Let me explain how to make the funds available for spending, Walt.
If you use QuickBooks Payments to process electronic payments, the funds will be deposited directly into the bank account associated with your QB Payments account, making the money available for spending. You can check and change this information in the Accounts and Settings. Here's how:
- Go to the Gear icon and select Accounts and Settings.

- Click the Payments tab.

- In the Deposit accounts section, you’ll see the bank account where client payments are currently deposited. You can click the Change button to update this if needed.
However, if payments are processed via QuickBooks Checking (also known as the QB Cash account), customer payments are initially deposited into your Checking account. From there, you can connect your external bank account and transfer funds from QB Checking to your external bank. Once the transfer clears, the funds become tangible and available to spend in your actual bank account.
Here's how to transfer:
- Select Transfer and click Transfer money.
- Enter the amount you want to transfer.
- In the From dropdown, select your QuickBooks Checking account.
- In the To dropdown, click your connected bank account.
- Select Next, then Finish transfer.
I've added this article to learn more about how QuickBooks Payments deposits work in QuickBooks Online (QBO): Common questions about QuickBooks Payments deposits in QBO.
Feel free to comment below if you have further questions.