Shopify merchants smashed records during Black Friday Cyber Monday 2024, racking up $11.5 billion in sales (Source), a massive 24% jump from the previous year.
That pie is only getting bigger. If you want your slice of the action for BFCM 2025, it's time to start planning today. The earlier you prepare, the bigger your chance of turning BFCM into your most profitable weekend of the year.
Exciting? Absolutely. But behind those big numbers is the reality: managing sudden sales spikes during BFCM can be stressful. Bulk orders not only stack up refunds but also make handling taxation a tricky job.
Without the right systems, the rush that should fuel your profits can just as easily drain them. Whether it’s misreporting discounts, failing to reconcile payment processor fees, or running into inventory errors, these factors can wipe out weeks of hard-earned profits.
In this guide, you’ll get everything you need to know to keep your books clean and your profits intact during the biggest shopping weekend of the year. So, without further ado, let’s get started!
BFCM is a four-day shopping spree that starts right after Thanksgiving in the U.S. Though it began as a U.S. tradition, BFCM has grown into a global ecommerce event that kicks off the holiday shopping rush.
BFCM has turned into a multi-day online shopping event where buyers now expect big discounts and bundles. Ecommerce businesses don’t just see it as a way to increase sales; it often marks their most profitable week of the year.
The sudden rise in sales and global transactions during this time creates a demanding accounting period that needs solid preparation.
In 2025, BFCM falls on the following dates:
This gives ecommerce businesses a four-day window from November 28 to December 1 to make the most of holiday sales opportunities.
BFCM isn’t just about sales, it brings a surge of orders, discounts, returns, and inventory shifts that make accounting more complex than any other time of year. Let’s break down the biggest challenges:
Order numbers grow overnight, which makes matching them manually impossible. Meanwhile, sales flow from different marketplaces to online stores like Amazon, eBay, Walmart, Shopify, BigCommerce, and more, each with unique fees and payment timelines.
For global sellers, the challenge increases even more because of currency conversions, cross-border shipping, and different tax requirements across regions.
Accounting during BFCM isn’t just about logging sales, it’s about doing so at the right time. Discounts, extended promotions, and delayed shipping complicate revenue recognition, while the post-BFCM refund surge affects both cash flow and profitability.
On top of that, payment processors might hold or delay payouts, creating cash flow shortages just when businesses need funds to restock and fulfill orders during peak hours of online shopping.
With orders coming in from multiple channels, real-time inventory tracking plays a crucial role in avoiding overselling or stockouts. At the same time, accurate cost of goods sold (COGS) calculations are also important to understand the true margin.
The fast pace of BFCM fulfillment also raises the risk of stock being lost or damaged, making it essential to record and account for these accurately.
Preparation must start months in advance to make the most of Black Friday Cyber Monday. Here are a few tips to keep in mind:
The biggest shopping event of the year isn’t just a weekend. BFCM stretches far beyond that. Starting your preparations weeks, in fact months early, lets you tweak systems, improve processes, and lock in the resources required to succeed.
Top-performing online stores start planning BFCM 6 to 9 months ahead, using data from previous years to inform their strategies and identify areas for improvement.
Outline exactly what you want to achieve during BFCM. Maybe it’s reaching a specific revenue target, acquiring new customers, or selling off excess stock. Having clear goals helps you set up your financial systems to collect the correct data to analyze after the event.
Building customer base well before BFCM ensures you have a ready audience for your promotions and reduces your customer acquisition costs during the expensive holiday advertising season.
Start building your email list, increase your social media presence and engagement, and create valuable content that attracts a high-intent audience. You are also required to build a retargeting strategy by reminding potential customers of your brand after they have visited your website and departed without converting.
The foundation of seamless accounting during this peak season lies in having a robust system integration that can handle massive volume increases without compromising data accuracy. It is essential to verify that all your sales channels are connected to your accounting software with real-time data synchronization.
Simultaneously, it is recommended to set up a dedicated chart of accounts as it helps track promotional sales, discounts, and gift cards separately. This level of categorization helps measure the true impact of BFCM promotions and keeps financial reports clean.
Inventory accuracy can make or break your BFCM success. A poor approach can result in overselling, stockouts, or overstated profits. Therefore, you should:
Check out these few email writing tips shared by a Reddit user to improve conversion rates for ecommerce sellers during BFCM:
Reddit user shares proven BFCM email marketing tips for higher conversions.
Bonus read: Boost Ecommerce Profits: 10 Ways to Drive Revenue
Top ecommerce accounting platforms to manage BFCM sales
Choosing the right accounting software is a key factor in managing the financial complexities during Black Friday Cyber Monday sales period.
Here are some of the most trusted platforms, tailored to different business sizes and growth stages, to help you stay profitable and in control during BFCM.
Webgility is a powerful ecommerce accounting automation platform built specifically for online businesses selling their products on multiple channels and POS systems. It links your online stores to accounting tools such as QuickBooks, Xero, and NetSuite. This helps automate tasks like bookkeeping, tracking orders, syncing inventories and pricing across channels, and handling taxes across jurisdictions, especially useful during high-volume sales periods like BFCM.
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QuickBooks Online stands out for its intuitive interface, real-time cloud access, AI-driven insights, and custom reporting. Businesses choose this platform because it connects directly with major platforms like Shopify, WooCommerce, and Amazon using integration tools, further making it easy for them to automate sales tracking and categorize expenses.
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Xero is a cloud-based accounting solution that excels in automation and scalability. It offers solid multi-currency features and lets users adjust workflows to fit their needs. This makes it a great choice to handle international sales for brands looking to expand.
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NetSuite is an enterprise-grade ERP with integrated accounting, inventory, and global compliance tools. It’s built for large or fast-growing businesses managing complex operations.
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Zapier isn’t accounting software itself, but it connects apps and automates workflows across ecommerce, CRM, and accounting platforms.
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Workato is an enterprise-grade integration and automation platform that connects apps, databases, and cloud services to streamline complex business workflows. It helps simplify business processes by automating and integrating platforms like ecommerce systems, CRMs, ERPs, and accounting software. This enables businesses to automate tasks such as financial reporting, order processing, and account reconciliation.
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The system you rely on for your regular weekday sales might struggle to handle 10x traffic, tricky discount setups, and manage international orders flooding in simultaneously. Thus, choosing the right ecommerce accounting platform is one of the most crucial factors in making or breaking your Black Friday Cyber Monday success.
Here are some of the key factors to consider to ensure your platform supports both BFCM demands and long-term growth:
During Black Friday and Cyber Monday, smaller sellers might see their typical weekly sales increase by 5-10 times the normal volume. Tools like QuickBooks Online and Xero automate invoicing, bank feeds, and reconciliations, helping ecommerce brands handle BFCM growth efficiently without overwhelming their finance teams.
However, midsize or multi-channel sellers require more tailored solutions. For them, tools such as Webgility help sync large sales volumes, track the cost of goods sold, and align inventory across all their platforms.
Bigger companies handling thousands of daily transactions during BFCM across different regions might need platforms like NetSuite. These systems handle global tax compliance, work with multiple currencies, and manage complex processes.
Seamless integration with your existing ecommerce platforms, payment processors, and inventory tools is crucial during BFCM when sales flow rapidly across channels. Your accounting system should connect smoothly to automate data syncs for orders, refunds, fees, and taxes, minimizing manual data entry and errors.
Without these integrations, manual reconciliation during the surge becomes a major bottleneck that can delay financial visibility and impact cash flow decisions during BFCM.
BFCM often causes sales to increase 5 to 10 times the daily average. You need a financial reporting tool that handles multi-currency payments, tracks inventories across different channels, and deals with complex tax setups. Picking a platform that scales well helps businesses run during BFCM and supports future growth.
The exciting sales from Black Friday Cyber Monday can seem impressive, but things like refunds, discounts, fees, and ad spends can change the story. To see the real financial state, keep cash flow steady, and get ready for taxes and end-of-year tasks, cleaning up your accounts after BFCM is a must. Follow these practices for smooth post-BFCM financial management:
After BFCM, the first priority is reconciling your books. This means matching sales across every channel, confirming that payment processor reports align with recorded sales, and adjusting inventory to account for lost, returned, or damaged stock. Because order volumes are so high during this period, even small discrepancies can add up, so resolving them quickly ensures your financial records remain accurate.
Once reconciliation is complete, the focus shifts to analysis. Profit margins should be reviewed by product, channel, or region to understand where the business performed best. Comparing actual results to projections provides valuable insights into whether promotions and ad spend delivered the expected return.
Finally, tax readiness must not be overlooked. Documentation for sales, fees, marketing spend, and refunds should be organized immediately while the records are fresh.
Businesses selling across multiple U.S. states need to confirm that sales tax has been collected and synced correctly, while international sellers must address VAT or GST obligations in overseas markets. Handling these requirements promptly reduces the risk of errors or penalties later.
Bonus read: Ultimate Guide for Ecommerce Tax Filing in 2025
For your customers, BFCM is about snagging the best deals. For your business, it’s about keeping every transaction accurate, every refund accounted for, and every tax obligation covered.
Whether you're implementing automated sync solutions like Webgility to handle multi-channel reconciliation, or building custom workflows with your existing accounting software, the key is taking action today, not days before when promotional calendars are locked and systems are under pressure. That’s how you turn BFCM from a hectic weekend into the most profitable and sustainable growth driver of your year.
Invest in your accounting infrastructure now, and BFCM becomes a growth catalyst instead of a survival test.
Start planning 2-3 months ahead with compelling offers like bundles or exclusive discounts. Focus on digital marketing through email campaigns and social media teasers. Ensure your website is mobile-optimized and can handle high traffic volumes.
Most importantly, use Black Friday to acquire new customers for year-round marketing, not just one-day sales.
Generally, deals don't get significantly better on Cyber Monday, they're just different. Many shoppers find Cyber Monday deals on small electronics, gadgets, and accessories to be better or more targeted than on Black Friday.
Top Black Friday items include electronics, clothing and accessories, and cosmetics.