QuickBooks IPP Rest API 3.0 CustomerRef in Invoice

Question

When I use the IPP Rest API 3.0 to create a invoice, a example like this:

<Invoice xmlns="http://schema.intuit.com/finance/v3">
       <Line>
            <Description>Installation labor</Description>
            <Amount>420.00</Amount>
            <DetailType>SalesItemLineDetail</DetailType>
            <SalesItemLineDetail>
                <ItemRef>33</ItemRef>
            </SalesItemLineDetail>
        </Line>
      <CustomerRef>20</CustomerRef>
</Invoice>

In this example, 20 is the Id of this customer.

Now, for a third party program, it might not know the Id of this customer, might know the Name of the customer, so , I understand I can always query the customer to get the Id back first, then use that Id in this invoice creating format.

But my question is, can I just use the name without specify the Id of this customer to create this invoice?

Will the following works?

<Invoice xmlns="http://schema.intuit.com/finance/v3">
       <Line>
            <Description>Installation labor</Description>
            <Amount>420.00</Amount>
            <DetailType>SalesItemLineDetail</DetailType>
            <SalesItemLineDetail>
                <ItemRef>33</ItemRef>
            </SalesItemLineDetail>
        </Line>
      <CustomerRef name="ACB Company"></CustomerRef>
</Invoice>

Further more, If it DOES work, does this logic apply to all the ReferenceType in the API?

Answer 1

No. In API payload, you can't refer objects by name ( this behavior was partially supported in old V2 API which is now deprecated ).

You can verify this behavior using Apiexplorer.

• https://developer.intuit.com/apiexplorer?apiname=V3QBO

In this case, you should query the customer by name and then extract the ID to refer it in the invoice create payload.

Thanks