Overview: QuickBooks Desktop is a powerful accounting software widely used by businesses to process payroll and manage financial operations. Its features enable seamless integration with Buddy Punch, enhancing its functionality and adaptability to meet your business needs. However, despite its robust architecture, users can sometimes encounter integration and/or settings errors that can disrupt workflows.
Not to worry! Here, we provide additional context and step-by-step instructions on how to resolve the most commonly encountered QuickBooks Desktop errors.
Common Errors:
Payroll Items Not Syncing
Check the Box for Personal Data Sharing
QBWC1003: The application could not be reached
QBWC1039: Unique Owner ID/File ID pair value required
Payroll Items Not Syncing
Possible Causes:
Administrator Rights—You must be logged into QuickBooks as the main Admin account holder. Other users with admin rights may not work.
Permissions—Missing permissions may prevent payroll items from syncing.
Unassigned Payroll Items—Employees in QuickBooks must be assigned payroll items for them to sync correctly.
How to Fix:
In QuickBooks Desktop, go to Edit > Integrated Applications > Company Preferences.
Select Buddy Punch and click Properties.
Check the box for: “Allow this application to access Social Security Numbers, customer credit card information, and other personal data.”
Ensure all employees in QuickBooks have the appropriate payroll items assigned.
Check the Box for Personal Data Sharing
Cause:
New payroll items are being pulled in, but Buddy Punch lacks permission to access sensitive data.
How to Fix:
In QuickBooks Desktop, go to Edit > Integrated Applications > Company Preferences.
Select Buddy Punch and click Properties.
Check the box for:
“Allow this application to access Social Security Numbers, customer credit card information, and other personal data.”Save and re-run the sync.
QBWC1003: The application could not be reached
Cause:
The sync was attempted without proper QuickBooks Desktop permissions.
You must be signed in as the main company account holder, not just another admin.
How to Fix:
Uninstall the QuickBooks Web Connector.
Log in as the main QuickBooks account holder.
Reinstall the Web Connector and authorize Buddy Punch.
QBWC1039: Unique Owner ID/File ID pair value required
Cause:
The Web Connector file (.qwc) was installed on multiple devices without unique IDs.
How to Fix:
In Buddy Punch go to: Settings > Integrations > Integrate with QuickBooks Desktop.
Download the BuddyPunch.qwc file.
Open the file in TextEdit (Mac) or Notepad (Windows).
Locate the
<OwnerID>value:
Example:
<OwnerID>{3c852375-…}</OwnerID>Change the first digit (e.g., from
3to5).And Save your changes.
Open QuickBooks and double-click the updated .qwc file.
Authorize Buddy Punch when prompted.
Enter your Buddy Punch QuickBooks Integration password (found in Settings > Integrations > Integrate with QuickBooks Desktop).
Run the sync via Web Connector by checking the box next to the Buddy Punch application and clicking Update Selected.
Billable Activities Must Have a Customer: Job and Service Item
This error appears if billable time in QuickBooks Desktop is missing a required mapping.
Cause:
A Customer: Job is marked as billable, but no Service Item is associated.
In Buddy Punch, this typically occurs when a Location or Department code marked as billable is missing its corresponding mapping.
How to Fix:
Identify the employee named in the error message.
Check their time card to see which Location/Department codes were used.
Go to the Mapping page in Buddy Punch.
Add the missing mapping (Customer: Job + Service Item).
Resync with QuickBooks. (Only remaining untransferred hours will sync; previously synced hours are not duplicated.)
Alternate Solution:
If mappings exist but are linked to inactive QuickBooks codes, review and reassign them to active Service Items.
FAQs
Q: What should I do if these steps don't work?
A: Please get in touch with our customer support team, and we'd be happy to assist.