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Change sub-customers into projects in QuickBooks Online or Intuit Enterprise Suite

by Intuit • Image Alt Text 199
Image Alt Text Updated 5/28/2026 15:54

If you currently use sub-customers to track jobs, converting them into projects will help you keep everything in one place. Here's how to convert sub-customers or move specific transactions into projects. Projects is only available in QuickBooks Online Plus, QuickBooks Online Advanced, and Intuit Enterprise Suite.

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Prepare your sub-customer for conversion

Before converting, adjust your sub-customer settings and ensure it's linked to only one parent customer. A sub-customer cannot be a sub-customer of another sub-customer.

Review sub-customer settings

  • Go to All apps A bunch of numbers and letters on a tile wall., then Projects, then Projects (Take me there).

  • Find and select the sub-customer. If the status is Not started, select In progress from the Status dropdown▼.

  • Select the sub-customer's profile, then select Edit.

  • Make sure you select the Is a sub-customer checkbox.

  • Review and select the parent customer. This is the account that's connected to the project.

  • Select Bill parent customer checkbox

  • Select Save.

Check the parent customer hierarchy

  • Go to All apps A bunch of numbers and letters on a tile wall., then Projects, then Projects (Take me there).

  • Find and select the sub-customer.

  • Select the sub-customer's profile, then select Edit.

  • From the Parent customer dropdown, select the parent customer.

  • Select Save.

Make sure your sub-customer doesn't have any sub-customers

  • Go to All apps A bunch of numbers and letters on a tile wall., then Projects, then Projects (Take me there).

  • Check for any sub-customers of the sub-customer you want to convert.

  • Select the sub-customer's profile, then select Edit.

  • Uncheck the Is a sub-customer checkbox. If there are more sub-customers, remove them as well.

  • Select Save.

Convert a sub-customer to a project

You can either create a new project from a sub-customer or merge the sub-customer with an existing project.

Create a new project from a sub-customer

This wipes the slate clean. Your sub-customer's existing transactions won't transfer over.

  • Go to All apps A bunch of numbers and letters on a tile wall., then Projects, then Projects (Take me there).

  • Select the New project ▼ dropdown and then Convert from sub-customer. Or,  look for the Do you organize sub-customers as projects? message and select the Convert now link.

  • Select the sub-customer you want to convert.

  • Select Convert, then select Continue to confirm. Remember, your existing transactions won't transfer over.

This creates a brand new project. Now you can go to the Projects menu to start working on it.

Merge a sub-customer with an existing project

This transfers your existing sub-customer transactions to an existing project.

  • Go to All apps A bunch of numbers and letters on a tile wall., then Projects, then Projects (Take me there).

  • Find the project you want to merge your sub-customer with.

  • Copy the name of the project.

  • Find and select the sub-customer.

  • Select the sub-customer's profile, then select Edit.

  • Change the Customer display name to match the project name exactly.

  • Select Save.

Note: Your sub-customer info such as addresses, tax code, and payment and billing info won't transfer over to the project.

Follow "Step 4: Add existing expenses to a project" and "Step 5: Add existing timesheets to a project" in the main project article. Use these steps to add any transaction to a project.

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