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BernieJ
Level 3

Inactivate Customers and Items in mass transaction

Is there a way to inactivate customers and/or inventory items in Quickbooks Enterprise without doing them one by one?  Our business generates a large number of one-time inventory items and do not have many repeat customers.  This creates a lot of customers and inventory items that will not be used again.  We are looking for an easier way to inactivate the customers and items when the customer job is complete.

Solved
Best answer March 05, 2020

Best Answers
Mark_R
Moderator

Inactivate Customers and Items in mass transaction

Hi there, @BernieJ.

 

At this time, we can only inactivate customers and inventory items one at a time. But I've got a workaround for you that you might consider.

 

You can put an mark for the customers and inventory items you want to inactivate. Let me guide you through the steps.

 

Here's how to inactivate customers easily:

 

  1. Go to the Customers menu, then select Customer Center.
  2. From the Active Customers drop-down, choose All Customers.
  3. In the column, put an mark to the customer you want to inactivate.
  4. Click Yes if prompted.

Once done, all customers tagged as X are inactive.

 

Then, for inventory items, please follow the steps below:

 

  1. Go to the Lists menu, then select Item List.
  2. In the Item List window, put a checkmark to the Include inactive checkbox.
  3. From the column, put an mark on the inventory items you want to inactivate.
  4. Click Yes if prompted.

After the steps, those items marked as X are inactive.

 

Also, I want to let you know that your voice matters and I'm submitting feedback directly to our product engineers for consideration. For now, you can visit our blog site so you'll be able to get the latest news about QuickBooks and what our Product Care Team is working on. 

 

Please keep in touch if there's anything else I can do to help you succeed with QuickBooks. I've got your back. Have a great day!

View solution in original post

8 Comments 8
Mark_R
Moderator

Inactivate Customers and Items in mass transaction

Hi there, @BernieJ.

 

At this time, we can only inactivate customers and inventory items one at a time. But I've got a workaround for you that you might consider.

 

You can put an mark for the customers and inventory items you want to inactivate. Let me guide you through the steps.

 

Here's how to inactivate customers easily:

 

  1. Go to the Customers menu, then select Customer Center.
  2. From the Active Customers drop-down, choose All Customers.
  3. In the column, put an mark to the customer you want to inactivate.
  4. Click Yes if prompted.

Once done, all customers tagged as X are inactive.

 

Then, for inventory items, please follow the steps below:

 

  1. Go to the Lists menu, then select Item List.
  2. In the Item List window, put a checkmark to the Include inactive checkbox.
  3. From the column, put an mark on the inventory items you want to inactivate.
  4. Click Yes if prompted.

After the steps, those items marked as X are inactive.

 

Also, I want to let you know that your voice matters and I'm submitting feedback directly to our product engineers for consideration. For now, you can visit our blog site so you'll be able to get the latest news about QuickBooks and what our Product Care Team is working on. 

 

Please keep in touch if there's anything else I can do to help you succeed with QuickBooks. I've got your back. Have a great day!

Shahbaz
Level 1

Inactivate Customers and Items in mass transaction

I'm facing the same situation but we are using QBO Plus. any solution will be highly appreciated

JasroV
QuickBooks Team

Inactivate Customers and Items in mass transaction

I can help you delete your customers at once, @Shahbaz.

 

You'll want to make your customers inactive to delete them in your QuickBooks Online (QBO) account. I'll show you how.

 

Before making these changes, I suggest working with your accountant to ensure everything is in place after deleting them. When ready, you can follow along with these steps:

 

  1. Go to the Sales menu.
  2. Select the Customers tab.
  3. Click the checkbox beside the Batch actions.
  4. Select the Batch actions and select Make inactive2.PNG

 

You can also read the Delete a customer section in this link for more details: Add and manage customers in QuickBooks Online.

 

Then to delete all your products and services items, you can refer to these steps: 
 

  1. From the Sales menu, select the Product and services tab.
  2. Click the Batch actions drop-down menu, and select Make inactive.
  3. Then click Yes.

 

In case you want to learn how to modify your invoice, you can refer to the steps outlined in this article: Customizing Invoices Within QuickBooks Online.

 

Know that I'll be here whenever you need more help with your invoices and customers. Just tag me in your reply and I'll take care of it for you. Have a good one!

donhome2
Level 1

Inactivate Customers and Items in mass transaction

is there a way to change other names to inactive in bulk?

GebelAlainaM
QuickBooks Team

Inactivate Customers and Items in mass transaction

Thanks for joining the thread, @donhome2. I'll share additional insights about making customers inactive in QuickBooks.

 

Yes, we can make customers inactive by batch if you're using QuickBooks Online (QBO). I'll show you how.

 

  1. Go to the Sales menu and click Customers.
  2. Tick the checkbox beside the Batch actions.
  3. Select the Batch actions dropdown and select Make inactive.
  4. Then click Yes to save changes.

 However, if you're utilizing the QuickBooks Desktop (QBDT), the option to inactive customers by bulk is unavailable. We can only inactivate customers one at a time. To do that, we can put an X mark for the customers. You can also scroll up a bit in the thread for the detailed steps.

 

I've also added the following articles on how to manage customers for QBO and QBDT:

 

I'll be around if you have any other QuickBooks-related concerns. Have a good one!

ali1625
Level 1

Inactivate Customers and Items in mass transaction

I tagged a group of clients as you instructed but there was no prompt for a "yes" or to "save" those I marked as inactive. How do I get those to save so they don't show up in customer list as I prepare to transfer info from desktop to online? 

ali1625
Level 1

Inactivate Customers and Items in mass transaction

I marked all clients I want to make inactive but was not prompted to be able to enter "yes" or "save" or anything else. I'm preparing to move from existing desktop pro to online so need to clear out hundreds of inactive clients! Help!!! 

Aldren18
QuickBooks Team

Inactivate Customers and Items in mass transaction

I'll ensure a seamless transition as you move from your existing desktop system to our online platform, Ali. I’m happy to clarify the process of marking clients as inactive in QuickBooks Desktop.

 

It's important to note that the prompt for confirmation will only appear if the customer has an open balance. If there are no outstanding transactions, the system will tag them inactive without additional confirmation.

 

As you get ready to move your data from QuickBooks Desktop to QuickBooks Online, I recommend checking out these references for a smooth migration:

 

 

We’re always on standby to support you through this transitional journey. Let us know in the reply section below. We look forward to continuing to support your business growth.

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