FreeAgent is under testing and development and is only open to certain users.
Band Pencil provides a user-friendly integration with FreeAgent that allows you to send invoices to FreeAgent with a single click. This removes the need for duplicate data entry. You can create and manage your invoice in Band Pencil, then post it directly to FreeAgent when you're ready.
FreeAgent is a flexible accounting platform used widely in the UK. Because of this, we recommend reviewing the invoice in FreeAgent after sending it to ensure everything appears exactly as expected. This connection has been tested for UK companies only.
To connect Band Pencil to FreeAgent:
FreeAgent uses secure OAuth authentication. This means you may occasionally be asked to re-authenticate the connection.
To disconnect FreeAgent:
Disconnecting the integration will not remove invoices that have already been created in FreeAgent.
When an invoice is sent from Band Pencil to FreeAgent, several elements are transferred. These include:
When an invoice is sent to FreeAgent we transmit:
*FreeAgent uses payment terms (in days) rather than a due date. To convert our due date into payment terms we calculate the days between issue and due and send this as the payment term. This does mean we will always send at least 1 day due otherwise FreeAgent will reject the invoice.
**FreeAgent automatically assigns its own internal invoice ID when the invoice is created.
Each line item on your Band Pencil invoice will be added to the FreeAgent invoice.
The integration sends:
FreeAgent treats negitive line items the same as positive items (just like it's shown in Band Pencil). If your invoice contains negative values (e.g. discounts), all negative line items sent to FreeAgent as they show in Band Pencil.
FreeAgent uses predefined tax rates (tax codes), while Band Pencil lets you enter tax as a percentage on each line item. Because these systems work differently, Band Pencil maps your percentages to two FreeAgent tax rates:
The default tax rate will be applied when the tax percentage entered on a line item matches the default tax percentage configured in your Band Pencil tax settings.
For example:
| Line Item Tax | Your Default Tax | Applied FreeAgent Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 20% | 20% | Default Tax Rate |
| 0% | 20% | No Tax Rate |
| 5% | 20% | No Tax Rate |
The no-tax rate is applied whenever the tax percentage does not match the default tax percentage. If your business does not charge VAT, simply set both the default tax rate and no tax rate to the same no-tax option in FreeAgent. FreeAgent will ignore any tax information sent from Band Pencil if you do not have tax setup in FreeAgent.
FreeAgent supports multiple VAT rates, however the Band Pencil integration currently maps only the default tax percentage and the no tax percentage If your invoice uses multiple VAT rates (for example 5% and 20%), you may need to edit the tax rate manually in QuickBooks after sending the invoice.
Before an invoice can be created in FreeAgent, a contact must exist. Band Pencil handles this automatically:
We recommend checking the contact assigned to the invoice in FreeAgent to ensure it is correct.
Once your FreeAgent account is connected, you can send invoices.
To send an invoice:
If successful:
Once an invoice has been sent to FreeAgent, FreeAgent becomes the source of truth for that invoice.
This means:
The integration is designed to create invoices in FreeAgent only, rather than continuously synchronising changes between both systems.
Band Pencil monitors the payment status of invoices created in FreeAgent. When FreeAgent reports that the invoice has been fully paid (i.e. no remaining balance), Band Pencil will automatically mark the invoice as Paid. This allows you to track payment status in Band Pencil while managing payments inside FreeAgent.
This check isn't automatic so it may take a few hours for changes made in FreeAgent to sync with Band Pencil.
If Band Pencil is unable to send an invoice to FreeAgent, the error returned will be displayed to help you resolve the issue.
FreeAgent has its own internal rules and configuration which may affect how invoices are created. Because of this, some behaviour is controlled entirely by FreeAgent.
Tax rates available in FreeAgent are defined by your FreeAgent account. Band Pencil simply references the tax rates configured in your integration settings.
FreeAgent controls how invoice numbers are generated and stored. Band Pencil sends your invoice reference, but FreeAgent may apply its own internal numbering rules.