QuickBooks HelpQuickBooksHelpIntuit

Fix error: Customer can't be deleted because there are unbilled charges

by Intuit Updated about 4 hours ago

Learn how to delete a customer with unbilled charges in QuickBooks Online.

You’re unable to delete a customer with unbilled charges if:

  • Track expenses and items by customer and Make expenses and items billable preferences are disabled.
  • A charge, credit, or a billable expense attached to the customer you’re trying to delete has no invoice.

Resolve any unbilled charges to delete the customer. Here’s how.

Note: While you can't delete a customer with unbilled charges, you can merge them. Learn how.

Step 1: Check your Bills and expenses preferences

  1. Go to Settings Settings gear icon. and select Account and settings.
  2. Select Expenses.
  3. Under Bills and expenses, check if the following are turned on:
    • Track expenses and items by customer
    • Make expenses and items billable
  4. If not:
    1. Select Edit ✎.
    2. Turn on Track expenses and items by customer and Make expenses and items billable using the toggle switch.
    3. Select Save, then select Done.

Step 2: Manage your customer’s charge, credit, or billable expense charge

Resolve any unbilled charges for the customer you want to delete. For an open charge, billable expense, or credit, you can either create an invoice or delete it. You can also mark an expense as non-billable if you want to keep it in your records but don’t need to resolve it.

  1. Go to Sales and select All sales (Take me there).
  2. Select an open charge, billable expense, or credit.
  3. On the More actions ▼ dropdown, select Convert to invoice.
  4. Check the invoice then select Save.

To delete the charge or credit:

  1. Go to Sales and select All sales (Take me there).
  2. Select an open charge, billable expense or credit.
  3. On the More actions ▼ dropdown, select Delete.
  4. Select Delete to confirm deletion.

To delete the billable expenses transaction:

  1. Go to Sales and select All sales (Take me there).
  2. Open the Billable Expense Charge, then select Edit.
  3. Open the transaction from Marked as billable on this select Expense/Cheques/Bill.
  4. Select More, then Delete
  5. Select Yes to confirm. 
  1. Go to Sales and select All sales (Take me there).
  2. Open the Billable Expense Charge, then select Edit.
  3. Open the transaction from Marked as billable on this select Expense/Cheques/Bill.
  4. Find the billable amount under Category or Item details.
  5. Uncheck the box in the Billable column and remove the customer's name in the Customer/Project column.
  6. Select Save and close.
QuickBooks Online EssentialsQuickBooks Online PlusQuickBooks Online Simple Start

Sign in now for personalized help

See articles customized for your product and join our large community of QuickBooks users.