Can I mark a bill as paid if I've already recorded the check that paid the bill but failed to link the payment to the bill?

cynthia39 · ‎March 18, 2023

I don't want to create another transaction, I just want the bill to stop showing up as unpaid.

JamaicaA · ‎March 18, 2023

Thanks for getting back in this thread and providing further clarification, @Cynthia. I've got additional steps to link the check to your bill in QuickBooks.

If you've already reconciled the transactions, we'll need to unreconcile them so we can make any changes. To do so, follow the steps below:

Go to the Accounting menu, then select Chart of Accounts.
Locate the account and then click View Register.
Find the transaction you want to change by filtering them to display reconciled transactions only.
Select and hold the box with the R symbol until a blank box appears. You'll receive a warning that this might put your account out of balance. If you'd like to remove the transaction from your reconciliation, click Yes.
Press Save after.

See this article to learn how to unreconcile an individual transaction from a completed reconciliation: Undo or remove transactions from reconciliations in QBO.

Once done, you can proceed to the linking process. I’ll show you how:

Open the check entry in QBO.
Change the Expense account to Accounts Payable.
Select the vendor's name from the Customer: Job dropdown.
Press Save & Close.
Select the + New button, then choose Pay Bills.
Tap the bill connected to the check and ensure the amounts are correct.
Save it, then reconcile manually.

I've added these guides that provide information about managing business expenses and handling bills to the program:

If you have any other concerns or questions about managing your vendor transactions, don’t hesitate to let me know. I’ll be here. Take care always.

View solution in original post

MirriamM · ‎March 18, 2023

It's good to see you posting in the Community space, @Cynthia.

There are different ways of recording payments towards bills. If you pay it with a check, let me guide you on what to do so you can link it to the bill.

Here's how:

In the left menu, select + New.
Choose Check.
From the Payee dropdown, select the vendor you paid.
Select Add to add an open bill to the check. Note: If you don't see this, select the small arrow next to the amount. If you have credit with the vendor, you can also add it from the Credits section.
From the Bank/Credit account dropdown, select the account you made the check payment from.
In the Amount field, enter the check amount.
In the Outstanding Transactions section, select the bills the check payment went to.
Select Save and close.

For more information on tracking bills and recording payments, see this article: Enter and manage bill payments in QuickBooks Online.

In your situation, since you already created a check, you may need to delete and recreate it so you can link it to the bill by following the steps above. But if the check has been reconciled, you'll have to unreconcile the transactions so you can make changes and connect them.

In case you got a refund for a business expense in the future, here's a great resource that you can read: Enter vendor credits and refunds in QuickBooks Online.

If there's anything else I can help you in managing your transactions in QuickBooks Online, let me know by commenting below. I'll be here to lend a hand. Have a good day!

cynthia39 · ‎March 18, 2023

Thanks, but your instructions are for creating a check and simultaneously linking it with a bill. I've already recorded the check but I forgot to do the step you describe, so QB still thinks the bill is unpaid. How do I now link the two things?

JamaicaA · ‎March 18, 2023

Thanks for getting back in this thread and providing further clarification, @Cynthia. I've got additional steps to link the check to your bill in QuickBooks.

If you've already reconciled the transactions, we'll need to unreconcile them so we can make any changes. To do so, follow the steps below:

Go to the Accounting menu, then select Chart of Accounts.
Locate the account and then click View Register.
Find the transaction you want to change by filtering them to display reconciled transactions only.
Select and hold the box with the R symbol until a blank box appears. You'll receive a warning that this might put your account out of balance. If you'd like to remove the transaction from your reconciliation, click Yes.
Press Save after.

See this article to learn how to unreconcile an individual transaction from a completed reconciliation: Undo or remove transactions from reconciliations in QBO.

Once done, you can proceed to the linking process. I’ll show you how:

Open the check entry in QBO.
Change the Expense account to Accounts Payable.
Select the vendor's name from the Customer: Job dropdown.
Press Save & Close.
Select the + New button, then choose Pay Bills.
Tap the bill connected to the check and ensure the amounts are correct.
Save it, then reconcile manually.

I've added these guides that provide information about managing business expenses and handling bills to the program:

If you have any other concerns or questions about managing your vendor transactions, don’t hesitate to let me know. I’ll be here. Take care always.

RO1 · ‎August 14, 2024

This does not work any more starting sometime in 2024. They changed the system. The only way to properly fix it is to delete the check and redo it in order for your bills and check to be properly linked. Please fix this feature.

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Can I mark a bill as paid if I've already recorded the check that paid the bill but failed to link the payment to the bill?