Ecommerce bookkeeping proposals: the channel-by-channel scope checklist

List storefronts, marketplaces, payment methods, merchant accounts, currencies, entities, and payout destinations. Add current integrations and the months through which records are reconciled.

Do not let a transaction count replace that channel inventory. One bank deposit can represent hundreds of orders, several fee types, and unsettled customer funds.

Require the proposal to explain gross sales, refunds, fees, disputes, taxes, reserves, and bank payouts. Identify source reports and who supplies them.

For illustration, a provider covering Shopify Payments but excluding another processor can deliver a partially reconciled store while the general P&L looks complete. The scope should identify each included merchant account.

Describe warehouses, fulfillment partners, stock in transit, purchasing, returns, and the costing record. Ask whether the provider maintains inventory accounting or only imports a summary supplied by your team.

Have the accountant assess the policy and reconciliation needed. A supplier invoice total is different from an explained closing stock balance and cost of goods sold.

Confirm whether income tax, sales tax registration or filing, information returns, payroll, historical cleanup, and advisory work are included. Ask how additional entities, channels, or currencies change the fee.

Get the first-year total and recurring total on the same defined scope. Include software fees and company-owned subscriptions where applicable.

Request a sample close package with confidential details removed. Confirm named reviewer, delivery date, exception process, company administrator access, and export rights.

Use one channel's reconciliation as a concrete acceptance test after onboarding. It should explain orders, adjustments, unsettled balances, and cash. Choose the proposal that clearly assigns the work needed for the store you actually operate.

Specify the close cutoff and reporting timezone for each channel. If the store and settlement reports use different dates, the proposal should explain who maintains the timing bridge and reviews funds still in transit at month-end.