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Remove a product or service in QuickBooks

by Intuit•3• Updated 1 month ago

Learn how to merge duplicate items, remove unused items, or reactivate items in QuickBooks.

Making an item inactive is something you might have to do from time to time to clean up your catalogue when you no longer offer an item and/or are dealing with seasonal items.

Note: This article is for customers using QuickBooks Online (Advanced, Essentials, Plus, and Simple Start) and Sole Trader.

Follow the steps below based on the product you are using.

Note: You can reactivate products and services at any time except for stock products that have Quantity on Hand. You can also change the types.

Here are a few things you should know before you make an item inactive:

  • Inactive items cannot be edited. 
  • Transactions related to the inactive item cannot be edited.
  • In reports and historic transactions, the item appears with "(deleted)" at the end of the item name.
  • For stock items, the quantity on hand will be set to 0, and we’ll update your books automatically to reflect this.
  • If you’re making a bundle inactive, only the bundle itself will be made inactive—the individual items within the bundle will stay active.

Make a product or service inactive

  1. Go to Settings Settings gear icon. and select Products & services (Take me there).
  2. Select the items that you want to make inactive.
  3. From the Batch actions ▼ dropdown, select Make inactive.
  4. Select Yes.

Note: You can’t inactivate default items (automatically created with the company) such as Sales and Hours. Instead, you can add Z at the beginning to make them appear at the bottom of the lists.

Reactivate a product or service

If you need to restore an inactive product or service, you can still reactivate it.

  1. Go to Settings Settings gear icon. and select Products & services (Take me there).
  2. Select the Filter icon.
  3. From the Status ▼ dropdown menu, select Inactive.
  4. Select Apply.
  5. Find the product or service that you want to reactivate.
  6. From the Action column, select Make active.
  • Check the details of the item, especially the income, expense, and stock asset accounts. 
  • Check the quantity on hand. Perform an stock count if needed. 

Merge a non-stock item and service

In QuickBooks, you can merge two non-stock items for products or services.
Note: Stock items can’t be merged because it’ll affect transactions and Stock or Asset accounts.

  1. Go to Settings Settings gear icon. and select Products & services (Take me there).
  2. Find the non-stock product or service that you want to merge.
  3. Select Edit.
  4. In the Name field, enter the product or service you want to merge it with.
  5. Select Save and close, then select Yes.

Note: You can reactivate products and services at any time. You can also change the types.

Here are a few things you should know before you make an item inactive:

  • Inactive items cannot be edited. 
  • Transactions related to the inactive item cannot be edited.
  • In reports and historic transactions, the item appears with "(deleted)" at the end of the item name.

Make a product or service inactive

  1. Go to Get paid and select Products and services.
  2. Select the items that you want to make inactive.
  3. From the Batch actions ▼ dropdown, select Make inactive.
  4. Select Yes.

Note: You can’t inactivate default items (automatically created with the company) such as Sales and Hours. Instead, you can add Z at the beginning to make them appear at the bottom of the lists.

Reactivate a product or service

If you need to restore an inactive product or service, you can still reactivate it.

  1. Go to Get paid and select Products and services.
  2. Select the Filter icon.
  3. From the Status ▼ dropdown menu, select Inactive.
  4. Select Apply.
  5. Find the product or service that you want to reactivate.
  6. From the Action column, select Make active.

Merge products and services

In QuickBooks, you can merge two product or service items.

  1. Go to Get paid and select Products and services.
  2. Find the product or service that you want to merge.
  3. Select Edit.
  4. In the Name field, enter the product or service you want to merge it with.
  5. Select Save and close, then select Yes.
QuickBooks Online EssentialsQuickBooks Online PlusQuickBooks Online Simple Start

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