Non Discount and Discount Items on Sale Receipt

I'd be glad to share some options for applying a discount to a single item on sales receipts in QuickBooks Online (QBO). 

I can see that you are familiar with effortlessly applying discounts in QuickBooks Desktop, enabling you to quickly discount specific items. Although both products are valuable for managing business activities and finances, it's important to understand that each has its own method of recording transactions. The features may vary between the two, but this is expected as they are functioning as intended.

Since applying a discount to a specific item in QuickBooks Online is unavailable, I can however offer some workarounds that you can utilize. 

To begin with, you have the option to calculate the discount manually. Once you have determined the discount amount, subtract it from the original price of the item. Finally, enter the resulting difference in the Amount field. So the price of the product that will appear on your sales receipt will be the discounted one already. 

You can also choose to generate a Discount item and include it as a line item with a negative value, positioned next to the initial item. I'd be glad to show you how:

Let's create a discount item first.

1. Go to the Sales menu then select Products and services.
2. Click on New then select Non-inventory.
3. Enter "Discount" as a name. 
   
   
    
4. When done, hit Save and close.
    

Now let's create a Sales Receipt and apply the discount:

1. Go to the +New icon then select Sales Receipt.
2. Select the customer.
3. On the first line of the Product/Service column, select the item.
4. On the second line, select the Discount item that we've created and enter the discount amount (Example: -20).
5. Automatically, the system will calculate the difference between the first item minus (-) the second item which is the discount. Be sure to put the Discount item, next to the desired item that'll be discounted to avoid confusion as to where the discount is for. 
   
   
    
6. When done, hit Save and Send or Save and close. 

I'm also adding this article in case you want to accept electronic payments and let your customers pay their invoices online for a more convenient business transaction: Take and process payments in QuickBooks Online with QuickBooks Payments.

I want to ensure that all of your concerns are addressed properly. Should you need any more help with applying discounts to sales receipts in QuickBooks Online, you can always ask your question here by hitting the Reply button or starting a new thread. The Community Team is always ready to back you up anytime. Stay safe!

I already have this created and have tired it,  Yes it does not it is created to do however when printing a receipt the items that are discounted do not show up on the printed receipt only the soft copy. 

I appreciate you for getting back to us, @Pottery Island. Let me chime in and share additional information about applying a discount to a specific item in QuickBooks Online (QBO).

In QBO, you have the capability to implement discounts by creating a Product/Service item, following the instructions outlined by my colleague above. 

I can see how essential it is for your business to add a Discount feature so you won't have to manually add them to your sales receipts. Currently, this option is unavailable. We listen to your input and aim to enhance your QBO experience. That said, let me help you relay your valuable insight to our software engineers so they can review your recommendation and might take it into account in our future product upgrades. To do that, go to the Gear icon and select Feedback.

Moreover, running sales reports in QBO is a breeze to keep track of your revenue. You may also customize them to focus on the details most relevant to your business.

Keep me posted on any future concerns you have about discounts. The Community is only a few clicks away to assist you. Be safe and have a nice day ahead, Poterry.

I would appreciate it if the person that responds to a thread read the above threads before responding.  As you can read on the respond to the initial work around, the work around only works 50 percent,  When printing off the receipt the discounted items do not show up.  Why does Intuit create a system for business but does not offer the everything a business needs to do business.  

@Pottery Island   RE: Why does Intuit create a system for business but does not offer the everything a business needs to do business?

Ha! What an inadvertent but excellent description of QuickBooks Online!

@Pottery Island  

Keep in mind that QB is an accounting system, not a point-of-sale system.  Since it is not designed to be a retail point-of-sale system, it has its limitations.  On a sales receipt, you can just add a discount line following the item you want to discount with the discount as a negative amount and then add subsequent items thereafter.  It prints just fine that way.  Or, you can create an invoice with a discount line and then add a subtotal after the discount line item to call out the discount even more.  Then, receive payment on the invoice.  I'm a long-time user and lover of QB Desktop and miss a lot of the features not found in Online.  Workarounds exist for 75% of the issues (some clunky) but, once you get used to them, most workarounds are manageable IMO.  They just take some getting used to.       

@Rainflurry  RE: Keep in mind that QB is an accounting system, not a point-of-sale system. Since it is not designed to be a retail point-of-sale system, it has its limitations. 

Well, yes, but also Intuit says QuickBooks Online is ready to replace QuickBooks Desktop, where line item discounts are child's play - one of many features of sales transactions in Desktop that are missing from Online.

@BigRedConsulting 

"...also Intuit says QuickBooks Online is ready to replace QuickBooks Desktop, where line item discounts are child's play-..."

Good point.  After posting, I looked at Intuit's website and agree that they probably oversell QB Online's ability to work in a retail setting.  Now that they are out of the point-of-sale business, they (Intuit salespeople) should probably understand and make potential users aware of Online's deficiency for retail.  Will that happen?  Well....I think we know the answer to that.