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Fix error: Customer can't be deleted because there are unbilled charges

by Intuit70 Updated 3 weeks ago

You’re unable to delete a customer with unbilled charges if:

Learn how to delete a customer with unbilled charges in QuickBooks Online.

Resolve any unbilled charges to delete the customer. Here’s how.

  • Track expenses and items by customer and Make expenses and items billable preferences are disabled.
  • A charge, credit, or a billable expense attached to the customer you’re trying to delete has no invoice.

For a better experience, open this article in QuickBooks Online. Launch side-by-side view Open this link in a new window

Note: While you can't delete a customer with unbilled charges, you can merge them. Learn how.

Step 1: Check your Bills and expenses preferences

  1. Go to Settings ⚙ and select Account and Settings.
  2. From the left menu, select Expenses.
  3. Under Bills and expenses, check if the following are turned on:
    • Track expenses and items by customer
    • Make expenses and items billable
  4. If not:
    1. Select Edit ✎.
    2. Turn on Track expenses and items by customer and Make expenses and items billable using the toggle switch.
    3. Select Save.

Step 2: Manage your customer’s charge, credit, or billable expense charge

Resolve any unbilled charges for the customer you want to delete. For an open charge, billable expense, or credit, you can either create an invoice or delete it. You can also mark an expense as non-billable if you want to keep it in your records but don’t need to resolve it.

Follow this link to complete the steps in product Open this link in a new window

  1. Select All sales.
  2. Select an open charge, billable expense, or credit.
  3. On the More actions ▼ dropdown, select Convert to invoice.
  4. Check the invoice then select Save.

Follow this link to complete the steps in product Open this link in a new window

  1. Select All sales.
  2. Select an open charge, billable expense or credit.
  3. On the More actions ▼ dropdown, select Delete.
  4. Select Yes to confirm deletion.

Follow this link to complete the steps in product Open this link in a new window

  1. Select All sales.
  2. Open the Billable Expense Charge.
  3. To open the bill, select Bill under marked as billable on this bill. 
  4. Find the billable amount under Category or Item details.
  5. Uncheck the box in the Billable column and remove the customer's name in the Customer/Project column.
  6. Select Save and Close.
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