Support Center

How can we help?

Search

Integrate Ramp with Aplos!

Anna Ross
Anna Ross
  • Updated

The Ramp integration for Aplos allows you to automatically sync card expense transactions and receipts from Ramp into Aplos, eliminating manual data entry and reducing errors. 

ℹ️ Note: At this time, this integration syncs credit card expense transactions and expense receipts only. Statement payments and Bill Pay transactions are not currently supported and must be entered manually in Aplos to clear the Ramp liability account. 

 

Prerequisites

  • An active Ramp account (any Ramp plan, including the free version)
  • An active Aplos account. Note: You must have Aplos Admin user permissions.
  • One Ramp environment per Aplos subsidiary. Note: If you need multiple entities separated in Aplos, contact your Ramp Customer Success Manager to restructure your account into a “multi-environment” setup.
  • Important: The integration must be completed in one session from start to finish. Do not pause or navigate away during setup. Have all necessary information ready before beginning.

 

Setup Steps

 

1. Connect Ramp to Aplos

Before setting up the integration within Aplos, you need to ensure your Ramp account is properly configured to manage this integration. Log into your Ramp account, and confirm that:

  • You are NOT linked to a different accounting software platform.
  • You are NOT using custom settings for your transaction imports.
    • Important: Ramp treats custom export settings the same as having an accounting integration. Even if you don't have another accounting software connected, if you have custom export settings configured, you must disconnect them first.
  • If either of these conditions apply, you will need to disconnect by visiting Accounting > Card Transactions > Settings > Danger Zone > Disconnect Accounting. (See the visual below).

Once you’ve managed your Ramp accounting settings, log into Aplos and navigate to [Integration Settings].

  • Select Ramp Integration and click Connect. 
  • Log in with your Ramp credentials and authorize the connection.

 

2. Select your Liability Account

For each entity you are syncing from Ramp, you have the ability to choose which liability account your expenses will fall under.

ℹ️ Note: An "entity" is a Ramp-specific term. Entities contain information about the legal entities associated with a Ramp account, such as subsidiaries or affiliated companies.

 

Understanding Account and Tag Mapping

  • When the integration is set up, Aplos will automatically push your Chart of Accounts (expense accounts only), Funds, and Tags into Ramp.
  • In Ramp, you'll map your existing Ramp expense categories to Aplos expense accounts.
  • Funds are required for every transaction, while tags are optional (unless your Aplos account has tags set as mandatory).
  • If you're restructuring your Chart of Accounts during setup (e.g., consolidating multiple expense accounts), plan this carefully as it will affect your Ramp mappings.
 

3. Finalize Setup

Confirm your integration settings by running a test transaction in Ramp to verify that it appears correctly in Aplos.

 

Managing the Ramp Integration

Transactions marked as 'Ready to Sync' in Ramp will automatically sync to Aplos within 60 seconds (typical) or up to 10 minutes maximum. 

Important Workflow Changes

  • No need to configure sync settings manually. You may be accustomed to clicking "Configure Sync Settings" on transactions ready to sync. This step is no longer required. Once a transaction is marked Ready to Sync, it will automatically move into the Ready to Sync tab in Ramp and remain there until it is pushed into Aplos.
  • Existing transactions in "Needs Review" will be cleared. When the integration is enabled, any transactions currently in Needs Review will have their Accounting Categories cleared. This is expected behavior—the integration now pulls Aplos Expense Accounts directly into that field, so previous values are no longer valid or compatible.

If you need to adjust how a vendor is categorized, you can update its mapped expense account anytime in Ramp. Funds and tags are assigned per transaction. Funds are required for every transaction, while tags are optional.

If your Aplos account has tags set as mandatory and you do not assign tags to each transaction in Ramp, you may encounter an integration error.
 

Vendor/Merchant Syncing

The integration creates new vendor contacts in Aplos when transactions sync. The merchant name from Ramp becomes the vendor contact in Aplos. If the merchant name doesn't match an existing Aplos vendor exactly (1:1), a new vendor will be created. You can merge duplicate vendors in Aplos after syncing, and future syncs will match to the merged contact.
 

Chart of Accounts Syncing

The integration syncs all enabled expense accounts from Aplos to Ramp. Currently, there is no way to selectively sync only certain accounts. If you have a large Chart of Accounts (e.g., payroll accounts) that you don't want in Ramp, this may create clutter in your Ramp interface.
 

Account Updates

Updates to your Aplos Chart of Accounts, Funds, and Tags sync to Ramp automatically at intervals up to 10 minutes. If you add new accounts or tags in Aplos, they will appear in Ramp within this timeframe.
 

Multi-Entity Management

Each Ramp environment can connect to one Aplos subsidiary.

If you have multiple subsidiaries in Aplos, for each entity, you will need to ensure your Ramp account has the “multi-environment” setup implemented. You can contact your Ramp Customer Success Manager to convert your account if needed.

 

Troubleshooting the Integration

Disconnection and Reconnection Issues

Problem: User disconnected from Ramp first and now can't reconnect
If a user disconnects from the Ramp side before disconnecting in Aplos, the integration will show as active in Aplos but won't work properly. To resolve this:
  • Look for the 'Force Disconnect' button in AMI (Admin Management Interface).
  • This button only appears when the system detects this specific scenario (disconnected in Ramp but still active in Aplos).
  • Click 'Force Disconnect' to clean up the integration files and allow the user to reconnect.
  • If the 'Force Disconnect' button doesn't appear but there's still an integration issue, the problem is something else—investigate further or contact engineering support.
⚠️ Important: Always disconnect from the Aplos side first. Navigate to Settings > Partners > Ramp > Manage Integration > Disconnect. If you disconnect from the Ramp side first, it will break the connection but Aplos will still show an active integration, requiring manual cleanup.
 

Connection Errors

Error: "It looks like you have another integration configured in Ramp that is preventing Aplos from connecting."
This error means there is either:
  • Another accounting integration active in Ramp (e.g., QuickBooks, Xero), OR
  • Custom export settings configured in Ramp
⚠️ Important: Ramp considers custom export settings the same as having an active integration and provides the same error message for both scenarios. The user must disconnect any previous integrations or remove custom export settings by visiting Accounting > Card Transactions > Settings > Danger Zone > Disconnect Accounting in Ramp before connecting to Aplos.
 

Transaction Sync Issues

Problem: Transactions aren't syncing or showing errors
Common troubleshooting steps:
  • Verify the transaction is marked 'Ready to Sync' in Ramp.
  • Check that all required fields are filled. (Fund is always required. Tags may be required if your Aplos account is configured that way)
  • Confirm the transaction date doesn't fall in a closed accounting period in Aplos.
  • Review your Ramp login credentials and mapping settings.
  • If issues persist after checking these items, contact Aplos support for investigation.
Problem: Statement payments aren't clearing the Ramp liability account in Aplos
Statement payments and Bill Pay transactions are not currently part of the integration. These must be entered manually in Aplos to clear out the Ramp liability account. Bill Pay integration is planned for a future release.
 

Known Limitations

Entity changes in Ramp don't sync properly
This is a known limitation on Ramp's side. Once a transaction is part of a statement, changing its entity in Ramp does not update properly, and the transaction will sync with the original entity assignment.
 
Transactions can't be split across multiple funds
Each transaction line item in Ramp can only be assigned to one fund. However, you can split a transaction into multiple line items, and each line item can have its own fund assignment.
 
ℹ️ Clarification: Ramp is designed for transactions to be fully categorized before syncing to Aplos. If you need to split a synced transaction across multiple funds or tags, or edit an existing split, you can do those adjustments in Aplos after the transaction has synced. Keep in mind that once you make changes in Aplos, the transaction details will no longer match what you see in Ramp, so this approach only works if you are okay with the systems being out of sync for that transaction.
 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: Can I import historical data?
A: No. Historical imports are not supported in this MVP. You can export from Ramp and manually import into Aplos if needed.

Q: What data flows from Aplos to Ramp?
A: Chart of accounts, funds, and tags flow from Aplos to Ramp for transaction categorization.

Q: Does this integration support multi-tagging?
A: Ramp only allows one tag per category. You can use multiple categories (e.g., Fund, Program, Grant), but not multiple tags in one category.

Q: Are credit card payments automatically tracked?
A: No. Payment tracking is not included in the integration at this time. Customers will need to reconcile payments separately.

Q: Does this work with prepaid debit cards?
A: No. Ramp only supports credit card expense tracking.

Q: What if the integration stops working?
A: You’ll receive an alert. Review your Ramp login credentials and mapping settings, or contact support if the issue persists.

Q: What if I need to void or edit synced transactions?
A: Once transactions are synced over to Aplos, they are disconnected from Ramp. This means if you need to change or void a transaction, you will need to handle it in both platforms separately

Q: How do I disconnect my integration?
A: If you need to disconnect, you must do so from the Aplos side. If you disconnect from the Ramp side, your Aplos account will still show an active integration

Related to

Was this article helpful?

0 out of 0 found this helpful

Have more questions? Submit a request