Simplify payday and set payroll to run automatically on QuickBooks.

QuickBooksHelpIntuit

Units of measure in Intuit Enterprise Suite

by Intuit •

•

Updated 8/24/2026 08:47

Track your products in the units that match how you buy, stock, and sell them. You might buy paint by the case, stock it by the gallon, and sell it by the quart. When units of measure is on in Intuit Enterprise Suite, we convert between those units for you. Your inventory counts, costs, and invoices stay accurate.

Units of measure works for any product-based business, not just construction or manufacturing. Here you'll learn how to choose a unit mode, turn the feature on, and build unit groups. You'll also see what to expect once units appear on your invoices, bills, and reports.

Note: Every Intuit Enterprise Suite subscription includes units of measure, and the feature is supported in multi-entity companies.You can turn units of measure off for your company at any time. We keep your historical unit data when you do. You can also make individual units or unit groups inactive without turning the whole feature off.

Choose how you want to measure your products

Decide which mode fits your business before you turn the feature on. You'll pick one as part of turning units of measure on.

Single units: Use one unit per product or service. This works best if every line on your transactions uses the same label, like each, hour, or pound.
Multiple units: Use different units for the same product or service. This works best if you convert between sizes. For example, buy by the case, stock by the box, and sell by each.

You can switch modes later. Switching changes how units appear on new transactions. Past transactions stay the same.

Turn on units of measure

Go to Settings, then select Account and settings.
Select the Sales tab.
In the Products and services section, select Edit.
Turn Units of measure on.
Choose Single units or Multiple units.
Select Save and close.

Units of measure is now on for your company. If you chose Single units, go straight to assigning units to your products. If you chose Multiple units, create your unit groups first.

Create a unit group

Complete this section only if you chose Multiple units. Unit groups tell us how your sizes relate to each other. A unit group is a bundle of related measurements. A soda group might include eaches, six-packs, and cases. A bulk-spice group might include grams, kilograms, and sacks.

Go to Settings, then All lists, then select Units of measure.
Select New unit group.
Choose a Category that fits your products: Count, Length, Weight, Volume, Area, Time, or Other.
Set your Base unit. Pick the smallest unit you'll track. Smaller base units keep your counts and prices accurate when you convert between sizes.
Add your Related units. For each one, enter the name, the abbreviation, and how it converts to the base unit. For example, 1 case = 24 each.
Select Save.

Your unit group is ready to use. Repeat these steps for each set of measurements your products need. Then assign the groups to your products.

Note: Once you save a unit group, you can't change its base unit. To use a different base unit, create a new unit group instead.You can still update a conversion ratio after a unit has been used on transactions. We show you what the change affects before you confirm it. For details, see Change a conversion ratio.

Assign units to your products

After you create a unit group, link it to the product it applies to.

Go to All apps, then Sales & Get Paid, then Products & services (Take me there: https://c1.qbo.intuit.com/qbo1/login?pagereq=items?jobId=sales-payments).
Find the product you want to update, then select Edit.
In the Unit of measure section, choose the unit group you want to use.
If you chose Multiple units, set your Preferred sales unit and Preferred purchase unit. The sales unit shows on invoices, estimates, and sales orders. The purchase unit shows on bills, purchase orders, and item receipts.
Select Save and close.

Your product now uses the units you assigned. The next invoice, bill, estimate, or purchase order will show your preferred units automatically.

What happens to inventory you already have

When you change a product's unit group, we move your quantity on hand 1-to-1 to the new base unit. The number doesn't change, it's just relabeled, so your counts stay consistent. Past transactions keep the units they were created with.

Use units in transactions

Once your products are set up, units appear automatically on the forms you use every day. That includes invoices and bills. We use your preferred units by default.

Automatic price math: Sell 1 case instead of 1 each, and we multiply the rate based on your conversion. You can override the rate on any line.
Carry-over between forms: Create an estimate for 5 cases and convert it to an invoice. The 5 cases carry over, so you don't re-enter anything.
Stock visibility: Check stock for a product with multiple units, and we show the quantity in the base unit. If 1 case is 24 each, 25 cases show as 600 each.

Update or make units inactive

Rename a unit

You can rename a unit at any time. The new name shows on every transaction, past and future. Quantities and dollar amounts don't change.

Change a conversion ratio

You can update a unit's conversion ratio even after it's been used on transactions. We show you what the change affects before you confirm it:

Transactions you already created keep their original ratio. They don't change.
New transactions use the new ratio.
Transactions generated later from a bill of materials or a recurring template use the new ratio.

You might prefer to leave your existing templates exactly as they work today. In that case, make the current unit inactive and create a new unit with the updated ratio. Your templates keep using the original unit until you decide to update them.

Make a unit inactive

You can't delete a unit. You can make one inactive when you no longer need it. Inactive units don't appear on new transactions. On past transactions, they show as (inactive) next to the abbreviation, so your records stay readable.

Frequently asked questions

Can I change a conversion ratio after I've used a unit on a transaction?

Yes. Changing a ratio only affects transactions going forward. Anything you already created keeps the ratio it was made with. Bills of materials and recurring templates don't store their own ratio, so a change reaches them too. We walk you through the impact first. If you want existing templates to stay exactly as they are, create a new unit instead.

Can I turn units of measure off after I turn it on?

Yes. You can turn units of measure off for your company at any time. We keep your historical unit data. If you only want to retire a few units, make those units or unit groups inactive instead.

What happens to my reports?

When units of measure is on, supported reports add a unit column tied to the quantity column. Inventory valuation always calculates in the base unit. Your dollar totals stay consistent no matter which unit a transaction used.

I'm moving from QuickBooks Desktop. Do I have to set my units up again?

No. Your units of measure carry over when you migrate from QuickBooks Desktop to Intuit Enterprise Suite. You don't need to rebuild them. Review your unit groups and preferred units after the move. Confirm everything came across the way you expect.