There was an error communicating with the QuickBooks Payments Service. Please try again later.

Hi there, @Need223.

I hear you and realize the importance of being able to process payments through Merchant Services.

I'd like you to know that our engineers are still working to identify the reason behind the error "There was an error communicating with the QuickBooks Payments Service.  Please try again later." when enabling the ACH e-invoice option.

For now, to get your work done, you may consider processing credit card payments within your QuickBooks for Mac company file.

To do that:

1. Go to the Customers menu.
2. Choose Receive Payment to apply the payments to an invoice.
3. Enter the customer and transaction information.
4.  Select the credit card Payment Method (Pmt. Method).
5. Click OK, Charge, or Save to process the transaction.
6. If you select Visa, MC, AMEX, or Discover, type the credit card info in the displayed window and press the Process option.

You can also check this link for more information: Process a credit card payment in QuickBooks Desktop for Mac.

On the other hand, to be updated with the latest status of this hurdle, I recommend contacting our Payments Team. This way, you'll be notified once any updates about this matter are made available.

Please visit this support link to get in touch with them: QuickBooks Desktop with Payments.

Your patience and understanding in this situation are much appreciated.

Let me know if there's anything else that I can assist you with. I'll be around for you. Keep safe!

I've been having this problem, too. The bug/issue identifier is INV-48693, which apparently lots of people with QB for Mac are affected by. Intuit is refusing to provide any sort of information about if/when this will be fixed.

This appears to be fixed now with Quickbooks for Mac 2021 R5 (Build 20.0.4).

I am still having this problem linking payments a month after signing up and a month of attempting to chat with QB Desktop support for Mac that also does NOT WORK. Seeking other bookkeeping software.

Hi seasea,

Our engineers are still working on a complete solution. If you haven't contacted our Support team, I suggest doing so. That way, they can get your account details in a secure environment and subscribe you to the open ticket for immediate updates.

In the meantime, you can process ACH in the Merchant Center by going to Processing Tool > Accept an E-Check.

Once this issue is fixed, you can refer to the article that Betty shared about processing CC payments in QB Mac.

Thank you for your patience. Just let me know if you need anything else.

I appreciate your message. I am using QB Desktop for Mac though, and there is no help available except by chat, and the chat link does not work. I have called help lines at least five times.

I also do not have a Merchant Center. I am only trying to accept e-checks via ACH, not credit card payments.

Thanks for getting back to us and for adding some clarifications, @seasea.

I can provide some insights on how to get around this issue so you can link your payments seamlessly.

You'll want to ensure your QuickBooks Desktop (QBDT) for Mac is up to date. This way, your software is equipped with the latest features and fixes. Let me show you how.

1. Go to the QuickBooks drop-down menu and select Check for QuickBooks Updates.
2. If a newer version is available, select Install Update.
3. Select Install and Relaunch when prompted
4. When the update is complete, QuickBooks will automatically open.

You can also see this link for more details and additional steps: Update QuickBooks for Mac to the latest release.

If the issue persists, I suggest contacting our Merchant Support team. This way, you'll be added to the list (INV-57795) of affected users and be notified via email of any updates. You can also use a private or incognito window in reaching out to them.

To open an incognito, you can utilize these keyboard shortcuts for reference: 

• Press keys: Ctrl + Shift + N (Google Chrome browser)
• Press keys: Ctrl + Shift + P (Mozilla Firefox & Microsoft Edge browser)
• Press keys: Command + Shift + N (Safari browser)

Once everything is settled, you can use this resource for guidance in accepting ACH payments: Turn on online payments in QuickBooks Desktop for Mac.

Please bear with us as we're working for a permanent fix. In case you have any other issues or concerns, let me know in your reply. I'll be around to assist you. Stay safe!

I really appreciate the personal responses I'm receiving, but my QB is up to date, and as I've mentioned more than once now, the chat link for assistance does not work. No matter how many times I try, from different browsers, incognito windows, etc. There is no telephone assistance at all for QB Desktop for Mac and your chat link does not work.

Thanks for getting back to us here, @seasea.

I'd like to add some information about connecting ACH payments. To verify, are you getting an error code or error message? If so, you'll want to check the error code so we can fix the error.

If not, you can try this chat link to reach out to our Customer Care Support: https://help.quickbooks.intuit.com/prechats/offerings/Messaging-Payments-Desktop/23041/view.

Just type in your info and click Submit to get routed to one of your chat agents. 

Additionally, if you're brand new to QuickBooks Payments, your ACH payments will take a bit longer during your first month. You'll get your payments within 5 days for the first 1 to 4 weeks while we set everything up. We'll let you know once your payments are processed via email.

I'm also adding this link here in case you need help with other payment tasks. Just browse topics that fit your concern.

Drop your reply anytime if you have follow-up questions. I'll be around to help. Take care and have a good one.

Again, the chat link for help does not work in either chrome or safari. Attaching the error message. I am not new to Quickbooks. Been dealing with it for 15 years.

Again, your chat links for support do not work. I am a 15 year user of Quickbooks, not a new user. The error message that I receive when trying to link payments is attached.

Hi there, seasea.

Thanks for sharing a screenshot of the error when linking your Payments accounts to QuickBooks.

Can you also tell us what happens or if this another message when clicking on the link to get a chat support agent? We just want to make sure that we're giving you the correct steps o resolve the issue since other customers were able to reach out to our Chat Support Team. 

Please add another reply below to share more details. 

This is taking far too long!  MAC users need a fix now. I spent over 8 hours contacting your support already this week.  Now I am receiving a back up error in quickbooks and have been dealing with the MAC chat for over an hour.   WARNING DO NOT BUY OR USE QUICKBOOKS FOR MAC unless  you really like being stressed out once a week with a new issue that quickbooks can't fix.

When I click on either chat links provided by agents (not from QB for Mac assistance, since that does not exist) or those QB for Mac chat links found in help, a new window opens and then absolutely nothing else.

QB community team:

Stop advising us to update quickbooks, clear cache, etc over and over again.. if the issue is not resolved, just say so in 1 or 2 sentences. Of course, no troubleshooting steps will work if the main issue is still there. Plain and simple. Why can you not do that? We only need updates.

Hello Intuit folks?

• Is this a known issue that is being resolved?
• When will this be fixed?
• Are there any work arounds?
• Is there any help available?

We have not been able to record merchant service deposits in our Quickbooks for Mac for weeks!

This isn't the kind of experienced I want you to have, RobHere. 

I'll share information about trying to link a merchant services account in QuickBooks Online. I also appreciate you for providing screenshots and detailed information about your concern.

As shared above by my colleagues, the error "There was an error communicating with Quickbooks Payments Service. Please try again later" is still tagged as an ongoing issue. We are unable to provide a specific time frame on when this will be fixed.

 In the meantime, you can process ACH in the Merchant Center by going to Processing Tool > Accept an E-Check.

Also, I'd suggest reaching out to our Customer Care Team, so you'll be added to the list of affected users.

To reach them, click this link for details:  Contact Payments or Point of Sale.

Reach out to me if you need further assistance when working in QuickBooks. I'll be glad to lend a helping hand. Have a great day!

😂

Again, using QB Desktop for Mac. The solutions you provided do not work. See attached.

Thanks for getting back to us and for the screenshot you've provided above, @seasea. I'm here to guide you on the actions you need to take care of this issue.

When you already have the updated QuickBooks Desktop (QBDT) for Mac software but the issue persists, I encourage you to contact our Merchant Services team. To make sure we can assist you in time, contact our payments team from Monday to Friday every 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM PST. They can add your account to the list of affected users. This ensures you're in the loop about the investigation's status and its fix.

In the meantime, I'm adding this article to answer the most commonly asked questions about QuickBooks Payments: FAQs: Need help with QuickBooks Payments?. It includes topics about funding status, managing payments account, and processing transactions, to name a few.

I appreciate your patience and please bear with us as we're working for a permanent fix. In case you have any other issues or concerns, let me know in the comments below. I'm just around to help. Take care always.

@LeizylM 

The error I’m receiving is slightly different:

"QuickBooks Payments Error 

There was an error communicating with the QuickBooks Payments service."

And I’m not concerned about processing credit card payments. I’m able to do they using the mobile app and card reader for iPhone. What we can’t do is download any of these transactions via the “record merchant services deposits” function found under the “Customers” menu within QuickBooks 2020 for Mac.

Please provide relevant direction. 

Hello there, RobHere.

Let’s download the latest maintenance release of your QuickBooks Desktop for Mac to get past the error. This process will enhance the overall performance of the software and resolve any unusual behavior when using it.

1. In your company file, choose QuickBooks and click the drop-down to select Check for QuickBooks Updates.
2. Check if a newer version is available and tap the Install Update option.
3. Wait for a prompt and select Install and Relaunch.
4. When the update is complete, QuickBooks for Mac automatically opens.

The following guide includes instructions on how to perform a manual update and do it in QuickBooks Server for Mac: Update QuickBooks for Mac to the latest release.

You can bookmark this link for future reference. It contains answers to common questions about tracking merchant service deposits and solutions to other payments issues: Recording QuickBooks Payments bank deposits FAQs.

Stay in touch if you have any clarifications or questions. I’m always here ready to answer them for you. Have a good one.  

@Rasa-LilaM 

I’m running QuickBooks 2020 for Mac with all updates installed on a Mac running the latest version of macOS (Big Sur).

Good afternoon, @RobHere. 

I can provide you with a workaround until you're able to get in touch with our Customer Support Team. All you need to do is a few easy steps in your Payments account. 

Don't worry. I can walk you through the steps. Here's how: 

1. Sign in to your Merchant Services account. 
2. Go to the Processing Tools menu. 
3. Choose accept an echeck. 

However, if this doesn't work, then I recommend contacting our Customer Support Team. They'll be able to review your account and see what other steps you need to get this fixed. 

Please let me know if you have any other questions. I'm always here to help and provide you additional assistance. Have a wonderful day!

This is not a workaround for me, and likely not for the other users. I can create invoices that allow for card payments, as well as accept card payments notwithstanding the current problem. The actual problem is in downloading merchant transactions, ie the "Record Merchant Service Deposits..." functionality. The workaround you suggest has to do with accepting ACH/EFT checking payment information, which is not the problem.