What can't move when you switch, and what to do instead

Overview#

Most of your data comes across in exports: customers, locations, equipment and your price book (and, from some systems, job and invoice history). A few things can't move in a file, by law, by contract or because the old system doesn't export them. This article lists each one and what to do instead, so nothing surprises you on cutover day.

Before you start#

• Plan your switch with a side-by-side run of 2–4 weeks. Keep your old system read-only for reference until you're done.

• Start the slow items (phone ports, texting registration, card re-collection) in week one.

Steps#

Work through each item:

1. Cards on file and membership autopay

   • Why: card numbers live with your old payment processor, not in your software. Nobody can put them in a spreadsheet.

   • What to do: connect your own Stripe account first. Then ask your old processor (for ServiceTitan Payments, ask ServiceTitan) in writing for a PCI-compliant export of stored cards to Stripe, and open a card import request from your own Stripe dashboard. Stripe imports into your account; TradesWork never sees card numbers.

   • Meanwhile: ask customers to save their card again on their next payment. Linking imported Stripe cards to TradesWork customers automatically isn't built yet.

2. Phone numbers and tracking numbers

   • Why: numbers move by porting between carriers, on carrier time.

   • What to do: request the port in week one (Settings › Phones › Phone Numbers, Call Recording & Texting › Bring your numbers (port-in)). It takes 1–2 weeks; calls keep working at your old provider until then. See Move your existing phone numbers to TradesWork.

3. Texting consent and registration

   • Why: your texting registration belongs to your old provider's account. Text opt-in history isn't in the exports.

   • What to do: register for texting in TradesWork on day one. If a customer told you they don't want texts, respect it; anyone can reply STOP to any TradesWork text to opt out.

4. Call recordings, attachments and photos

   • Why: there's no bulk export a customer can run.

   • What to do: download the recordings and files you need before your access ends. When you cancel ServiceTitan, ask in writing for their termination export. Otherwise they stay in the old system's archive.

5. Line items of past invoices from ServiceTitan

   • Why: the Jobs, Invoices and A/R reports carry totals, paid status and open balances, not every line.

   • What to do: history imports with each invoice's total as one line, and open balances become open invoices (from the A/R report, or brought over from QuickBooks with Reconcile with QuickBooks). Open ServiceTitan or QuickBooks for line detail.

6. Membership billing from ServiceTitan

   • Why: memberships and visits due import, but ServiceTitan keeps billing your members until you switch, and card details can't move.

   • What to do: once ServiceTitan has stopped billing them, the owner presses Start billing imported memberships in Settings › Tools › Import / Export Data. Members re-enter their card in TradesWork. (Housecall Pro service plans and FieldEdge agreements import the same way and don't bill until you switch billing over.)

7. Reviews

   • Why: they live on Google and Yelp, not in your software.

   • What to do: nothing moves; they stay on your profiles. Point review requests at your Google review link in Settings › Marketing › Customer Portal & Reputation.

8. Automations, email templates, forms, dashboards and pricing rules

   • Why: they don't export in a usable form.

   • What to do: rebuild the ones you use from TradesWork's automation catalog, form builder and pricing builder.

9. Online booking and Reserve with Google

   • What to do: replace the old booking link on your website and Google Business Profile with your TradesWork link, and turn off the old system's Reserve with Google integration.

10. Accounting history

    • Why: it's already in QuickBooks. Posting it again would duplicate it.

    • What to do: connect the same QuickBooks company and set a cutover date. Only new invoices and payments post.

11. Payroll history and inventory counts

    • What to do: set up pay rates fresh; recount inventory at cutover.

Settings that change this#

• Settings › Integrations › Payment Processing: your Stripe account (needed before cards can be imported or re-saved).

• Settings › Phones › Phone Numbers, Call Recording & Texting: ports and texting registration.

• Settings › Integrations › QuickBooks Online: cutover date.

• Settings › Tools › Import / Export Data › Job numbers: so new invoice numbers never clash.

Tips#

• Make a cutover checklist from this list and tick it off week by week.

• Switch at your old contract's renewal date if you can, so you're not paying for both for long.

Troubleshooting#

• A customer's saved card fails → it was saved on another processor or an old shared account. → Send them a link to update their card.

• Calls stopped after cancelling the old system → the port hadn't completed. → Never cancel phone service until the port shows done.

FAQ#

Will you do the card transfer for me? The card transfer has to be requested by you, as the owner of both processor relationships. TradesWork can't request it on your behalf, and never sees card numbers.

Can I keep my old system's history forever? Keep exports and your termination export somewhere safe. TradesWork can't promise access to another company's archive.

Coming from ServiceTitan#

From ServiceTitan specifically: cards are held by ServiceTitan's payment processor; numbers port using your Tenant ID as the account number; recordings and attachments need ServiceTitan's termination export, which you request in writing when you cancel.