Onboarding an E-commerce Client: A CA's Checklist
The first month with a new marketplace seller client determines the next twelve. Onboard well, and the engagement settles into a clean monthly rhythm; onboard loosely, and you inherit a permanent backlog: missing reports, ambiguous scope, opening balances nobody trusts. Because e-commerce clients are unusually standard, same marketplaces, same reports, same reconciliation logic, onboarding can be a checklist rather than an exploration. Here is the one we recommend, in the order the items should happen.
Step 1: Scope and expectations, in writing
Before any data moves, settle three things. First, channels in scope: which of Amazon, Flipkart and Meesho the client sells on, and whether any website or offline sales exist (multi-channel structure is covered in our multichannel guide). Second, deliverables: monthly TallyPrime books with settlement reconciliation and an exception summary is a good default; state explicitly whether GST filings are in scope, and note that tax positions will be confirmed against current rules. Third, the client's obligations, above all, delivering marketplace report files on a fixed schedule. Put the schedule in the engagement letter. A client who understands that reports on the 3rd means books by the 10th behaves differently from one who hears monthly accounting.
Step 2: Access and data collection
| Item | Detail | Common snag |
|---|---|---|
| Seller panel access or report delivery | Agree who downloads: client sends files, or firm gets panel logins | Logins shared informally, then changed without notice |
| Historical reports | Order, settlement and returns reports back to the start of the financial year | Marketplaces limit how far back some reports go; collect early |
| Bank statements | All accounts receiving settlements | Settlements split across accounts the client forgot to mention |
| GST registrations | GSTINs per state, since marketplaces report against them | Multiple registrations discovered mid-engagement |
| Existing books | Whatever exists: Tally data, spreadsheets, or nothing | Books maintained on cash-received basis needing restatement |
The historical-reports row deserves urgency: some marketplace reports have limited download windows, so collect history in week one even if you will not process it immediately.
Step 3: Ledger structure and opening position
Set up the client's TallyPrime ledgers to your firm's standard structure, per-marketplace receivable ledgers, sales ledgers, separate ledgers for each major fee head, and returns, rather than inheriting whatever exists. Standardisation across clients is what makes a multi-client practice reviewable. Then establish the opening position honestly: unsettled orders as at the start date are a receivable, and if prior books netted fees against sales, document the difference rather than silently restating. An opening reconciliation, which orders were unpaid on day one, becomes your baseline; without it, the first month's settlement reconciliation will be polluted by history.
Step 4: The first import and parallel run
Process the first month deliberately. Import the report files, generate draft vouchers, and reconcile settlements at order level, then have a senior review the batch before anything posts, exactly the maker-checker gate described in our workflow article. If the client had a previous accounting method, run one month in parallel and reconcile the two outputs; differences are almost always instructive, usually revealing fees the old method buried. This is also the natural point to trial tooling: TallySutra's free pilot tier (see pricing) lets a firm onboard one client, upload their files, and see the generated vouchers and reconciliation before adopting the workflow practice-wide.
Step 5: Close the loop with the client
End onboarding with a short written summary to the client: channels covered, the monthly schedule, what they must send and when, what they will receive, and the open items from history (unmatched settlements, missing reports) with owners. First-month deliverables build trust fastest when they show the client something they have never seen, typically an order-level view of what the marketplaces actually deducted. Treat the first month as passed only when four things are true:
- All expected report files arrived on schedule, or gaps were escalated in writing
- Draft vouchers reconciled to source report totals before anything posted
- Settlement reconciliation produced a match rate and a named list of exceptions
- The client received and acknowledged the summary, the schedule and the open items
Onboarding that ends with these four boxes ticked rarely produces a problem client; onboarding that skips them usually does. From there, the engagement runs on cadence, and the multi-client workspace keeps each onboarded client's status, exceptions and approvals visible without meetings.
Frequently asked questions
How much history should be processed for a new e-commerce client?
Collect reports back to the start of the financial year immediately, since some marketplace download windows are limited. Whether you process all of it or establish an opening position and move forward depends on the state of the existing books.
Should the firm hold marketplace panel logins or receive files from the client?
Either works if it is explicit. Panel access removes dependence on client discipline but creates credential-management duties; file delivery keeps the client responsible. Write the chosen model and schedule into the engagement letter.
What if the client's previous books netted fees against sales?
Document the treatment difference, establish a clean opening position, and book gross sales with separate fee ledgers going forward. Whether prior periods need restatement is a judgement call to make explicitly with the client, not silently.
TallySutra turns Amazon, Flipkart and Meesho reports into reconciled, reviewed TallyPrime vouchers — duplicate-safe, with every rupee traceable to its source row.
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