I started out using 4 digit account numbers but I would like to change them to 5 digits? Can I batch change all my account numbers?

Hi there,

You've reached the right place for help. I'll be glad to share more info about changing the account numbers in QuickBooks. 

As your business grows, so does the list of accounts you use to categorize finances. If you have an extensive chart of accounts, don't worry. You can keep your accounts organized and easy to find by assigning numbers and I'll show you how to edit them.

Here's how:

1. Go to Settings ⚙ and Chart of Accounts.
2. Select Batch edit ✏ above the ACTION column.
3. Add the account numbers in the NUMBER column.
4. Once you’re done, select Save.
5. To see your accounts’ numbers in the Chart of Accounts tab, select Settings ⚙ above the ACTION column. Then, select Number.

Now you can spend less time looking for specific accounts in Chart of Accounts or when adding transactions. You can quickly find accounts using the numbers you assigned to them.

In case you have other questions, don't hesitate to contact our support team using this link.

Is this changing the account number or simply adding a sort field.

Have recently been assigned a duty to change our COA account numbers in existing system.  I need to know how to change these numbers, if possible, without having to re-create them.  If instructions available please advise.

Fran

Hi Fran. You can easily change the name of your accounts in the Chart of Accounts. I'll explain the steps below. 

1. Click Accounting on the left navigation menu.

2. Select Chart of Accounts. 

3. Click the drop-down triangle next to Account history for the account you need to re-name. 

4. Type a new name/number for the account, then click Save and Close. 

Simple as that! 

If you have any additional questions, please reach out to our tech support team. 

Cheers.

Hello - I haven't figured out how to ask a question with a new topic, so I'll reply here with a question.

Is it possible to have more than 7 digits in the chart of accounts account number?

Hi Santa Monica. Thanks for joining the discussion. Don't worry, you've come to the right place for help with this. You can absolutely add more than 7 digits in the CoA account number. If you're running into a limit on the digit amount, you may be entering the number in a different field. Follow the steps I listed above to see how to edit the account number or name of your accounts. If you're still in need of assistance, our tech support team is here to help. 

Not sure how.  I am limited to 7 characters now.  See this info from another thread.

Each field in your company data file has a maximum number of characters that can be entered. Here's the maximum number of characters you can enter in each field.

I see what you're saying, Santa Monica. That information is actually from an article for QuickBooks Desktop, not Online. If you're having issues with the character limit for QBO and you've followed the above steps, I'd suggest reaching out to our tech support team for further assistance. Our agents can remotely share your screen so they can see exactly what's happening. 

Thank you.  The Tech Team link didn't work.

Also...here's where I got the info about limitations:

https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/order-products-from-intuit/quickbooks-online-file-...

Thanks for providing that link. The article you're referencing is actually from our US Community site, but the Canadian Community has the same information listed here: QuickBooks Online file size and feature limits.

I can see what you mean about the 7 digit limit for account numbers. I've tested this in my own account, and I'm actually able to add account numbers up to 20 digits. I'm going to inquire about this with our content and support departments to resolve that in the referenced article.

Here's the link again for our tech support team: Contact Us. If you're still having issues with the field allowing you to enter more than 7 digits, our agents have the tools to look at your account information in our system to find out what's happening.

Cheers. 

Hi - the contact link takes me to a Canada support team.  I'm in the US.

Gotcha. You're currently on the Canadian QuickBooks Community page, so I presumed you were located in Canada. Not to worry, I'll send this thread off to the US support team and they'll take over from here. Someone should be in touch with you very soon.

FYI - just got off the phone with support.  The US character length for Account Number is 7....so you were likely referring to Canada.  I wonder why they make a field length different between versions.  Programmers....go figure...gosh.

Following up on this as it seems like the Canadian version allows more than 7 digits while the US version only allows 7.  I’m wondering if this will ever change as a client in the US who uses QB was looking to create a New chart of accounts with 9 digits and are now unable to which could lead to them switching Accounting systems. Let me know if they’ll be any work around to this in the US Version.