Connect to Stripe Automated Feed
Connecting to Stripe provides an automated transaction feed into ExpensePlus, much like Open Banking. This article explains the steps you need to take in order to connect your Stripe account to ExpensePlus.
Add the Stripe Payment Processor Account
If you haven't yet added a Stripe payment processor account within ExpensePlus, here is what you need to do:
- In the Bank & Cash Account Settings, click the 'Add Payment Processor Account' button.
- In the pop-up that appears, select Stripe as the provider name, customise any other details, then click 'Submit'.
A yellow confirmation bar will then appear, and you can click the link within that message to connect the payment processor account you have added to Stripe.
Connect Your Payment Processor Account to Stripe
Important: Before connecting to Stripe, if you have previously imported Stripe Payout transactions (see 'Option 2' within this help guide article), then your latest Stripe balance should be £0.
If it's not £0, then this indicates that either:
- there has been an issue with transactions being missed from previous transaction file uploads.
- there has been an issue with transactions being duplicated within previous transaction file uploads.
- previous Stripe payout transactions on your bank statement have been incorrectly reconciled.
We would therefore recommend fixing these issues before connecting to the Stripe automated feed.
If you need help identifying where transactions have either not been imported, duplicated, or payouts have been reconciled incorrectly, then this is outside of the free software support that we offer, but we do offer 1:1 additional support sessions for issues like this, to help organisations find and fix transaction upload issues. Please note that these sessions are chargeable, and you can see further details here.
- Within Bank and Cash Account Settings, click the connect button (highlighted below) to the right of your Stripe payment processor account. (Or you can click the link in the yellow bar if you have just completed the steps above). You can also connect to your Stripe account from within the Bank Reconciliation module.
- In the pop-up that appears, click the 'Connect Your Stripe Account' button.
Good to know: The 'Import Transactions From' date is the date ExpensePlus will import transactions from, and we typically recommend you do not change this. However, you may want to change it if your Stripe payment processor account has been set up for a while, but you have been reconciling Stripe payouts on your bank statement via the alternative method of 'Mixed Income' (which is 'Option 1' within this help guide article).
- Follow the steps on the screen to select the Stripe account to which you wish to connect ExpensePlus.
- A pop-up will appear to confirm the connection has been successful. A few moments later, if you click 'View Statement' for your Stripe account within the Bank Reconciliation module, you will be able to view your Stripe transactions.
Good to know: From this point onwards, ExpensePlus will continue to automatically import your Stripe transactions as they happen, allowing you to simply reconcile these transactions.
Reconciling Stripe Payouts
The automated Stripe feed includes Stripe payout transactions into your bank account.
You can reconcile payout transactions when reconciling your Stripe account by:
- clicking on the transaction on the left-hand table, then
- in the popup that appears, select the 'To Bank / Card Account' option.
Note: Alternatively, you can reconcile the corresponding payout into your bank account within the Match Transactions screen for your bank account using the 'From Payment Processor Account' option (either option is fine).
Important: If the payout you are reconciling includes transactions that were in a prior financial year that is not on ExpensePlus, and you create accounts on an accruals basis, then please message our support team, who will be able to help you further with this.
Checking your Stripe Balance
Once your payment processor account within ExpensePlus is connected, you can view your current Stripe Balance within ExpensePlus.
The balance in Expenseplus should always match the sum of your 'incoming' and 'available' balances shown within the balance overview screen within Stripe
Note: If your Stripe balance within ExpensePlus doesn't match what is shown in Stripe, then this indicates a historical issue from before you connected to Stripe, with transactions either being missed or duplicated from transaction file uploads, or Stripe payout transactions on your bank statement having been incorrectly reconciled.
Where this is the case, your latest Stripe balance from before you connected to Stripe won't have been zero, as it should have been (see 'Option 2' within this helpguide article).
If you need help identifying where transactions have either not been imported, duplicated, or payouts have been reconciled incorrectly, then this is outside of the free software support that we offer, but we do offer 1:1 additional support sessions for issues like this, to help organisations find and fix transaction upload issues. Please note that these sessions are chargeable, and you can see further details here.
To better understand the Bank Reconciliation functionality, please watch the module overview video here.