Is there a fee for just turning on the option of direct deposit with a contractor, or only if I actually *make* a direct deposit?

Good day to you, @gentlespiritbirt. Thanks for letting us know about your concern. I'm here to clarify details and specifics to ensure you won't be charged for your contractors who aren't currently working.

In QuickBooks, you'll be charged a monthly fee for contractors with direct deposit turned on, even if you don't pay them during the month. Accordingly, you can turn off the direct deposit to make sure you won't be charged since they haven't started their work yet. Simply follow these steps to proceed:

1. Go to the Payroll menu, then Contractors.
2. Next to the contractor’s name, click the dropdown to toggle the direct deposit off or on.

For more details about this process, please refer to this article: Set up and manage direct deposit for your contractors.

To ensure accurate record-keeping before filing 1099s, we recommend utilizing this article to establish and monitor contractor payments: Set up contractors and track them for 1099s. This will enable businesses to maintain precise records and fulfill regulatory requirements.

We're always open here in the Community, so don't hesitate to get back to us if you have further questions regarding this matter. It's always my pleasure to help you out again. Have a great day ahead!

Thank you for your reply. I just turned on direct deposit for everyone a few days ago (with the help of customer support) and now I'm scrambling to get back there to turn them all off so I don't get charged (yet again) for something I'm not using! I've been trying for about 15 minutes to get back there but keep getting this message when I try to get into my Payroll account:   

   You've received a system error that we need to review and resolve for you. Please contact Customer Support for assistance.

And when I click on that link, all I get is the Customer Support page where I can do endless searches and waste more time reading articles that won't solve the issue! This is insane! 

I wish you didn't have to go through all these hurdles when handling fees for contractors with direct deposits being turned on, gentlespiritbirt. Going back and forth isn't easy, so I've come to provide some information and ensure you'll get the best support available in handling this query.

As we require to gather information on your account, we're unable to acquire these details since Community is a public platform. I understand you've contacted our support team already, it's best to reach them back again as this will allow them to review your account in a secure environment, conduct further research on the error received, and create an investigation ticket of your concern if need be.

Here's how to reach them:

1. In your QBO account, click Help.
2. Click the Search tab, and click Contact Us.
3. Enter the error message in the description box, and select Continue.
4. Start a chat with a support expert.

Moreover, I'm including this guide to help you keep track of payment totals to your 1099s: Create 1099 reports in QuickBooks.

I'll keep an eye on this thread for any additional queries when direct deposits for your contractors. Just keep me posted, so I can respond promptly to provide further help. Keep safe!

Thank you for your quick reply, but I'm not sure what your first sentence means. ("...connecting Shopify payouts to have them matched") It makes me wonder if you meant to reply to someone else since my issue has nothing to do with Shopify.

Thank you for the clarification, gentlespiritbirt.  

Since you've mentioned that you're currently experiencing the said error, 

I recommend contacting our online support so that they can add you as one of the impacted users in QuickBooks. In addition, they may help you find a workaround regarding this matter.

Here's how to contact our support:

1. In your QBO account, select Help (?). 
2. Choose the Search tab.
3. At the bottom of your screen, click Contact Us.  
4. Type your concern. Then click Continue. 
5. You may choose Callback, Appointment, or Chat as your way to connect with us. 
6. Kindly fill out the provided field such as your First name, Last name, Email address, and Phone number. 
7. Depending on what you choose as your way to connect with us, click Callback, Schedule an appointment, or Chat. 

You can also check on the Community website the available hours of our representative: Contact Payroll Support. 

Furthermore, you can always reply if you have any additional information as you contact our support or if you have other concerns aside from this. Rest assured that we're always here to guide you.