Upgrade or downgrade your client's QuickBooks Online subscription

Learn how to upgrade or downgrade your client’s QuickBooks Online subscription.

Firm-billed clients are those whose subscription is billed directly to the firm. Learn how to change their subscription level based on what they need from QuickBooks Online. Here's how you can upgrade or downgrade a client's QuickBooks subscription levels between Simple Start, Essentials, Plus, and Advanced.

Note: You can change a firm-billed client’s subscription between QuickBooks Essentials, Plus, and Advanced, but not from or to Self-Employed. You can also downgrade a firm-billed client's QuickBooks Online subscription to Simple Start.

Upgrade your client's subscription level

If your firm-billed client needs more accounting tools, you can move them to a higher QuickBooks Online subscription level:

Note: Make sure your firm's billing and subscription info is up-to-date.

1. In QuickBooks Online Accountant, go to Settings ⚙ and then Subscriptions and billing.
2. Select the Accountant-billed subscriptions tab.
3. Look for your client. Select the arrow ► next to the client's name to expand subscription details.
4. From the Subscription actions ▼ dropdown, select Upgrade.

Tip: If you recently moved a client to your firm-billed plan and their status is pending, you need to wait to upgrade them.

Downgrade your client's subscription level

Talk to your client about the features they currently use before you downgrade their subscription.

Note: Review and learn what happens when you downgrade a QuickBooks Online subscription. Your client may need to turn off certain features before you can downgrade them.

1. In QuickBooks Online Accountant, go to Settings ⚙ and then Subscriptions and billing.
2. Select the Accountant-billed subscriptions tab.
3. Look for your client. Select the arrow ► next to the client's name to expand subscription details.
4. From the Subscription actions ▼ dropdown, select Downgrade.

Note: If you don't see the Downgrade option, you can't downgrade your customer's subscription.

Things to consider when downgrading your client’s subscription

Important: If your client downgrades from QuickBooks Online Advanced, they may need to remove users. Each subscription level has a different user limit.

If you see a "Changing plans?" or “Contact us” message, call the number on your screen or contact us via QuickBooks Online Advanced Saves Team.