IE-3: Open AR Import | NetSuite Implementation Guide | NetSuite Implementation Guide

Open AR Import Overview

Import open (unpaid) invoices from your legacy system to establish accurate AR aging and customer balances.

⚠️ Prerequisites

Complete Tiers 0-2 (Foundation, Classifications, Entities) before importing AR. Customers must exist in NetSuite before importing their invoices.

Phase 1

Preparation

Preparation Checklist

Export open AR aging report from legacy system
Reconcile legacy AR to GL control account
Identify cutoff date for migration
Determine invoice-level vs summary approach
Create AR clearing account in NetSuite
Map customer names to NetSuite internal IDs

Phase 2

Field Mapping

NetSuite Field	Required	Notes
Customer	Yes	Internal ID or external ID
Transaction Date	Yes	Original invoice date
Due Date	Yes	Calculate from terms
Amount	Yes	Open balance only
External ID	Recommended	Legacy invoice number
Memo	Optional	Mark as "Migration"

💡 Use Clearing Account

Credit the AR Clearing account (not revenue) to avoid double-counting income that was already recognized in the legacy system.

Phase 3

Pre-Import Validation

Validation Checklist

Verify all customers exist in NetSuite
Check date formats match NetSuite requirements
Validate currency codes for multi-currency
Confirm amounts are positive (credit memos separate)
Test import with small batch (5-10 records)
Review test results for errors

Phase 4

Import Process

Import Checklist

Import invoices in batches (500-1000)
Monitor for timeout errors
Log successful imports
Track and resolve failures
Import credit memos separately
Apply credit memos to invoices if needed

Phase 5

Reconciliation

Reconciliation Checklist

Run NetSuite AR aging report
Compare totals to legacy system
Verify customer balance accuracy
Check AR clearing account balance
Investigate and resolve variances
Obtain finance sign-off

ℹ️ Expected Result

The AR Clearing account should equal the total AR balance imported. This balance is offset when opening balances are posted via Journal Entry.