Melio automatically syncs your invoices, customers, and payments with QuickBooks Online. Collect payments through Melio and have everything reconciled in your accounting system - no manual data entry needed.
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This article covers how Melio syncs invoices you send to your customers to collect payment. If you're looking for information about paying your own vendors' bills, see What data does Melio sync with QuickBooks Online? instead.
In this article:
- Invoice types at a glance
- Full invoices (created in Melio)
- Light invoices (created in QuickBooks Online)
- How to detect a light invoice in your Melio account
- When a full invoice becomes a light invoice
- How payment sync works
- Rules and limitations
Invoice types at a glance
The type of invoice you see in Melio depends on where it was originally created. Melio displays invoices in one of two formats to keep your data accurate and prevent sync errors.
| Full invoice | Light invoice | |
| Created in | Melio | QuickBooks Online |
| Details shown | All line items, tax config, service charges | Customer name, total amount, due date, PDF generated by QuickBooks Online |
| Edit in Melio | Yes | No - edit in QuickBooks Online |
| Send & collect | Yes | Yes |
| Sync to QuickBooks Online | Immediately on any change | Structural edits must be made in QuickBooks Online |
Full invoices (created in Melio)
Full invoices contain all the details of the invoice you created in Melio, including individual line items, tax configurations, and service charge options.
You have complete control: you can edit, delete, send, and collect payments for them directly within Melio. Any changes sync to QuickBooks Online immediately.
Light invoices (created in QuickBooks Online)
Light invoices are created in QuickBooks Online and synced to Melio. They show the essential summary information: the customer name, total amount, due date, and the invoice PDF generated by QuickBooks Online.
To prevent data conflicts between the two systems, light invoices cannot be edited in Melio. Any structural changes - such as updating line items or tax settings - must be made directly in QuickBooks Online. These invoices can still be paid or deleted if needed.
When you send a payment request for a light invoice, Melio attaches the original PDF from QuickBooks Online. Your customer will see their complete, itemized breakdown exactly as it appears in QuickBooks Online.
How to detect a light invoice in your Melio account
The light invoices (created in QuickBooks Online) can be easily identified in your Melio account by following these steps:
1 - Select Get paid on the left sidebar.
2 - Select the Invoices tab.
3 - The light invoices will have a ‘QuickBooks Online’ mark under the invoice number.
Alternatively, you can open the invoice and check the invoice source. For light invoices, the source is ‘QuickBooks Online’.
When a full invoice becomes a light invoice
If you edit a Melio-created invoice in QuickBooks Online and add attributes that Melio doesn't support, the invoice automatically converts to a light invoice. This ensures the invoice stays visible and payable in Melio rather than failing to sync.
The following QuickBooks Online changes will trigger the conversion:
| QuickBooks Online change | What it means |
| Item bundles | Groups of products/services bundled as a single entry |
| Shipping charges | A dedicated shipping fee line item |
| Description-only lines | Rows with text but no quantity or price |
| Manual tax overrides | Custom tax amounts manually set in QuickBooks Online |
| Incomplete tax info | Line items marked as taxable but missing total tax |
| Missing/mismatched rates | Lines missing unit rates, totals, or math mismatches |
| Invoice deposits | Advance deposits applied to the invoice |
| Complex discounts | Tax calculated before discount |
Please note: Once an invoice switches to a light invoice, you can no longer edit it in Melio - but your customers can still pay it securely. To check this, open the Invoice details window and look for the banner as shown below:
How payment sync works
After the invoice is paid, payments sync automatically between Melio and QuickBooks Online, in both directions.
Here you can see exactly what happens in different payment scenarios:
| Event | Result |
| Customer pays via Melio | Invoice marked "Paid" in QuickBooks Online; reconciliation complete |
| Payment recorded in QuickBooks Online | Invoice status in Melio updates to "Marked as paid"; payment date, amount, and reference number logged in your Melio history |
| Payment deleted in QuickBooks Online | Melio removes the payment and reopens the invoice |
Partial payment exception
- Partial payments are not supported at this time:
- Invoices with a partial payment recorded in QuickBooks Online prior to the sync activation won't be synced to Melio.
- Invoices with a partial payment recorded in QuickBooks Online after the sync activation will display the full invoice amount in Melio.
Rules and limitations
- Duplicate invoice numbers: QuickBooks Online does not allow duplicate invoice numbers. An invoice created in Melio with a number that already exists in QuickBooks Online will fail to sync.
- Currency: Melio only supports USD invoices.
- Invoice age: Invoices with a due date older than one year will not be synced to Melio.