Why does QB take it upon itself to change the category of my items (ie, flat rate/ hourly/ quantity) after I've already set it on a particular item in an invoice?

We appreciate your input here, Nolan. As someone who uses QuickBooks, I understand the importance of creating accurate and professional-looking invoices. Let's work together to ensure your invoices correctly represent your service to your clients.

You may have identical names for Products and Services within your QuickBooks Online (QBO) account. This is why QuickBooks automatically changes the category of items on invoices. I suggest checking your products and services individually to ensure they contain the appropriate sales information.

If there are items listed with the same name but different categories (e.g., one as a flat rate service and another as an hourly service), you can merge or inactivate them to maintain accurate records and avoid misinformation on your sales forms.

Additionally, a full browser cache can sometimes lead to unexpected behavior in QBO, including service categories (flat rate, hourly, or quantity) on your invoices automatically changing.

We can rule this out as a potential cause by accessing QBO through your browser's private or incognito mode. This method helps optimize your computer's performance and free up storage space, allowing smoother and more seamless operations when creating invoices. Please see these keyboard shortcuts to open a private window:

• Google Chrome: Ctrl + Shift + N
• Mozilla Firefox: Ctrl + Shift + P
• Safari: Command + Option + P

Once done, log into your QBO account and re-create an invoice. If you can do so without delay, consider clearing your browser's cache to improve performance and minimize technical issues. Exploring other supported browsers can also be beneficial.

Additionally, when your customer settles the invoice, ensure you document that payment to keep a balanced account. You can read this article as a reference: Record invoice payments in QBO.

Following this process would likely solve the problem of QuickBooks changing categories automatically on invoices. If you have more questions about managing your invoices in QuickBooks, please leave a message below. It's our goal to help you.

@AdonL  Always be sure to blame the browser!

Two things; A) I am using your app, not some random browser. B) Square did not have a problem with my browser or with randomly changing invoices after they are saved. And they cost me nearly six hundred dollars less per year!

My bookkeeper convinced me to switch because it makes filling taxes easier for her. She doesn't have to deal with the invoicing side, I do,  and I am unimpressed. 

I understand you've encountered some challenges with QuickBooks automatically changing the categorization of your services when generating invoices, Nolan.

It is important to note that in QuickBooks, invoicing for rates, quantity, and amounts can involve either whole numbers or decimals. However, billable hours are automatically converted into decimal format.

To address this matter where QuickBooks changes the service category on your invoices from your selected type (flat rate, quantity, or hourly rate) to something else, we encourage you to provide feedback. This process is straightforward, and your insights are incredibly valuable as they can significantly influence improvements in our future updates.

Here's a step-by-step guide on how you can submit your feedback to QuickBooks:

1. Sign into your QuickBooks Online account.
2. Navigate to the Gear icon and select Feedback.
3. Enter your feedback and any suggestions you have.
4. Click Next to submit your feedback.

For instructions on how to save a customized report with your desired settings, please refer to the following article: Save a customized report in QuickBooks Online.

By participating in this feedback process, you play a crucial role in helping us improve and ensure that our service better aligns with your business needs. Best wishes!