FORCED subscriptions?

Welcome aboard to the Community space, @Squishy.

Recently, QuickBooks release an update about the discontinuation service. QuickBooks Desktop (QBDT) 2018 and other older versions are scheduled to be discontinued.

Your access to Live Support, Online Banking, and add-on services will be impossible after May 31, 2021. However, if you don't have any add-on services, rest assured, your software will continue to work for you.

To avail of our service, you'll want to upgrade your QBDT to the newer versions. To learn more about this, you can refer to this link: QuickBooks Desktop service discontinuation policy and upgrade information.

With regards to manually importing your bank transactions, yes, this option is still possible. Let me show you how.

1. Open a web browser and sign in to your bank’s website.
2. Follow the instructions to download your transactions as a QuickBooks Web Connect (.qbo) file.
3. Once done, go to the Banking menu.
4. Select Bank Feeds, then Import Web Connect Files.
5. Click the QBO file you saved, then select Open.
6. When prompted to Select Bank Account, select:
   • Use an existing QuickBooks account if the account you're importing transactions into is already set up in QuickBooks.
   • Create a new QuickBooks account if the account you're importing transactions into isn't in QuickBooks yet. Learn how to create an account.
7. Select Continue, then OK.
8. Go to the Bank Feeds Center to review your transactions.

You can also read the Import Web Connect (.qbo) file section in this article for more details: Set up bank accounts for Bank Feeds in QuickBooks Desktop.

Once done, you'll want to categorize your transactions and reconcile your accounts. This way, we'll ensure your book is properly recorded. To be guided, check out these links:

• Add and match Bank Feed transactions in QuickBooks Desktop
• Reconcile an account in QuickBooks Desktop

I'll be around if you have other concerns or questions managing your transactions. It's always my pleasure to help you. Keep safe!

@Squishy 

You won't be able to run the bank feeds feature on QBD 2018 starting June 1 but you can still import the bank statement manually. You may consider purchasing a one time license of QBD 2021 to upgrade your file, or utilize a 3rd party coverer app to work with your QBD 2018.

https://www.moneythumb.com/?ref=110

I bought my first copy of quicken in '93 (it was promoted/suggested in either an accounting or finance class in university) so that I could monitor my spending, and chart out my net worth over time.  By the year 2000, by projecting the net worth line to age 55, I realized that I would only have a net worth of ~$200,000 by the time I was 55 if I had kept on the route I was going (debt, interest payments, superfluous purchases, etc etc), which changed the course of my entire life.  At this point, I own 3 houses, and a small biotech business that brings in ~2 million gross per year (hence the need for using quickbooks!), and a debt level of zero.  I say this not to be a braggart, but to explain that I seriously owe the whole change of life to Anthony Robbins books, and Quicken.  I have never had anything but nice things to say of the product and company, until literally last night, when I was given ~4 days notice that my software had been "upgraded", and that to ensure it doesn't get "upgraded" again, I'd best fork over some cash.  It's not the cost I'm upset with, it's the manner in which you went about it.  

In the real world, offering improvements that make upgrading worthwhile is how you sell a product, not wrecking something that WAS functioning just because you know it's difficult for people to learn new software, and even harder migrating company files, especially for the casual user.

So I appreciate the help and the steps to get the file manually, but now I'm wary that it might get "upgraded" again, and because I don't want to read any more "well you should upgrade to the latest version of quickbooks, for a low low monthly fee that's almost only pennies a day!" I've spent the day working on building spreadsheets to try and do what quickbooks does, at least in regards to tax and salary payments.  All this after taking the time and effort to learn quickbooks (instead of simply accounting).  I just feel betrayed and angry....so while I do appreciate the help, save that upselling for someone else.  Quite literally I'm now an "ex" customer, it's just a matter of how long it will take me to migrate. So best of luck with this new business model.  

I did all above steps and downloaded a .qbo file but every time I try and choose an existing Quickbooks account It will not allow me to choose any account I have and is forcing me to "create a new account" in order to import them.

Let me make it up to you by making sure you'll be able to import your file into QuickBooks, @JCAbooks4taxes.

When having issues with importing WebConnect files, we can create a new test bank account. Then, merge it to your original account to avoid duplicates. Doing so will help us determine if the account is corrupted or not. 

To do this, here's how:

1. Go to the Lists menu at the top. 
2. Choose Chart of Accounts from the drop-down.
3. Tick the radio button for Bank and click Continue.
4. Enter the correct bank's name in the Account Name field.
5. Click Save and Close.
6. Right-click the old account and rename it to the correct bank's name.
7. Click Save and Close.
8. Choose Yes when you get the prompt to merge the accounts.

You may check this article for additional reference: Fix Web Connect import errors.

Keep me posted if you have more questions about managing your file in QuickBooks. I'll be here to help.

I actually found the problem, it was because when I created the .qbo file, in my converting program it was set to "Credit Card" not "Checking" so it wasnt letting me choose a bank account only a CC from the list.

I'm glad that my original understanding, that manual QBO import is still supposed to work even after the version expired, is correct. I would have been severely upset as I would certainly not consider this is an online service.
But when I follow your instructions (Banking/Bank Feeds/Import Web Connect Files) I get an "Online backing & other services were discontinued" error and it doesn't let me import. Please let me know how I can continue to manually import transactions.

Thanks!

Thank you for joining the thread, @dadan. Allow me to clear things up for you about importing Web Connect files in QuickBooks Desktop (QBDT).

The Web Connect feature requires a supported version of QBDT. The 2018 and older versions no longer have this type of service available for them. See this article for additional information about discontinued products: QuickBooks Desktop service discontinuation policy and upgrade information. 

If you decide to upgrade your QBDT version and continue to see errors during the Web Connect process, keep this article for reference: Fix Web Connect import errors. 

Post a reply if you have other questions about Web Connect in QBDT. I'll get back to you as soon as I can. Have a great day!

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@dadan wrote:

Please let me know how I can continue to manually import transactions.

@dadan 

If you are using an outdated QBD version, you can only import IIF files. Ask your bank to provide the file in XLS or CSV format and utilize an importer tool with a one time license.

https://transactionpro.grsm.io/qbd

https://partners.saasant.com/affiliate/idevaffiliate.php?id=5051_2

Otherwise you have to convert the file to CSV format prior to import it into your QBD file.

https://www.moneythumb.com/?ref=110

I share the same sentiment as the original poster.  This is a cheap business tactic by QB.  I'm surprised that a lawsuit hasn't been filed.  Automatic connectivity to the financial institution doesn't have to be continually supported.  But, the importing of a QBO file, unless the financial institutions change the format, should be supported because this is what we paid the original fee for.

That said, contrary to your claim that manual importing of bank transactions is still possible, I am unable to successfully get QB 2018 to import a QBO file that I downloaded from the financial institution's website.  I still get the message that the service has been discontinued and that I should upgrade.  Please see the attached image.  What am I doing wrong here?

Thanks

Palaniappan [Removed]

[Removed]

As a lawyer, and a QB 2018 user, I will be looking at filing a lawsuit against QB in Oregon.  They damaged my software making it unusable.

I suggest QB contact me ASAP to remedy this situation.

I feel the same way, I feel Quickbooks went into my computer and changed my software that I purchased 3 years ago, now it does not work properly unless I subscribe to an yearly plan, which went from $199 for a 3 year desktop to $199 for the first year and $299 per year after that. What kind o price increase is that? How are you helping small business? 

It does not allow to import the file manually. How can I fix it?

I totally agree with you, I feel the same way. I feel they intruded the software I bought and changed it to force me to buy something new.

It does not work, Quickbooks stops it from importing, gives the message to upgrade. Now what?

Please be sure to follow up, this was an incredibly poor decision on intuit's part. Is there a chance at a class action on behalf of all the duped customers? 

I followed their "solution" as well, and it will not allow manual importing, I think they just said that here in to save face, their "update" trashed all parts of the web data importation. 

Intuit, just give us back the product that we paid for!!! 

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@Shirp76 wrote:

I feel the same way, I feel Quickbooks went into my computer and changed my software that I purchased 3 years ago, now it does not work properly unless I subscribe to an yearly plan, which went from $199 for a 3 year desktop to $199 for the first year and $299 per year after that. What kind o price increase is that? How are you helping small business? 

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@Shirp76 

You can still purchase a one time license of QBD 2021 Pro for 1 user worth $400 thru your local reseller. If you couldn't find any of them, contact us in private.

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@Shirp76 wrote:

It does not allow to import the file manually. How can I fix it?

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@Shirp76 

Importing a .QBO file need a supported QBD version (i.e 2019-2021). You have to covert .QBO files to CSV, then utilize another tool to import the file(s) into your outdated QBD version. 

Which tool?

@Shirp76 

You may purchase a one time license of an importer tool to import CSV and XLS files into QB Desktop as Bank Statements, Credit Card Charges, Credit Card Credits. or Credit Card Statements.

https://transactionpro.grsm.io/qbd

https://partners.saasant.com/affiliate/idevaffiliate.php?id=5051_2

I'm absolutely ticked about Quickbooks cheap, underhanded tactic of forcing me to "upgrade" my QB product by making it impossible for me to manually import data into a new bank account or new credit card account.  Sure, I can import into my old accounts, but no way will it let me import a QBO file into QB 2018, with a new bank account or credit card account.  I have NO need for any of Quickbooks "new" services.  Their new pricing is an absolute ripoff.  Making it so I must now manually enter all my data is a cheap, trashy business practice.

All those good words I had for Quickbooks as a CPA, are now gone.  What a second rate, dirty trick to pay.  I hope there is a class action lawsuit against Quickbooks for such bad faith and running my paid for software.

Let me know if there is a class action lawsuit against Quickbooks.  They damaged my paid for software as well.

I am feel it is illegal to keep me from using my old Quickbook Desktop that I had since 2014 and bought the updates and renewals. But now they are holding my financials hostage until I pay $349 for a renewal.

Is there any action we can take? it seems like everyone is stuck in the same boat.