Towing Software Integrations: Square and QuickBooks
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Relay Tow connects to two tools most towing companies already pay for: Square for card payments and QuickBooks for accounting. Owners and Admins connect both from the Integrations page in the dashboard, where each service has its own card. This post explains what each integration does and how to set it up, based on the Relay Tow help center article Integrations overview.
Why connected tools matter for a tow company
A typical tow company takes card payments through one program and keeps its books in another. When neither one talks to the system that holds your calls and invoices, someone in the office retypes every payment. That costs time each week, and every retyped number is a chance for a mistake that shows up later when the bank statement does not match.
Connecting payments and accounting to your dispatch and invoicing software means a job is entered once. The invoice is created from the call, the customer pays against that invoice, and the payment flows to your books.
Square: card payments in three places
The Square integration lets you take card payments through your own Square account. Owners and Admins connect it under Settings, then Square Payments, or from the Square card on the Integrations page. You sign in on Square's own website and approve the request, and Relay Tow shows Square Connected when you return.
Once it is connected, Square handles card payments in three places:
Invoices. Relay Tow attaches a Square checkout link to an invoice and emails it to your customer. The invoice updates to Paid on its own after they pay.
The driver app. Drivers create an invoice on the Collect Payment screen and share the Square link by QR code, text, share menu, or copied link. Our tow truck driver app guide covers the rest of what drivers do on scene.
Online impound payments. With public payment turned on for your website, vehicle owners can pay impound fees by card before they arrive at the lot. This pairs well with the impound management checklist.
Customers enter card details on Square's checkout page, so Relay Tow never sees card numbers. It only receives the result, such as the amount and status. One detail to know: the driver app's Collect Payment screen needs Square connected, even for cash jobs. Full steps are in the help center article Connect your Square account.
QuickBooks: payments recorded in your books
The QuickBooks integration sends your Relay Tow invoice payments to your books so you do not enter them twice. It is available where enabled for your company, so check the QuickBooks card on your Integrations page or ask Relay Tow support.
To connect, open Integrations, choose the QuickBooks card, and sign in on Intuit's page. Back in Relay Tow, you set up two mappings:
Item labels. Map each Relay Tow item label, such as a tow, mileage, or storage line, to a QuickBooks item.
Payment methods. Map your Relay Tow payment methods to the matching QuickBooks payment methods.
After that, when an invoice is paid, the payment is recorded in QuickBooks. Online impound payments made through your website are recorded too. You can disconnect from the same card at any time.
Take a few minutes with your bookkeeper on the mapping step. If your item labels line up with how your books are already organized, the reports in QuickBooks will read the way your accountant expects.
How Square and QuickBooks work together
The two integrations cover different halves of the same payment. Square collects the money, and QuickBooks records it. A common flow looks like this:
A dispatcher takes the call and the job is completed.
An invoice is created in Relay Tow, either in the office or by the driver on the Collect Payment screen.
The customer pays by card through the Square link, and the invoice is marked Paid.
Where QuickBooks is enabled for your company, the payment is recorded in QuickBooks using your mappings.
Nobody retypes the amount, the customer, or the payment method. Our guide to towing invoicing software covers the billing side in more depth.
What to set up first
Start with whatever removes the most retyping in your week.
Connect Square first if customers often ask how to pay, if drivers collect on scene, or if vehicle owners call the impound lot asking about fees. You need it for the driver app's Collect Payment screen anyway.
Connect QuickBooks next if your bookkeeper copies payments from invoices into the books, and it is enabled for your company.
Before you connect either one, confirm that the person doing the setup has the Owner or Admin role, and have the Square or Intuit sign-in ready. Each connection takes a few minutes once you have those.
FAQ
Who can connect Square and QuickBooks in Relay Tow?
Owners and Admins connect both from the Integrations page. Square can also be connected under Settings, then Square Payments.
Does Relay Tow store my customers' card numbers?
No. Customers enter card details on Square's checkout page, and Relay Tow only receives the result, such as the amount and status.
Does Relay Tow work with QuickBooks?
Yes, where QuickBooks is enabled for your company. Paid invoice payments are recorded in QuickBooks using the item and payment method mapping you set up when connecting.
Are online impound payments recorded in QuickBooks?
Yes. When QuickBooks is connected, online impound payments made through your website are recorded along with paid invoices.
Related reading: Tow Dispatch Software: What to Look For, Best Towing Software Features to Look For, Towing Software for Small Tow Companies.
Connect Square and QuickBooks to Relay Tow
Relay Tow connects to Square for card payments and QuickBooks for accounting from one Integrations page. Plans from $66/month. Create your account and connect the tools you already use to Relay Tow dispatch and invoicing.
