Duplicate invoice error

How to resolve invoice number errors with QuickBooks Online

Tomas Waples avatar
Written by Tomas Waples
Updated over a week ago

Error Typer: Duplicate invoice error

Error Message: The invoice number on the job is already being used by an invoice in QuickBooks Online.

Description: These errors occur when a you attempts too sync a HouseCall Pro job/invoice with the same invoice number as an already existing QuickBooks Online invoice. This error can be tough to understand, and usually has to do with something your bookkeeper or accountant did in QuickBooks Online. It's ok to skip down to solution 1 to get a quick fix to your error, and then send this article to your accountant/bookkeeper.

To keep a very long story as short as possible, the invoice number you see on your job in HouseCall Pro always needs to match the invoice number for that same job in QuickBooks Online. Ordinarily this is not a problem, every-time HouseCall Pro creates a new job it will take that last invoice number used and add one, going from 1156->1157->1158 and so on.

Because all of your invoices start in HouseCall Pro and then are pushed over to QuickBooks Online, the invoice numbers are unique there as well. Now occasionally your bookkeeper or accountant, for any number of very good reasons, may need to create an invoice just in QuickBooks Online. Because QuickBooks Online increases its invoice numbers in the same way as HouseCall Pro, 1156->1157->1158, QuickBooks Online will assign the invoice that the bookkeeper or accountant crated the same invoice number as the next job you create in HouseCall Pro. When HouseCall Pro then tries to send the job you created over, you get this error.

HouseCall Pro:

QuickBooks Online:

Solution 1 (suggested): Change the invoice number in HouseCall Pro. Simply click directly on the invoice number, and adjust it to a higher number. If you use this solution, keep in mind that you should only increase the invoice number 1157 → 1158 for example. Additionally, the new number the you enter for the invoice number will be the one that HouseCall Pro will add to for the next invoice. For example, if we changed the invoice below from 1157 to 2000 then the next time we created a job/invoice HouseCall Pro will automatically create it as Invoice 2001.


Before Updating anything in QuickBooks Online, please discuss the change with your bookkeeper or accountant, they may have customized your QuickBooks account in ways of which you are unaware.

Solution 2: Change the invoice number in QuickBooks Online. It is very important the you speak to your bookkeeper or accountant before changing a QuickBooks Online invoice number, they will need to make some adjustments in QuickBooks Online after you have finished. Additionally it is very important that you never change the number of an invoice that is already linked to a job/invoice in HouseCall Pro. Please only change the invoice number in QuickBooks Online if it is absolutely necessary.

After you sign into your QuickBooks Online account click on the magnifying glass in the upper right hand corner of your screen and type in the invoice number, and click on the invoice.

Change the invoice number

And click save.

Pro Tip: If you choose to change the invoice number in QuickBooks Online keep in mind that you will need to manually adjust the invoice number the next time you create a new QuickBooks Online invoice in order to reestablish sequential invoices.


Reprocessing QuickBooks Online Errors

From the QuickBooks Sync center move your mouse over the error you wish to reprocess. On the right hand side of your screen you will see a circle with an arrow in it (see below).

Once you click that button HouseCall Pro will start the process of reprocessing the error. You may be prompted to provide HouseCall Pro with additional information depending on the type of error you are reprocessing, but this will typically be asking fairly simple questions. Once you have clicked the reprocess button, and dealt with any popups, the error will disappear from your QuickBooks Sync center. No further actions is necessary, congratulations, you have resolved the error.


Having trouble finding what you need?

Use the blue bubble to reach out to our chat team for live customer support. If you’d prefer to talk it out over the phone, call our support number at 858-842-5746.

Did this answer your question?