Set up and manage time tracking in QuickBooks Online

Learn how to set up and manage time tracking in QuickBooks Online Essentials, Plus, and Advanced.

You can manage time tracking to track and bill customers for the number of hours spent on a project or activity.

Follow the steps to set up and manage time tracking.

• Manage time tracking
• Add time tracking user
• Access time tracking reports
• Time details

Manage time tracking

Basic time tracking in QuickBooks Online can be done using Single time activity or Weekly timesheets. To adjust your time tracking preferences (if required):

1. Go to Settings ⚙ and select Account and settings.
2. Select the Time tab.
3. In the General section, select the edit icon .
   • From the First day of work week ▼ dropdown, select a day. This affects how employees view weekly timesheets.
4. In the Timesheet section, select the edit icon .
   • Show service field: When this is turned on, employees who fill out timesheets can specify the services performed.
   • Allow time to be billable: When this is turned on, employees who fill out timesheets can specify if activities should be billed to a customer.
   • Show billing rate to users entering time (optional): If you bill customers a different hourly rate than you pay your employees, you may want to leave this blank.
5. Once you're done, select Save, then select Done.

Add a time tracking user

If you want a team member to track their own time, you can invite them as a time tracking user to your account.

Here's how to add a time tracking user:

1. Go to Settings ⚙ and select Manage users.
2. Select Add user.
3. Add the user’s personal info, then select Track time only from the ▼ dropdown under Assign roles.
4. From View all permissions, select Sync team member.
5. Select a team member, then select Sync.
6. Select Send invite.

Note: You can't change the user type of a Track time only user. If a Time tracker needs a different company access, delete the user and add them back again with the new user type.

Once added, the user can now enter hours in a timesheet.

Access time tracking reports

1. Go to Reports (Take me there) and select Standard reports.
2. In the Type report name here ▼ dropdown, search for and select any of the following reports: Recent/Edited Time Activities, Time Activities by Customer Detail, Time Activities by Employee Detail, or Unbilled time.
3. Select the available report parameters, if needed.

Time details

Based on the rates you specify and whether or not the time is billable, time detail will automatically appear on customer invoices. You can include:

• Employee’s name.
• Hourly rate charged.
• Number of hours billed: This appears as a decimal number on your invoice and as time on the printed or emailed version. For example, an hour and fifteen minutes will show as 1.25 when entered on an invoice and 1:15 when it is sent to your customer.

You can also customise the invoice to show the following:

• The description or notes entered in the timesheet.
• The name of the standard service you are using.
• Custom text that you specify for time tracking charges.

Learn how to Customise Invoices and other Transaction Forms in QuickBooks Online.