Set up your QuickBooks Time account in QuickBooks Online or QuickBooks Payroll

Learn how to set up QuickBooks Time with your QuickBooks Online or QuickBooks Payroll account.

With QuickBooks Online Essentials, Plus, Advanced, Accountant, or QuickBooks Payroll Premium or Elite, your team members can track time with QuickBooks Time. Then, that time flows into payroll, invoicing, and more.

Learn how to:

• Launch your QuickBooks Time account
• Set up pay period and overtime settings
• Review payroll item and time mapping
• Add your team and time tracking options
• Invite team members to track time

Step 1: Launch your QuickBooks Time account

Note: QuickBooks Payroll Premium and Elite includes QuickBooks Time.

If you don’t have QuickBooks Time yet: 

1. In QuickBooks Online, go to Settings ⚙, then Subscriptions and billing.
2. Go to QuickBooks Time and select Learn more.
3. Choose if you’d like QuickBooks Time Premium or Elite, then add it to your subscription now, or start a 30-day free trial. 

Then, you can begin the setup:

1. Go to Time, select the Overview tab, then Go to classic QuickBooks Time.

Information from QuickBooks Online automatically transfers to your QuickBooks Time account. There are only a few pieces of information you need to set up manually.

Step 2: Set up pay period and overtime settings

Make sure the settings you enter in QuickBooks Time matches what’s in QuickBooks Online. 

1. In QuickBooks Time, go to Company settings.
2. Select Payroll & Overtime, then Pay Schedule.
3. Select your week start and pay schedule, then Save.
4. Select Overtime, and make your selections, then Save.
   1. If you need more detailed overtime policies, select Use Pay Rate Engine to customize your overtime calculations.

Step 3: Review payroll item and time mapping

Note: This is only available if you have an active payroll subscription. 

Your payroll items from QuickBooks automatically map to the matching time type in QuickBooks Time. For example, a “regular pay” pay type will map to the “regular” time type. 

Double-check the mapping and make adjustments as needed, so time transfers to payroll linked to the correct pay rates.

1. In QuickBooks Time, select QuickBooks menu, then Preferences.
2. Select Payroll Item Mapping Tool.
3. On the Map Employees tab, select an employee's name.
4. For each time type, select one pay type from QuickBooks. Selections are saved automatically.

Note: More detailed mapping options can be done by mapping payroll items to service items or class types.

Step 4: Add your team and time tracking options

Add team members to track time

When you add new employees or contractors to QuickBooks Online, they’re automatically added to QuickBooks Time in My Team. 

1. Go to Time, then Time team.
2. To add an employee, select Add team members, then Add employee.
   1. Fill in the required fields, then Continue. 
3. To add a contractor, select Add team members, then Add contractor.
   1. On the Expenses page, select Add your first contractor or Add a contractor.
   2. Fill out the required fields, then Add contractor.

Add other tracking options in QuickBooks Time

You can set up and manage breaks in QuickBooks Online so your team can track breaks, and you can add time off timesheets when you need to. 

If you need your team members to track time against service items, billable items, or classes: 

1. In QuickBooks Time, select the QuickBooks menu, then Preferences.
2. Make your selections:
   • Customers & sub-customers: a customer selection is required on timesheets. You can assign these customers later. 
   • Service Items: make a service item selection required on timesheets. 
   • Billable yes/no choice: mark timesheets as billable or not billable. Billable timesheets can be used when invoicing in QuickBooks.
     • Require billable yes/no choice: the billable choice is required before clock-out. 
   • Class: make a class selection required on timesheets.
3. Selections are saved automatically. The items you select import automatically from QuickBooks Online to QuickBooks Time.

For more information, see about QuickBooks integration preferences. 

Step 5: Invite team members to track time

1. Go to Time, then Time team.
2. Select Invite team members.
3. Select the team members you want to invite, and choose to invite them through text or email. 
4. Select Invite (#) Team members or Send invitations.

After your team members are invited, they can now track their time through QuickBooks Workforce, or the web dashboard.  You can also track and manage time for your team members in QuickBooks Online, or use the Kiosk.