Which credit card account do I reconcile?

Thank you for sharing such detailed information about your situation, Craig.

You’re absolutely correct that linking both the master account and the individual credit card accounts in QuickBooks Online can lead to duplicate transactions. This happens because the master account consolidates all transactions from the individual accounts, resulting in the same transactions being recorded twice. This duplication can cause confusion and complicate the reconciliation process.

To keep your bookkeeping clean and efficient, I recommend unlinking the master credit card account from QuickBooks and reconciling transactions directly on the two individual credit card accounts. This approach ensures you can match each card’s transactions to its corresponding monthly statement, keeping your records accurate and your reconciliation process straightforward. 

That said, it’s always a good idea to consult with your accountant to confirm the most appropriate setup for your business and ensure everything aligns with your financial reporting needs.

If you have any other questions or need further assistance, feel free to reach out or leave a reply below. We’d be happy to assist.

Thank you Nicole, that's very helpful.

Am I correct in thinking if I don't link it, it will still be there, just unlinked and QBs will ask me to reconnect each time I log on? Is there a way to remove the master credit card from QBs so that it's like it was never there in the first place please?

Many thanks

Craig

Thank you for getting back to us, Craig. I'll make a quick recap of your situation so I can give an accurate response on your additional queries.

You currently have three parent accounts set up individually: two credit card accounts and one master credit card account. All are connected to the Online Banking (Bank transactions) page, which is resulting in duplicates in your register.

First, address the master credit card account connected to Online Banking. Did you categorise the downloaded transactions? If yes, it's best to undo them to remove these transactions from your register and reduce duplicates.

1. From the Bank transactions page, go to the connected master credit card account.
2. Select the Categorised tab and mark the bank transactions you need to undo.
3. Click Undo and return to the For review tab.
4. Exclude the transactions.
5. Afterward, disconnect the master credit card from Online Banking.

If you did not categorise any downloaded transactions from the master credit card account, you can directly follow Nicole's suggestion to unlink the account. Use this link as a reference: Disconnect accounts connected to online banking in QuickBooks Online.

Next, we can convert the two credit card accounts into subaccounts under the master credit card account. This will allow you to view categorised transactions from both credit card accounts without worrying about duplicates.

1. Select Settings (gear icon) in the upper-right corner and choose Chart of accounts.
2. Click the drop-down menu next to View register for the credit card account, then select Edit.
3. Check the box for Make this a subaccount and pick the master credit card in the Parent account field.
4. Click Save and repeat the steps for the other credit card account.

Once you've completed this setup, do not connect the parent account (master credit card) to Online Banking. This prevents it from downloading transactions that are already downloaded by your individual credit card accounts. You can learn more about setting up subaccounts here: About bank or credit card subaccount setup.

After completing these steps, you can proceed to reconcile the parent account.

Now, let's address your additional queries. Yes, the master account will remain in the system. It will not prompt you to reconnect each time you log in once it is disconnected from Online Banking. If you want to remove the master credit card without considering the setup I mentioned above, you can follow this link to make the master credit card inactive: Make an account inactive on your chart of accounts in QuickBooks Online.

We'll be here to provide additional clarifications or help if needed. Feel free to reach out.