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Configure Spendesk to use NetSuite accounting setup

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Once your Spendesk account is connected to your NetSuite account, we will pull your master data from NetSuite and let you use it in Spendesk. Follow these steps in order to set up your analytical dimensions, bank account, bank fees account, expense accounts, suppliers and employees.

Configuration steps

After you successfully connected Spendesk to NetSuite you can follow these few steps to configure your accounting setup.

Step 1 - Analytical fields mapping

There are 3 standard segments in NetSuite - Class, Department and Location. These three fields are supported by default when switching to the NetSuite integration. Spendesk analytical fields or the cost center field can be mapped to these NetSuite segments.

In addition, Expense Category (used to create expense reports in NetSuite) is added to the list of NetSuite custom segments in Spendesk, so that it can be mapped to an analytical field.

  1. Once successfully connected you can check that all your NetSuite standard and custom segments are mapped to an analytical field in Spendesk. Check which ones from Class, Department, Location, Expense Category and custom segments you would like to use and create an analytical field for each of those on Settings > Organisation > Analytical fields (or ask your Spendesk Onboarding Manager to create them). When creating an analytical field through Spendesk UI at least one value is mandatory - enter “X” and click “Create the analytical field”, then delete the value “X”. There should be no values in the analytical field - they will be pulled automatically from NetSuite. No values should ever be added through Spendesk UI (except Cost Centers on Settings > Cost centers). Only the values that the integration pulls from NetSuite can be used for exports.
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    ​Note: Do not name a custom field Team.
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  2. Map the newly created Spendesk analytical fields to corresponding NetSuite segments under Settings > Organisation > Analytical fields. Note: For Class, Department and Location the mapping dialog will ask if the field should be exported on each line-item, in transaction body or both:
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    You can check this in your NetSuite account by navigating to Setup > Accounting > Accounting Preferences. If the corresponding checkbox ALLOW PER-LINE DEPARTMENT/CLASSIFICATIONS/LOCATIONS is checked then this segment needs to be exported on each line-item. Otherwise (unchecked) - in the transaction body.

    Note: if ALLOW PER-LINE LOCATIONS is not visible, it means it is checked and hidden.
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    Custom segments (other than Class, Department and Location) are sent both in the transaction body and repeated on each line-item.
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    ​Note: We recommend to not map Spendesk Cost centers to NetSuite Departments in the beginning. Create an analytical field Department and map it to NetSuite’s Department. If the customer uses Cost centres, they need to be created manually in Spendesk. Since every cost center has to have an approval flow defined, the integration is not able to create cost centers automatically. If Cost center field is mapped to a NetSuite custom field (e.g. Department), then Spendesk will try to match Cost centers in Spendesk with Departments in NetSuite. That is why it is important that cost centers in Spendesk are named exactly the same as Departments in NetSuite.
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    Note: Custom segments in NetSuite have nested values. For example, if a department is called Marketing with parent = France : Operations, then the right value for the cost center in Spendesk is France : Operations : Marketing.

  3. Now, click Refresh accounting settings under Settings > Accounting Setup > Accounting integration. This will pull existing values of the segments from NetSuite to the analytical fields in Spendesk. In other words, you do not need to manually populate values of analytical fields in Spendesk - they will be automatically populated once a mapping is in place.

  4. For each non-standard custom segment (i.e. other than Class, Department, Expense Category and Location) you would like Spendesk to support, grant the following permissions to 'Spendesk native integration' under Customization > Lists, Records, & Fields > Custom Segments:
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  5. For us to be able to use your accounts (expense accounts, accounts payable, etc.), the checkbox ELIMINATE INTERCOMPANY TRANSACTIONS must be turned off.

  6. Other NetSuite custom segments (fields) can also be pulled from NetSuite when the corresponding feature toggle is activated. These custom segments appear alongside Class, Department, Location and Expense Category on Settings > Accounting Setup > Mapping.

    When mapping a field to Class, Department or Location, it is necessary to indicate whether they need to be sent on each line item or in the transaction body (or both) of the Vendor Bill/Expense Report. Customers usually know which settings they need, otherwise this can be checked by creating a new Bill in NetSuite and selecting Standard Vendor Bill in the Custom Form field.

    Once an analytical field is mapped to a NetSuite custom or standard segment, at the next Refresh of accounting settings we will pull the values of the segment from NetSuite into the corresponding Spendesk analytical field.


    If an analytical field is mapped to NetSuite’s Department, we will pull the list of departments into that analytical field. If this analytical field contained some values before Refreshing accounting settings, then we will try to match the values coming from NetSuite (e.g. departments) with the values in the Spendesk field.

    • Values that didn’t match any NetSuite value will remain in the analytical field but cannot be used to export payables to NetSuite. That is why it is recommended to start with an empty analytical field and let it get populated with values from NetSuite.

    • Cost centers are handled differently than analytical fields. Since a cost center has an owner and a co-owner defined, the integration is not able to create new cost centers automatically. If Cost centers are mapped with Department, then we will try to match departments coming from NetSuite with cost centers in Spendesk.

    • Values that didn’t match any NetSuite value cannot be used to export payables to NetSuite. No new cost centers will be created.


    ​Note: Custom fields in NetSuite have nested values. For example, if a department is called Marketing with parent = France : Operations, then the right value for the cost center in Spendesk is France : Operations : Marketing.

    For each non-standard custom segment (i.e. other than Class, Department, Location and Expense Category) you would like Spendesk to support, grant the following permissions to 'Spendesk native integration' under Customization > Lists, Records, & Fields > Custom Segments:

Step 2 - Chart of accounts settings

Once you are connected, an asynchronous process starts to pull your accounts from NetSuite to Spendesk. Here is the list of accounts Spendesk can pull from NetSuite:

  • Bank fees account

    • Expense

    • Other expense

  • Spendesk bank account & Wallet funding bank account

    • Bank

  • Expense accounts

    • Expense

    • Other expense

    • Fixed assets

    • Other current assets

    • Cost of goods sold

    • Other asset

    • Other current liability

  • Supplier accounts

    • Accounts payable

  • Employee accounts

    • Accounts payable

On Spendesk, configure your bank accounts by navigating to Settings > Chart of accounts > Bank accounts. If you need to edit your accounts, please proceed from NetSuite, then Spendesk will pull them.
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Step 3 - Suppliers import

The equivalent of a supplier in Spendesk is a vendor in NetSuite. We pull the list of vendors accessible by the selected subsidiary from NetSuite.

We try to match each vendor with an existing Spendesk supplier. We use an exact case-insensitive match on the Supplier/Vendor name and on the Supplier name/Vendor company ID. If a match is found, the NetSuite internal vendor ID is saved with the Spendesk supplier. A match is indicated on the Settings > Accounts payable page with a green checkbox and a link to the vendor’s page in NetSuite.

If there is no matching Spendesk supplier for a given NetSuite vendor, then we create a new Spendesk supplier and we map it to the NetSuite vendor. When we create a new supplier in Spendesk, it is automatically mapped to the vendor it is created from.

If you have vendor accounts ("_accountsPayable", "_otherCurrentLiability") in NetSuite that are not linked to any vendor, we will import them into Spendesk without mapping them to a vendor in Spendesk so that you can still select them when preparing your accounts.

Existing Spendesk suppliers that were not mapped to any NetSuite vendor remain in the supplier database under Settings > Accounts payable with a “Not mapped” status. This status is indicated on Settings > Accounts payable page with a blank clock pictogram and a callout.

It is possible that more than one supplier is mapped to the same vendor (meaning they have the same name).

Vendors in NetSuite are associated with a primary subsidiary and a list of secondary subsidiaries. Spendesk pulls vendors in both cases - when the selected subsidiary is primary and when it is in the list of secondary subsidiaries.

It is possible to manually change the supplier/vendor mapping on Settings > Accounts payable page > Supplier details.

Changing an existing supplier/vendor mapping is only possible if the currently selected vendor is already mapped to another supplier. In other words, if two (or more) Spendesk suppliers are mapped to the same vendor, then it is possible to change this mapping. Conversely, if a vendor has only one Spendesk supplier mapped to it, then it is not possible to change this mapping. The reason for such restriction is to avoid unmapped vendors that get created with the next Refresh of accounting settings.

Step 4 - Employees import

We will import your suppliers and employees from NetSuite and try to match them with your existing suppliers and members in Spendesk.

  • If there is no existing matching supplier, we will create one in Spendesk.

  • If there is no existing matching member, we will not create one in Spendesk.

Also as reminder, this integration only allows to push prepared payables to NetSuite. Spendesk does not create suppliers or employees in NetSuite.

For every Spendesk member belonging to the wallet, we try to find a corresponding NetSuite employee. We try to match each Spendesk member with a NetSuite employee using their email address, or, if there is no email address in NetSuite, their First Name and Last Name. If a match is found, Spendesk stores only the NetSuite ID of the matching employee (no other personal information is stored). This ID will be used when exporting expense claims to NetSuite. A match is indicated on the member’s modal with a green checkbox and a link to the matching employee record in NetSuite.

Important notes:

  • Cost centres must be named in Spendesk exactly the same way they are named in NetSuite.

  • To trigger the data mapping again, go to Accounting Setup > Accounting integration and click on Refresh accounting settings.

  • This integration only allows to push prepared payables to NetSuite. Spendesk does not create suppliers or employees in NetSuite.

Next steps

When you have completed the set up, you are ready to start exporting your expenses and payments to NetSuite.

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