This is the AP account that you want associated with the Bill and Bill payment.

Step 8 - Syncing Corporate Cards to NetSuite

If you have corporate cards you are managing in Abacus, we can sync transactions into NetSuite as individual Journal Entries or Credit Card Transactions. You can specify what field you'd like the Abacus merchant to sync into. You have three options: Memo field, Name field from Other Names list, or Name field from Vendor list. Make a selection at the bottom of your Accounting sync page, and click save:

Step 9 - Customize your Corporate Card sync

You have several customization options for the corporate card sync, depending on how you'd like the data to sync.

For Transaction type, you can choose to sync card transactions to NetSuite as either Journal Entries, or Corporate Card transactions. For the vendor/merchant, you can opt to sync that information into the Memo field, or the Name field. For the Name field, choose whether you want the vendor name stored in your Other Names list, or the Vendor list. 

TIP: many customers choose to sync the vendors to the Name field from the Other Names list, to avoid making a mess of your vendor list! 

Step 10 - Select default mappings for Class, Location, and Department 

Abacus pulls in Class, Location, and Department information from your NetSuite. You have the option to create custom fields in Abacus and map them to these fields in NetSuite. Read more about setting up custom fields and mapping them to your NetSuite here.  

You can optionally add default mappings for Class, Location and Departments in your Accounting Sync settings page. Each expense that's missing this field will be associated with the default item you select here:

Step 11 - Map your categories 

To complete the integration, navigate to your Categories page, and map each item to the corresponding expense account. Now you have successfully connected to NetSuite! 

Syncing Custom Fields to NetSuite (Location, Department, and Class) 

You can create custom Team or Expense Fields in Abacus and sync them to Location, Department, and Class fields in NetSuite. For more information on how to set this up, check out these two support articles: 

How to create and sync Team Fields

• Team Fields are customizable fields that you can add to a user's profile, like Department or Team. This data will be attached to employees expenses automatically. 

How to create Expense Fields

• Expense Fields are customizable fields that you can add to the expense submission form. You can create a custom drop down menu on the expense form for your employees to fill out while submitting their expenses.