Move clients to your firm-billed subscriptions

Learn how to take over billing for clients who currently pay for their own subscription, or transfer existing wholesale clients from another accounting firm to your firm.

Important: There are two types of billing transfers. Please review the scenarios below to understand how this impacts your client’s pricing.

Scenario 1: Taking over billing for a client (Direct Billed to Firm Billed)

Use these steps if your client currently pays for their own subscription.

• Pricing: When you take over billing, the subscription moves to your firm at the current retail market rate. Moving a direct-billed client to your firm does not automatically apply the ProAdvisor Preferred Pricing (wholesale) discount.
• Billing: Your firm will cover the costs from now on.

Step 1: Client grants permission

1. Ask the client's Primary Admin to sign in to QuickBooks Online.
2. Go to Settings ⚙ and select Subscriptions and billing.
3. Select the Allow billing transfer to your accountant? link.

Once selected, the accountant has a 48-hour window to complete the transfer.

Step 2: Accountant completes the transfer

1. In QuickBooks Online Accountant, go to Settings ⚙ and select Subscriptions and billing.
2. Select the Client-billed subscriptions tab.
3. Find the client. If they are eligible, you will see the option to transfer.
4. Follow the instructions on the screen to move them to Firm-Billed (Retail).

Scenario 2: Transferring existing wholesale clients (Discount to Discount)

Use these steps only if your client is currently on a wholesale discount plan with another accounting firm.

• Pricing: You can retain the client's existing 30% discount if the transfer is completed within 60 days of them being removed from the previous firm.
• Note: If the transfer takes longer than 60 days, the subscription will revert to the current retail rate.

Step 1: Remove the client from the previous firm

Ask your client's previous accounting firm to remove them from their wholesale discount plan.

Step 2: Add the client to your firm

Ensure the client has invited you to become their accountant.

Step 3: Transfer billing to your firm

1. Ask the client's Primary Admin to sign in and go to Settings ⚙ , then Subscriptions and billing.
2. Select Allow billing transfer to your accountant.
3. Select the name of your accounting firm and select Allow transfer.
4. Log in to your QuickBooks Online Accountant firm.
5. Go to Settings ⚙ , then Subscriptions and billing and then select Client-billed subscriptions.
6. Find the client and select Transfer billing to me.

Troubleshooting

If you cannot move a client, check the Eligible to Transfer column for these common errors:

• No (permission needed): The client has not granted permission yet.
• No (different Billing system): An attached service (like Payroll) may be blocking the transfer.
• No (annual billing): The client must switch to monthly billing before transferring.