Move lists and balances from QuickBooks Online to QuickBooks Desktop

Learn how to move your customers, suppliers, products, and services, and accounts from QuickBooks Online to QuickBooks Desktop.

If you need a hand moving from QuickBooks Online to Desktop, you have options. You can find apps to help you move transaction data like invoices, estimates, and bills from QuickBooks Apps.

We recommend you back up your data prior to any changes.

Already cancelled QuickBooks Online? Don’t worry. You still have access to your data for a year - plenty of time to move everything you need.

In this article, you'll learn how to:

• Move your accounts, customers, suppliers, and opening balances
  • Step 1: Export account, customer, and supplier lists reports to Excel
  • Step 2: Add customer and supplier open balances
  • Step 3: Map QuickBooks fields and import
• Move your products and services
  • Step 1: Export your products and services report to Excel
  • Step 2: Add sub-items (optional)
  • Step 3: Turn on inventory preferences
  • Step 4: Set up inventory tracking accounts
  • Step 5: Import inventory
  • Step 5: Adjust inventory items' value and quantity
• What's next

Move your accounts, customers, suppliers, and opening balances

Keep in mind that this won’t bring over transactions associated with your customers, suppliers, or accounts, just their current open balances in QuickBooks Online. If you want to move your transactions too, export all of your data.

Step 1: Export account, customer, and supplier list reports to Excel

1. Go to Reports and select Standard reports (Take me there).
2. Search for and open an Account List, Customer Contact List, or Supplier Contact List.
3. On the report, select Customize.
4. Select Columns ▼ dropdown, then select More Columns tab.
5. Select and reorder columns. Check the table below to learn what columns to select and their correct order:

Column order for each list report

When you're done, select Apply changes. Then follow the steps to export the report, and save it in a folder you can quickly access.

Step 2: Add customer and supplier open balances

1. Select one of the following:
   • Go to All apps , select Customer Hub, then select Customers & leads (Take me there).
   • Go to All apps , select Expenses & Bills, then select Suppliers (Take me there).
2. Select the export icon. Save the Excel file in a folder you can access quickly.
3. To get the open balances, open the Excel file you just saved, and then copy the Open Balance column.
4. Open the Excel file of customers or suppliers that you saved in Step 1.
5. You don’t need the first 4 rows, so be sure to remove them from the worksheet.
6. Add the Open Balance column you copied, then save your changes.

Step 3: Map QuickBooks fields and import

1. Sign in to your company file in QuickBooks Desktop as an admin.
2. Go to File, select Utilities, then select Import.
3. Select Excel Files. On the window that appears, select No.
4. Select Advanced Import.
5. Select Browse… and go to the Excel file of account, customer, or supplier list you need to import.
6. Select the Choose a mapping ▼ dropdown, then Add New.
7. Add a mapping name, depending on the list you're importing. For example, add "Account List."
8. Select an import type, and then start matching QuickBooks fields with your worksheet headers. Select Save once you’re done.
   Note: For customer list, check this mapping sample to map the billing address details correctly.
9. Select Preview to make sure there are no mapping errors.
10. In the error handling section, select what you’d like to happen if QuickBooks finds errors:
    • Import rows with errors and leave error fields blank
    • Do not import rows with errors
11. Select OK. Once you're ready, select Import.

QuickBooks lets you know if the import is successful, or if there are any errors.

If QuickBooks finds an error, save the error log. Then open it to see how to fix the errors.

If you receive a Duplicate Record Found error, QuickBooks will let you choose what you want to happen with duplicates. You can keep the existing data and discard import data, replace the existing data with the import data ignoring blank fields, or replace the existing data with the import data, including blank fields.

Move your products and services

Step 1: Export your products and services report to Excel

Export your list of products and services to Excel. Then make sure each item type has its own worksheet in the Excel file.

1. Go to All apps , select Sales & Get Paid, then select Products & services (Take me there).
2. Select the export  icon. Save the Excel file in a folder you can access quickly.
3. Browse to the folder where you saved the file, then open it.
4. Go to the Item type column header, and then filter it to only "Services," "Inventory," or "Non-inventory."
5. Copy all of the data.
6. Add a new worksheet. Rename the worksheet after the item type so it's easier to transfer them later. For example, "Inventory items."
7. Paste the data you copied into the new worksheet.
8. Check the "Column order for each item type" table below and follow the correct column order for each item type.
9. Follow the same steps for all your item types. Then save your changes.

Column order for each item type

Step 2: Add your sub-items (optional)

All your items, including your sub-items and their parent items (or categories), are in Product/Service Name column. Use these steps if you also need to move your sub-items to your desktop file.

1. Add a "Sub Item of" column right after the Product/Service Name column, like this:
   

   Product/Service Name

   Sub Item of

2. Find your sub-items in the Product/Service Name column. They look like this: Landscaping: Trimming
3. Arrange your sub-items into something like our sample below. Make sure sub-items are under their parent items or categories, to keep everything neat and organized.
   

   Product/Service Name	Sub Item of
   Landscaping
   Trimming	Landscaping
   Gardening	Landscaping

Step 3: Turn on inventory preferences

1. Sign in to your company in QuickBooks Desktop as an admin.
2. Make sure you’re on single-user mode. Go to File and select Switch to Single-user Mode.
   Note: If what you see is Switch to Multi-user, you're already on single user.
3. Go to Edit, select Preferences.
4. Select Items & Inventory, and then select Company Preferences.
5. Select the Inventory and purchase order are active checkbox.
6. Select OK.

Step 4: Set up inventory tracking accounts

If you haven't yet, set up your inventory accounts in your Desktop file.

1. Go to All apps , select Accounting, then select Chart of accounts (Take me there).
2. Select New account.
3. From the Account type ▼ dropdown, select an account type. Make sure to create one account for each of these types:
   • Income Account (for your sales)
   • Cost of Goods Sold
   • Inventory Asset
4. Fill in the required fields, then select Save.

Step 5: Import inventory

1. Open the Excel file of products and services that you prepared in Step 1.
2. Follow the steps on adding multiple list items. You can customize the columns on the Add/Edit List window. This will help you focus on just the columns you want to work on.

Step 6: Adjust inventory items' value and quantity

After importing, add your items’ current value and quantity.

What's next?

Let's get you started with QuickBooks Desktop.

• Connect your bank and credit card to your desktop file. Once you connect, it's easy to download transactions.
• Add cheques to record your checking activity.
• Create and send an invoice as soon as you finish a job.

Go visit the QuickBooks Community to learn more.