How to integrate a CRM with your invoicing software
Introduction
Are you juggling between your CRM to track your prospects and customers, and your invoicing software to issue your invoices? Are you manually re-entering contact details, copying and pasting information from one tool to another, and wasting time checking that everything is up to date?
This double entry is not just time-consuming. It multiplies the risk of errors: an incorrectly copied address, an incorrect amount, outdated customer information on your invoices. Not to mention the difficulty of having an overview of your business relationships when data is scattered everywhere.
CRM-invoicing integration solves this problem by creating an automatic bridge between your two tools. Your CRM contacts automatically become customers in your invoicing system. Payment information flows back into your CRM. You save time, reduce errors and gain a unified view of each customer.
This guide explains concretely how to connect your CRM with your invoicing software. You'll discover the different integration methods available, a step-by-step tutorial to set up synchronisation, and the mistakes to avoid so that your system runs smoothly.
📌 Summary (TL;DR)
Integrating your CRM with your invoicing software eliminates double entry and automatically synchronises your customer data. Three main methods exist: native connectors, automation platforms like Zapier, or development via API. Implementation involves five steps: identify your needs, check your tools' capabilities, choose your method, configure and test, then train your team. Beware of common mistakes like synchronising too much data or neglecting duplicate management.
📚 Table of contents
Why integrate a CRM with your invoicing software?
CRM and invoicing integration eliminates double entry of customer information. You save approximately 2 to 3 hours per week by automating data transfer.
You get a complete view of each customer: sales history in the CRM, payment history in your invoicing software. This synchronisation reduces data entry errors by 60 to 70%.
Your sales and administrative teams work with consistent data. No more scattered Excel files or outdated information. Ditching Excel becomes a natural evolution towards connected tools.
The data that flows between CRM and invoicing
Synchronisation works in both directions. From CRM to invoicing: customer contact details, delivery and billing addresses, main contacts, sales opportunities.
From invoicing software to CRM: payment statuses, invoiced amounts, overdue invoices, transaction history.
Typical bidirectional flow:
- CRM → Invoicing: Name, email, phone, address, customer number
- Invoicing → CRM: Invoice status, payment date, amount due, reminders sent
This automatic circulation ensures that each team has up-to-date information without manual intervention.
From contact to invoice: how it works
A prospect enters your CRM via a web form. Your sales team qualifies the opportunity and moves it forward in the pipeline.
As soon as the opportunity moves to "won" status, the customer is automatically created in your invoicing software with all their contact details. You generate the invoice in just a few clicks.
The payment status then flows back into the CRM. Your salesperson immediately sees whether the customer has paid before contacting them again with a new proposal.
This automation is particularly useful for project tracking and invoicing recurring assignments.
Payment information that enriches your CRM
Your salespeople quickly identify good and bad payers thanks to the financial history visible directly in the CRM. A customer with three unpaid invoices deserves a different approach.
Automatic alerts warn your team before a sales follow-up occurs on an account with late payment. You avoid embarrassing situations.
This visibility improves the quality of your interactions. You adapt your sales pitch according to the financial health of the relationship.
Discover how automated invoicing improves customer relationships beyond simple payment.
The different integration methods
Three main approaches exist to connect your CRM with your invoicing software. Each responds to different needs and budgets.
Available options:
- Native integration (direct connector)
- Automation platforms (Zapier, Make, n8n)
- API and custom development
The choice depends on your technical skills, your budget and the complexity of your processes. No method is universally better.
Native integration (direct connector)
Some software offers ready-to-use connectors. You activate the integration in just a few clicks from your tool's settings.
Advantages: Simple configuration, technical support included, guaranteed reliability, automatic updates.
Disadvantages: Choice limited to official partners, reduced customisation.
In Switzerland, CRMs like Pipedrive, HubSpot or Monday often offer integrations with the main management software. Check the list of compatible partners before choosing your tools.
Automation platforms (Zapier, Make, n8n)
These "middleware" tools connect applications without code. You create visual workflows: "when a customer is created in the CRM, automatically create this customer in BePaid".
Advantages: Maximum flexibility, thousands of applications available, no developer needed.
Disadvantages: Additional monthly cost (15 to 50 CHF/month), sometimes complex initial configuration.
Simple example: new HubSpot contact → automatic creation in your invoicing software with complete contact details. Synchronisation happens in real time or according to a defined interval.
API and custom development
This option requires a developer who programmes the integration according to your specific needs. You get a completely customised solution.
Advantages: Total control, complex business logic possible, no recurring monthly cost.
Disadvantages: High initial investment (2,000 to 10,000 CHF), technical maintenance required, dependence on a developer.
This approach is justified for very specific processes or a large volume of data. For most SMEs, the first two options are more than sufficient.
Tutorial: connect your CRM with your invoicing (step by step)
Follow this five-step process to set up your CRM-invoicing integration. This method works regardless of the technical solution chosen.
Allow half a day for initial configuration and testing. Rigorous preparation avoids subsequent synchronisation problems.
Document each decision made during the process. This documentation will be useful for maintenance and onboarding new employees.
Step 1: Identify your synchronisation needs
Ask yourself the right questions before configuring anything:
- What data needs to flow between the two tools?
- In which direction? Bidirectional or unidirectional?
- How frequently? Real time or daily synchronisation?
- Who uses the CRM? Who uses the invoicing software?
Create a simple checklist: "I want customer contact details to synchronise automatically" or "I want to see unpaid invoices in my CRM".
This preliminary reflection avoids synchronising too much unnecessary data that will complicate maintenance.
Step 2: Check the integration capabilities of your tools
Consult the technical documentation of your CRM and invoicing software. Look for the "Integrations", "API" or "Marketplace" sections.
Check whether a native integration exists between your two tools. If not, verify that each has an API or compatibility with Zapier/Make.
BePaid offers CSV exports and import functionalities that facilitate synchronisation with most CRMs. The integration criterion is essential to choose the right invoicing software.
Step 3: Choose your integration method
Follow this simple decision tree:
Does a native integration exist? → Yes: use it. It's the simplest and most reliable solution.
No, are your needs simple? → Yes: use Zapier or Make. Budget: 15-30 CHF/month.
No, do you have complex needs? → Custom development. Budget: 2,000+ CHF.
Additional criteria: your team's technical skills, monthly volume of data to synchronise, available budget. Most SMEs find their solution with the first two options.
Step 4: Configure and test synchronisation
Always start with a test using dummy data. Create a test customer in your CRM and check that it appears correctly in your invoicing software.
Check field mapping: "Company name" in the CRM must correspond to the correct field in invoicing. Define clear rules to handle duplicates (email as unique identifier, for example).
Test edge cases: existing customer, address change, cancelled invoice, partial payment. Document each configuration rule for future reference.
Step 5: Train the team and monitor
Organise a training session to explain the new workflow to your teams. Who does what? Where to find which information?
Set up monitoring indicators: successful synchronisation rate, number of errors per week, time saved on manual entry.
Schedule a review after one month of use. Gather user feedback and adjust the configuration if necessary.
Ongoing training ensures that the integration actually delivers the expected value. Team adoption is as important as the technology.
Common mistakes to avoid
Certain mistakes frequently recur when setting up a CRM-invoicing integration. Knowing them saves you time and avoids frustrations.
These pitfalls are independent of the technical method chosen. They concern strategy and organisation rather.
Here are the three most common mistakes and how to avoid them from the start.
Synchronising too much unnecessary data
The more fields you synchronise, the more complex and fragile the configuration becomes. Each additional field is a potential point of failure.
Focus on the essentials: customer contact details (name, email, address), invoicing history (amounts, dates, statuses), payment statuses.
Internal CRM notes, marketing preferences or very specific custom fields generally don't need to be synchronised. Less is better for performance and maintenance.
Regularly review the list of synchronised data and remove what is no longer used.
Neglecting duplicate management
Duplicates are easily created: same customer entered twice with variations ("SARL Dupont" vs "Dupont SARL"), slightly different emails, superfluous spaces.
Define a unique key from the start: the professional email or a customer number. This key allows you to identify with certainty that it's the same customer.
Clean your database before launching the integration. Merge existing duplicates in your CRM and your invoicing software.
Configure automatic merge rules: if a customer with the same email already exists, update rather than create a duplicate.
Not planning a backup plan in case of failure
Any integration can experience temporary failures: unavailable API, version change, software bug.
Plan a manual backup process. Your teams must know how to create an invoice manually if synchronisation fails.
Configure failure notifications: an email alerts you if synchronisation stops working. You can react quickly.
Perform regular backups of your data in both systems. Integration should facilitate your work, not create a critical dependency that paralyses the business in case of problems.
CRM-invoicing integration: is it right for you?
Integration represents an investment in time and sometimes money. Not all entrepreneurs need it immediately.
Assess your current situation: how much time do you spend re-entering information? How many data entry errors do you notice per month?
Here are the criteria to determine whether integration brings real value or whether a simpler solution is sufficient for now.
When integration brings real value
Integration is justified in these situations:
- Separate sales team and administrative team working on the same customers
- High volume: more than 50 invoices per month
- Long sales cycle with several interactions before invoicing
- Need for consolidated reporting (expected revenue vs invoiced vs collected)
If you tick at least two criteria, integration will save you time and significantly reduce errors.
Then optimise the timing of sending your invoices to maximise your collections.
When a simple solution is sufficient
Integration is premature if you're in these situations:
- Solo freelancer without a team
- Fewer than 20 active customers
- Very simple sales process (quote → direct invoice)
- Tight budget, priorities elsewhere
Then favour pragmatic alternatives: monthly CSV exports/imports between your tools, use of a single versatile tool that combines CRM and invoicing.
You can always set up automation integration later, when your activity volume justifies it. Start simple.
Integrating your CRM with your invoicing software transforms the way you manage your customer relationships and cash flow. Data flows automatically, invoices are created in just a few clicks from your opportunities, and payment information enriches your sales tracking. You save time, reduce errors and gain a complete view of the customer lifecycle.
The choice of integration method depends on your needs: native connector for simplicity, automation platform for flexibility, or API for customisation. The essential thing is to start small, test carefully and avoid pitfalls like excessive synchronisation or neglecting duplicates.
If you're looking for a simple invoicing solution that facilitates synchronisation with your existing tools, BePaid offers QR-invoices compliant with Swiss standards with an intuitive interface. Test free of charge up to 10 invoices and discover how to simplify your invoicing process today.
