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QuickBooks Online error: Duplicate Name Exists Error: The name supplied already exists

  • November 21, 2023
  • 5 replies
  • 326 views

Sending a contact through the Zapier step, “Find Customer in QuickBooks Online,” creates the following error:
“Duplicate Name Exists Error: The name supplied already exists.”

See first screenshot.


The Zap is up to create a new contact IF no contact is found based on the contact’s email. See next screenshot.

Why this issue? There can be tons of contacts with the same name, and it shouldn’t be any issue.

I found at least 1 related but closed topic from 3 years ago, which seems to describe more or less the same issue. Can this be fixed? And if so, how?

Best answer by Troy Tessalone

Hi @Funnelmatix 

Good question.

Customer Name Already in Use

Zapier uses the Display Name as a unique handle for finding customers inside of QuickBooks.
If you attempt to create a new customer, employee, and vendor that reuses an existing Display Name you will experience an error.

This post has been closed for comments. Please create a new post if you need help or have a question about this topic.

5 replies

Troy Tessalone
Zapier Orchestrator & Solution Partner
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  • Zapier Orchestrator & Solution Partner
  • Answer
  • November 21, 2023

Hi @Funnelmatix 

Good question.

Customer Name Already in Use

Zapier uses the Display Name as a unique handle for finding customers inside of QuickBooks.
If you attempt to create a new customer, employee, and vendor that reuses an existing Display Name you will experience an error.


  • Author
  • Beginner
  • November 22, 2023

Hi @Funnelmatix 

Good question.

Customer Name Already in Use

Zapier uses the Display Name as a unique handle for finding customers inside of QuickBooks.
If you attempt to create a new customer, employee, and vendor that reuses an existing Display Name you will experience an error.

 

@Troy Tessalone Thank you, I wasn’t aware of this. As the display name is not a required field, I suppose the easiest would be to leave it blank and have Quickbooks create a unique one itself? Is that what you would recommend?


Troy Tessalone
Zapier Orchestrator & Solution Partner
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  • Zapier Orchestrator & Solution Partner
  • November 22, 2023

@Funnelmatix 

When in doubt, test it out!


  • Author
  • Beginner
  • November 24, 2023

@Troy Tessalone  Removing the settings for the display name did not solve this issue. It persists the same way as before. Any other ideas?


Troy Tessalone
Zapier Orchestrator & Solution Partner
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  • Zapier Orchestrator & Solution Partner
  • November 24, 2023

@Funnelmatix 

You may have to add additional Zap step logic to first find a record based on the name, then use paths to handle whether to create or update.