Parent Account preventing linking of SubAccounts

Hello there, elleholub.

This isn’t the kind of experience I want you to have when using the online banking features. Let me help ensure the connected accounts will show all the correct transactions.

Based on the scenario, you can disconnect and reconnect the accounts. Performing these tasks won’t change the existing data (categorized or reconciled transactions in the past).

To unlink an account:

1. In QuickBooks Online (QBO), tap the Banking or Transactions menu on the left panel and choose Banking.
2. From the list of accounts, click the Blue tile icon and choose the one you’re working on.
3. Press the Pencil icon and select Edit account info to open the Account screen.
4. Navigate to the Connected to section and tick the box for Disconnect this account on save.
5. Click Save and close.

After disconnecting all accounts, you can start connecting each one in QBO. Here’s an article that will walk you through the process: Connect bank and credit card accounts.

For additional resources, the links will guide you on how to set up a bank account or credit card account with multiple cards associated with it. You’ll also learn about classifying and matching downloaded data.

• About bank or credit card subaccount setup
• Categorize and match online bank transactions 

If you have further questions or need a helping hand in managing online banking entries, let me know in the comment section below. I’ll jump right back in to assist further.  

So are you saying that in order to link the sub account after the parent is linked the only way to do this is unlink the parent connection and then reconnect making sure to link all sub accounts at the same time?

If that’s the case that is extremely unfriendly, and had I known that I would have done them all at once, but being a noob to your product thought I’ll just add the sub account later. 

BRUTAL.

I unlinked parent/sub accounts, and relink both at the same time, it still gave a message saying the sub account can not be linked because the parent account linked. So there is either parent or sub account can be linked?

Thank you for joining the thread, ThuyH.

I want to ensure this gets sorted out as soon as possible. Before anything else, can you tell me more about your query? Would you like to connect existing sub-accounts to your parent accounts inside QuickBooks Online (QBO)?

Feel free to leave a comment below. I'll make sure to get back to you as soon as possible. Stay safe, and have a nice day!

I am struggling with the same issue of trying to save an account as a sub account. I disconnected the account from I  wanted to identify as a sub account from online banking & then reactivated it.  When it was reconnected to online banking, I tried to set it up as a sub account and got the message,  "You can't change the parent of this account to "XXX" (Parent Acct for reconciliation) because it or its parent account is already set up for Online Banking or Web Connect.  Do I have to disconnect the parent account also?  What will I lose?

Hi lost123,

I'm here to help you fix the error you encountered so you can continue working on your bank transactions.

It's possible that both the parent account and the sub-account are connected to online banking. Thus, the system prompts you with that error message.

To fix this, let's ensure that either of the accounts is connected to online banking.

Moreover, I've added this article as your guide in categorizing transactions: Categorize online bank transactions in QuickBooks Online.

Keep me posted whenever you have banking concerns.

I have the same issue and there is no good solutions. I have been struggling with the problem for more than 3-4 years. It is so sad why this cannot be resolved with some programming.

I see that it has been challenging on your end to set up your parent and subaccount in QuickBooks Online (QBO) for years, @hrent1.

For us to provide the exact fix, I'd like to know if there's an error when you try to set up and link parent and subaccount.

Click the Reply button below if you have additional info. I'll assist you as soon as possible. Have a good day.

I'm facing the same issue. I need to connect BOTH the parent bank account and the sub-bank account to QBO. As there are some transactions that only show on Parent Bank. Like payback to the parent's credit card and interest charged on the parent's credit card.

If I cannot see these transactions in QBO, I cannot categorize them and cannot reconcile the bank transactions.

I want transactions to appear in their respective parent or sub accounts, not mixed up.

I can see you're having difficulty connecting your bank accounts to QuickBooks Online, Keyla.  Allow me to ensure that you'll be able to get back to working and resume managing your business.

Before we proceed, it's important to understand how your bank sends the downloaded transactions.

If your bank downloads transactions to a single account, connecting only the parent account in QuickBooks Online is best. This way, all the transactions will be captured in one place, making management and reconciliation easier.

On the other hand, if your bank downloads transactions to individual subaccounts, it's recommended that the subaccounts be connected directly to QuickBooks Online. This ensures that the transactions are accurately recorded in their respective subaccounts, maintaining the proper categorization and organization.

By following this approach, you can ensure that the downloaded transactions are correctly assigned to the appropriate accounts within QuickBooks Online. 

In addition, keep in mind that you only need to reconcile the parent account because all transactions in the subaccounts roll up into it. 

Feel free to visit this article for more information about The bank or credit card subaccount setup.

Also, you can contact your bank's customer support if you need help with how your bank sends the downloaded transactions. They can provide information on how the transactions are structured and guide you on the best way to connect your accounts in QuickBooks Online. 

For your reference, you may refer to this article on how you can review downloaded bank and credit card entries by matching or adding them to put in the correct accounts: Categorize and match online bank transactions in QuickBooks Online.

If you have any further questions or need additional assistance with connecting parent and subaccount, please don't hesitate to let us know. We're here to help. Have a great day!

Hi  AileneA， thanks for getting back to me. We use BOA credit cards. The bank downloads transactions to individual subaccounts. But as I mentioned, there are some transactions only under the parent's account, not the subaccount. That's why I need to connect both parents and subaccounts. 

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Hello, Keyla. 

I can see the importance of how you want to connect both parents and subaccounts to QuickBooks Online (QBO). While this isn't possible, you can download your bank statement for the parent account and disconnect that account from your online banking. You can create a journal entry to ensure your books won't mess up. I also recommend reaching out to your accountant. They'll be able to give you the best course of action for your business.

If you want to achieve the option to connect both parent and subaccount, I suggest sending feedback directly to our product developers team. They will carefully review your feedback, identify areas that require enhancements, and consider incorporating them into future updates. Here's how:
 

1. Hit the Gear icon at the top, then select Feedback.
2. Type in your product suggestions.
3. Click Next to submit feedback.

To get updates about the status of your feedback, you may visit the Customer Feedback page.

For the missing transactions that only show up under the parent's account, you can import them to QBO using a CSV file.

You're always welcome to post a reply if you have other follow-up questions about bank accounts in QuickBooks. The Community team is always here to assist. 

I am having the same issue with BOA credit card. BOA Credit card Parent account imports all the Payments made and BOA Credit card Child Account imports all the expenses. The Credit card Statement has one balance to reconcile but there are 2 Accounts in Quickbooks. How to do the reconciliation.

1. Go to Transactions, then Bank transactions).
2. Select the tile for the bank account.
3. Tap the pencil icon, then select Edit account info.
4. Select the Disconnect this account on save checkbox. If QuickBooks is downloading new transactions, you won't see this option. Wait a few minutes for the update to finish and try again.
5. Click Save and close.
   
   

1. Make sure you match and categorize all of your downloaded transactions.
2. Go to the Gear icon and then Reconcile. If you're reconciling for the very first time, select Get started.
3. From the Account dropdown, select the account you want to reconcile. Make sure it's the same one on your statement.
4. Review the Beginning balance. Make sure the beginning balance in QuickBooks matches the one on your statement. Here's what to do if they don't match.
5. Enter the Ending balance and Ending date on your statement. Some banks call the ending balance a "new balance" or a "closing balance."
6. If you see it, review the Last statement ending date. This is the end date of your last reconciliation. Your current bank statement should start the day after.
7. When you're ready to start, select Start reconciling.
   
   

I am also having the same issue using Bank of America.  It will only let me connect either the parent account or the sub account.  However there are transactions that appear on both.  So when only one is connected, the other's transactions are not being recorded and categorized.  So far the only "fix" is that I go in an manually make journal entries for all payments/transactions involving the disconnected account.  I am doing this for the parent account as the sub account has more transactions in general so I left the sub account as the connected account.  From all my research, it appears to be a software issue with quickbooks online we all would love to have fixed.