how to save data from an old QB Online account before closing

You can convert your data to QB Desktop before cancelling your QBO account and use the trial version to access your historical data for good.

I appreciate you for sharing your concern with us, mkfthompson. Allow me to elaborate on the process of saving your QuickBooks Online (QBO) data properly.

Since you're using the QBO data for future reference, I suggest manually exporting your data to make a backup copy of your first QBO company. Here's how:

1. Go to Settings and select Export data.
2. On the Reports tab, set the date range.
3. Add or remove items from the Reports and Lists tabs by turning the switch on or off.
4. Click Export to Excel.

Check out this article for more information about this process: Export reports, lists, and other data from QuickBooks Online. You may also utilize a third-party application for a smooth procedure of downloading your QBO data.

Furthermore, please note that the QBO program doesn't have the option to archive an account, you can proceed cancelling it since you don't need to utilize it. Just keep in mind that if you have one QBO account and cancel it, you have read-only access to your data for one year. After that, you have to resubscribe to access the data.

On the other hand, if you have multiple QBO accounts with the same login, ensure that at least one account remains active to have read-only access indefinitely. Visit this article for detailed steps in canceling an account: Cancel your QuickBooks Online subscription or trial.

Additionally, you can explore this article to gain insights about your QBO data after ending your subscription: What happens to my QuickBooks Online data after I cancel?

I'm always around to share appropriate information if you have further inquiries about managing your QBO data. Please notify me by clicking the Reply button below or post a new thread again.

Hi @mkfthompson,

Hope you’re doing great. I wanted to see how everything is going about saving the old QuickBooks Online company data concern you had the other day. Was it resolved? Do you need any additional help or clarification? If you do, just let me know. I’d be happy to help you at any time.

Looking forward to your reply. Have a pleasant day ahead!

Can you backup company data and not export to excel?

@patterfam 

If you only want to backup one file, converting it to QB Desktop is the only answer.

Yes, Patterfam. You can back up your company data in QuickBooks Online (QBO) without exporting to Excel with our Advanced subscription, which includes a built-in backup feature.

You can enable this feature in your Account Settings and link it to your Google Drive. Follow these steps below:

1. Navigate to the Gear Icon, then choose Account and Settings.
2. Go to the Advanced section and locate the Backup section.
3. Click Edit ✎, then switch on Turn on backups.
4. Once done, tap Save.

After that, to connect your Google Drive, navigate to the Personal Cloud Backup section, click the Link Google Drive tab, and follow the on-screen instructions. Here's a visual reference you can refer to:

On the other hand, if you're using a different QBO plan, I recommend exploring third-party applications through the My Integrations feature to back up your company data without needing to export to Excel.

You may also consider collaborating with our QuickBooks Live Expert Assisted team to simplify your QBO processes, as they provide tailored guidance designed to meet your business needs.

This thread is open if you have additional inquiries about backing up your QBO data.