Netsuite integration guide

Deel can connect to and sync data with NetSuite using the dedicated integration. This article explains how to configure Deel and NetSuite so that you can sync data between them.

In this article

Here’s what you’ll find in this article:

• Before you begin
• Connecting the integration
  • Step 1: Install the app
  • Step 2: Assign a Deel role to a user
  • Step 3: Enable features
  • Step 4: Conclude the NetSuite setup
  • Step 5: Customize the integration
• Configuring the integration
  • Step 1: Configure the vendor management plugin
  • Step 2: Configure the bill (invoice) sync plugin
  • Step 3: Advanced settings for Bill (invoice) Sync
  • Configure the document sync plugin
• Syncing data
• Additional settings
• NetSuite integration reference

Before you begin

To successfully set up the NetSuite integration, you’ll need:

• A user with an admin role on Deel
• A user with an admin role on NetSuite
• To be logged into NetSuite with the admin role
• (Optional) A mapped expense account, if you want to sync invoices

We recommend that you check the NetSuite integration reference to understand the features and limitations of the integration before following this guide.

Testing the integration

You can connect your Deel production account to your NetSuite sandbox tenant to test the integration with real data before going live.

Connecting the integration

In this section, we’ll guide you through how to connect Deel to NetSuite.

Installing the Deel for NetSuite SuiteApp automatically creates a Deel user role you can assign to an employee account.

Step 1: Install the app

1. Go to More > Apps and search for NetSuite.

2. On the NetSuite integration page, click Connect NetSuite.

3. Click Install in NetSuite to install the Deel App for Global Payroll from the SuiteApp marketplace. 

Step 2: Assign a Deel role to a user

1. In NetSuite, use the search bar to locate the employee profile linked to the user.
2. Open the employee’s profile page and click Edit.
3. Navigate to Access > Roles and add the Deel role.
4. Click +Add and then Save.

After saving, we recommend you check the Access tab again to confirm the role was attributed.

Step 3: Enable features

• REST Web Services
• OAuth 2.0
• Server SuiteScript

1. In the top menu of the NetSuite dashboard, navigate to Setup, Company, then Enable Features.
2. Go to the SuiteCloud tab.
3. Search for REST Web Services, OAuth 2.0, and Server SuiteScript on the page and check the box to enable each one.
4. Disable SAML Single Sign-on.

The SAML Sign-on option must be disabled for OAuth2 to work.

5.  Click Save.

Step 4: Conclude the NetSuite setup

After double-checking that your setup is correct and complete:

1. Log out of NetSuite. 
2. Return to the Deel dashboard.
3. Click Connect to NetSuite. You are directed to the NetSuite login page again.

4. Log in to NetSuite as an admin. 

   You are directed to a screen prompting you to approve access for the application.

5. Click Choose another role and search for the Deel role you configured previously.
6. Click Choose role to confirm.
7. Click Continue. If the authorization is successful, NetSuite will close automatically. 

Step 5: Customize the integration

1. Go back to your Deel dashboard. 
2. On the Expense representation step, select how you want invoice items to appear in NetSuite: as Expenses or Items. Click Continue.
3. Select from the dropdowns both:
   • The Deel entity to which you want to map your NetSuite subsidiary. 
   • The NetSuite subsidiary to map to your Deel entity.

You can only select one entity towards which to map. The entity cannot be changed after setup. To set a different entity, you must disable the integration and start the setup over again.

4. Map your invoice items to your NetSuite accounts.
5. (Optional) Configure advanced mapping settings. This allows you to add more granularity to the mappings by including logics for different types of expenses and custom segments

6. Define General Settings. 

   You can set auto-sync for:

   • Vendors
   • New invoices to NetSuite each time an employee is paid.
   • Invoice documents in your default folder in NetSuite (the default folder must be defined)
   • Invoice attachment in your default folder in NetSuite (the default folder must be defined)

We recommend leaving Vendors auto-sync turned on so that Deel finds a matching vendor/supplier in NetSuite and syncs your invoices there. If no matching vendor is found, one will be created automatically.

You can also set your default payment account for each currency. When a payment is made via bank transfer or with a saved payment method that is not mapped to a payment account, the default account will be used. 

7. Click Continue to conclude the integration setup.

After connecting the integration, plugins will be automatically activated for configuration based on the contract type in your NetSuite.

Configuring the integration

In this section, we’ll guide you through configuring the integration so that data can sync successfully.

The vendor management plugin must be enabled before the bill payments and document plugins can be enabled because bills require a vendor to be set up.

Step 1: Configure the vendor management plugin

The vendor management plugin requires at least one vendor to be synced. If you connect the integration and set it to sync and create vendors automatically, the vendor plugin is activated immediately. If automatic syncing is turned off, you’ll need to sync and create vendors to activate the plugin manually.

To manually create vendors:

1. From the NetSuite integration page, go to the Plugins settings.
2. Click the Vendor management plugin.
3. Select a vendor-linking approach and click Apply.
4. In the Contractor-Vendor management section, select unlinked vendors and click Link to Vendors.
5. Select the Deel vendor to be used for invoices issued directly by Deel (billing invoices).
6. Click Apply. 

Step 2: Configure the bill (invoice) sync plugin

This plugin automatically syncs bills and bill payments into NetSuite. 

To configure the bill (invoice) sync plugin:

1. From the NetSuite integration page, go to the Plugins settings. 
2. Click Bill (invoice) Sync.
3. Select the account that you want to map expenses to.
4. (Optional) Turn on Auto invoice sync to automatically sync invoices to NetSuite every time workers are paid.

5. (Optional) Go to the Advanced settings to customize the integration further. Refer to the next step of this guide for more information.

Step 3: Advanced settings for Bill (invoice) Sync

The advanced settings of the Bill (invoice) sync plugin allow you to customize how invoices and related data from Deel appear in NetSuite. These settings help align the integration with your accounting preferences and reporting structure.

Here’s what you can customize:

Synchronization Availability

This setting controls when your Deel invoices become available for sync to NetSuite. Choose the option that best fits your workflow:

•  
  • Syncing invoices once payment is received will trigger only after the payment for the invoice has been fully processed.
  • Syncing invoices once payment is sent will trigger once the invoice status changes to 'processing' (meaning payment has been initiated).
  • Syncing invoices once issued will trigger as soon as the invoice is generated and available in Deel, regardless of payment status.

Currency Settings

If your NetSuite system supports multiple currencies, use this setting to specify the default currency that vendors, invoices, and payments will sync in. This helps maintain consistency across your financial records.

Invoice Date

Select which date from the Deel invoice will be used as the bill (invoice) date in your NetSuite accounting system:

• Invoice issue date will use the date the invoice was originally generated by Deel
• Invoice pay date will use the date the invoice was paid

Approval Status

Choose what approval status synced bills will have in NetSuite. You can accept the default status or choose between approved and pending approval.

Default Categories

These settings allow you to define default values for key NetSuite categories that will be applied to synced invoices:

• Subsidiary will be set to the NetSuite subsidiary you choose (e.g., "Honeycomb Holdings Inc.") for these synced invoices.
• Account Payable will be set to the default Accounts Payable account in NetSuite for these invoices.
• Bill Payment Department will be set to a default department for bill payments.
• Tax Code will be set to a default tax code to be applied to synced invoices if no specific tax is otherwise mapped or present.

Turning Summarize Invoices on will merge all line items within a single Deel invoice into one combined line item in NetSuite. This means all time-based work, reported expenses, and milestone payments on one invoice will appear as a single entry.

The default categories feature only consolidates items within one invoice. It does not combine multiple separate invoices into a single NetSuite bill.

Advanced Bill Configurations

This option provides advanced customizations for how Deel syncs bills and their associated details to NetSuite:

• Bill approval status allows you to include the approval status on the synced bill in NetSuite.
• Bill exchange rate allows you to choose to disable including the bill exchange rate on the synced bill if you prefer NetSuite to handle this independently or based on other rules.

The Bill (invoice) sync plugin is configured, and connected entities will begin syncing.

Step 4: Configure the payment sync plugin

This plugin allows you to map saved payment methods in Deel to payment accounts in NetSuite so that previously synced invoices can be marked as paid and reconciled.

You can only select one default payment per currency.

To configure the payment sync plugin:

1. From the NetSuite integration page, go to the Plugins settings.  
2. Click Payment Sync.
3. Select a currency and the payment account you want to link to it.
4. Use Add mapping to map different currencies or payment accounts.
5. Click Enable.

The plugin is configured, and Deel will generate bill (invoice) payments.

Step 5: Configure the document sync plugin

This plugin syncs Deel-generated invoice PDFs and expense documents (attachments) to NetSuite.

To configure the Document sync plugin:

1. From the NetSuite integration page, go to the Plugins settings. 
2. Click Document Sync.
3. Turn on both Sync invoice PDF and Sync invoice attachment files.
4. Select a default folder from NetSuite.
5. Click Enable.

The plugin is configured, and invoice PDFs will sync directly to the invoice entry in NetSuite under the Files tab.

Syncing data

Automatic syncs occur daily, one way from Deel to NetSuite, but you can manually trigger a sync:

• If you’ve made important changes and need them to sync immediately
• If you notice missing data or errors, that suggests that the last sync didn’t complete correctly

To sync data, go to the NetSuite integration page and click Sync NetSuite. 

Recent changes in employee data will be synced from Deel to NetSuite.

Additional settings

In this section, we’ll guide you through any additional configuration that goes beyond the basic setup and usage.

Configure email notifications

Steps on how to configure email notifications.

1. Click the bell icon in the upper-right corner of the Deel dashboard. A list of your notifications appears.
2. Go to Categories.
3. Click Accounting Integration notifications.
4. Turn on email and activate daily summary.

Email notifications are configured, and you will receive real-time notifications on your integration.

NetSuite integration reference

This section provides information about the capabilities and limitations of the integration. You can use it to understand whether the integration can sync the data you need to sync.

Supported contract types

The NetSuite integration supports the following contract types:

• Independent contractor
• Employer of record (EOR)
• Deel Shield (Contractor of Record)
• Professional Employer Organization (PEO)
• Global Payroll and US Payroll

Supported sync entities

The NetSuite integration supports the sync of the following entities:

• Invoices
• Journal entries
• Compensation info
• Documents
• Custom expense categories (invoice lines)

Troubleshooting

This section includes instructions and workarounds to troubleshoot common issues.

Syncing unsynced invoices

Invoices may not sync when there’s an issue with their format or have missing values.

To sync any unsynced invoices:

1. Go to the Sync History tab and click Details on an invoice.
2. In the invoice popup modal, review the error message to address it.
3. Click Sync again.