Cancel subscription

Hi there, Photo-Al. It's nice to see you back in our Community forum. I appreciate you sharing your concern, and I understand your sentiments. It's my priority to provide information about the QuickBooks Desktop subscription.

There are two ways you can utilize a QuickBooks Desktop. It is through subscription or stand-alone product license. 

QuickBooks subscription is required to renew annually to maintain access to your account. On the other hand, a QuickBooks Desktop stand-alone license is only valid for three years. 

Moreover, when your subscription expires, you can still access the file. However, you will no longer be able to receive security updates and online services, such as the ones listed below.

• QuickBooks Desktop Payroll Services
• Live Support
• Online Backup
• Online Banking

Check out this article to learn how to download the latest QuickBooks Desktop with your subscription: Manage your QuickBooks Desktop subscriptions and services.

The following article will help you learn how to access the view-only mode if your subscription expires or if you decide to cancel your subscription: Renew your subscription or use view-only mode in QuickBooks Desktop 2023.

The Community is always available to provide any information about QuickBooks-related concerns. We'd be happy to help you at any time. Keep yourself safe!

@Photo-Al 

Login to your CAMPS as Primary Contact and check your license status. It is highly possible you were purchasing QB Desktop with the subscription license, not a one time license.

If you are working solo on a desktop (PC or Mac) to manage your book and only need basic features, you should explore a free program. You can use the program for as long as you like, use all the features and enter as much data as required. There are no time limits, no usage limits, no ads (at this time). This program is quite popular in Asia and Europe.

Couple items: 

You said: Moreover, when your subscription expires, you can still access the file. 

It didn't sound like that was the case in the QuickBooks comments.  It sounded more like I might be able to view the data, but no longer enter any new data.

So what I really want to know is this:  Can I convert this subscription license into what I thought I was buying ... a standalone license that would last 3 years?  If yes, HOW?  If no, is the only thing I can do is

1 - Buy another license, this time just standalone, and if so, HOW do I convert the data in what I have now into the standalone license?

2 - Switch to some other more reasonably priced (or free) software and tell QB to pound sand for making this so difficult.

Intuit is really difficult to work with and doesn't make it clear what you are buying. I may even have to reconsider what I recommend to the company I work for this year when we plan our move away from Microsoft Dynamics ... QB Enterprise was on the table, but now I wonder what else I don't know about that product.

Please let me know what options I have and how to convert the data from a subscription version to a standalone version.  Thanks in advance.

I appreciate you for coming back to the thread and adding extra clarifications about your concern, Photo-Al. I can see that things have been challenging for you regarding how the QuickBooks subscription works. With this, I'll be sharing further details on this matter to ensure you can manage your subscription.

Please know that converting your subscription license into what you bought to a standalone license that would expand to the last 3 years is currently unavailable. This is because the subscription is annual when you purchase any of the QuickBooks Desktop versions. This requires you to pay your QBDT on a yearly basis. Then, there are two types of payment methods available for QuickBooks Desktop subscription, you can either pay monthly or annually.

I suggest renewing your subscription to continue using the program. This way, you're able to view your company file and manage it and be able to enter new data.

On the other hand, price increases are needed to deliver the products, services, and support that will help you complete your accounting tasks quicker than before. The new pricing plans will reflect the needs of our clients better while allowing us to keep improving the service and developing new features. We made these changes to continue to innovate and deliver the products, services, and support that will give you and your clients an edge both today and in the future. You can open this article to see extra details: QuickBooks Desktop price update.

Please post here again if you have other questions or concerns with your QuickBooks Desktop license. I'll be right here to help you out any time, 

Photo-Al. Have a great day!