How do I group my billable time entries on the new invoice layout?

Hello, batzlaff.

I understand that the new invoice layout has changed your usual way of conducting business tasks. Our goal is to offer clear and concise information to assist our customers in resolving their issues using QuickBooks Online (QBO).

The new user interface, which has been built from the ground up and introduced with additional features and wider accessibility since June, will be automatically applied to QBO Simple Start users starting from October 16, 2023. It's important to note that users will not have the option to opt out of this change, meaning they will be unable to revert back to the previous invoice layout.

Since the Group time by service option is currently unavailable in the new layout, I suggest sending a feature request to our Product Development Team. This way, they'll be able to look at your suggestion and evaluate it so they can consider adding the feature to future program updates:

1. In QBO, click the Gear icon at the top right.
2. Select Feedback and then enter your comments or product suggestions.
3. Once ready, click Next to submit feedback.

You can track feature requests through the QuickBooks Online Feature Requests website.

On the other hand, if you're using QBO Essentials, Plus, or Advanced versions, you can switch back to the old invoice layout by selecting “Old layout” from the invoice screen. This way, you'll able to see the Group time by service option when creating an invoice.

To learn more about the new invoice and quote experience in QuickBooks Online, please refer to these articles:

• See what’s new with quotes and invoices in QuickBooks Online 
• Create invoices in QuickBooks Online
• Create and send quotes in QuickBooks Online
• Convert a quote into an invoice in QuickBooks Online

Please let me know if you have additional questions about this or anything else, batzlaff. I'm always here to assist. Keep safe.

@FritzF   You didn't answer the user's question.

You state that this new layout is rolling out to QBO Simple Start users in Oct. However, I am a QBO Essentials user.I just received emails stating that I will be forced to migrate to the new layout in 5 days.

I cannot create invoices creating billable time using the new layout. I bill multiple projects a day to the same client. Normally - if I worked on 4 projects for a client. By grouping time by service - my invoice would contain 4 service lines with a total nbr of hours per project.

With the new layout, I need to add the billable time BY DAY & PROJECT. So - if I work on 4 projects for 20 different days this month --- my invoice will now be 80 lines long.

How can you force me into this new layout when you do not offer equivalent functionality?

FYI - I am a QBO Essentials customer.  Contrary to what the Admin has said - this is the email I have received.  Why force this when core functions are not available? You probably think I am exaggerating - but I really believe I will have to create manual invoices using an MS Word template.....

See email below --- perhaps this email was an error and you can fix that instead??

From: Intuit QuickBooks <[email address removed]>
Date: Monday, November 27, 2023 at 12:08 PM
To: Me <[email address removed]>
Subject: Reminder: QuickBooks Online invoice changes begin December 11

We want to remind you about a change to how invoicing works in QuickBooks Online beginning December 11, 2023. 

To make it easier for you to get paid with less back and forth, we've reimagined invoicing in QuickBooks and have been rolling it out over the last year. Now, you can manage estimates, invoices, and payments in one place to simplify how you work and communicate with customers.

If you are already using the new invoice you're likely aware that you can switch between the old layout and the new layout. The capability to switch back and forth will no longer be available as of December 11, 2023. The old layout will not be accessible, and you'll automatically be moved to the new form with no additional steps required. All the underlying data and books remain as they are, and past estimates and invoices will still be available.

@jbpeak  RE: How can you force me into this new layout when you do not offer equivalent functionality?

They don't care. They've removed a plethora of functionality from the new invoices, and they don't care. It truly is hard to figure out their motives. It seems to be a first for Intuit. For example, are they really that clueless? Do they not know? Or, is it abject arrogance? They have just decided that you don't need the features they've removed? It's truly odd.

This is outrageous.  I pay $500/month for QuickBooks time for a small consulting business.  I have 30-50 consultants entering time across a matrix of clients and managers.  How can the "group time by service" function be missing?  We are no longer able to create invoices with the data from QuickBooks time.  My invoices have a separate line for every day!  And I’m using the QB time system!  We are going to have to manually/offline figure out each invoice and then manually create a single line invoice to bill each person's hours for the month.  This defeats the entire purpose of an integrated time system.  This is a feature that worked for years up until last week.  In fact, it is the reason that we implemented QuickBooks time 5 years ago. 

You've gotta be frickiin kidding us. Is there no one at this company anymore who understands who to design software for real users running real businesses??

This is garbage software and we're all stuck here. The very moment the world learns about which alternative is the better alternative, QuickBooks is done.

And this bloody message board garbage app doesn't pass the ADA text contrast test. What's wrong with you people??

We are not going to move to long invoices with 40+ items with your newly added invoice "feature".  For our business, it stops making sense to use QB to track and invoice our time.  Looking into other options.  https://www.forbes.com/advisor/business/software/best-quickbooks-alternatives/

FYI - Intuit caved and the "revert" to the old layout is back!  Hopefully it remains this way until the new invoice creation process works with QB Time (with the Group time by Service function).

I just logged in --- hoping that I would see what you are saying.  But I am not seeing the revert option.  I could previously go back and forth.  But the option to revert was removed a few weeks back -- which was the beginning of my frustrations.  

Interesting.  It is in the top right of the (New) invoice screen, where it used to be.  No idea why I would see it and you can't.  

I just discovered this ridiculous change and have been on the phone with tech support and was told that the group by service item function was  - which makes no sense at all.

Can you please explain exactly where I can find the option to revert to the old layout.  When I go:

• new
• invoice 

I can't see any option for reverting to the old invoice layout. 

Thanks.  

Hey there, mcleanarchitect. Let me explain why you're unable to switch back to your old invoice layout. 

If you're using QuickBooks Online Simple Start or Essential, reverting to the old layout is unavailable. This explains why you're unable to find the said option. 

Therefore, I recommend sending feedback so that our Product Development Team can review it and may consider your suggestion. 

Here's how: 

1. Go to the Gear icon located in your upper right corner. 
2. Under the Profile column, click the Feedback option. 
3. Enter your suggestions in the provided field. 
4. Select Next to submit your feedback. 

In addition, you may refer to this guide if you want to record invoice payments as your customer pays the invoice: Record invoice payments in QuickBooks Online.

For further concerns or clarifications regarding to switching back to the old invoice layout, please enter your comments below so that I can assist you. 

Is there any version of QBO that still allows grouping of time by service or use of the old invoice layout?   I am using QBO essentials and it was taken away during the update, forcing me to track time in an Excel spreadsheet which is prone to errors.  I'm a one person company so don't need much other than this feature.

I understand the importance of using the old invoice layout when grouping of time by service, PDtree. 

As mentioned by my colleague above, reverting to the old layout is unavailable. I can see how having this option would be helpful for you and your business. Rest assured that I'll pass along your suggestion to our Product Developers. They're always looking for ideas to consider on how to improve QBO.

You can also track feature requests through the Customer Feedback for QuickBooks Online website. 

To learn more about the new invoice and quote experience in QuickBooks Online, please refer to these articles:

• Create invoices in QuickBooks Online
• Record Invoice Payments In QuickBooks Online

If you have additional questions about the new invoice layout. I'm always here to help. Have a great day. 

It's got nothing to do with Product Developers looking for ideas to consider on how to improve QBO. The issue is that they pursued the wrong ideas they had presuming that they'd be an improvement to QBO. And now they've made things worse. And now we're all looking at alternatives to QBO to move to. My group is starting the process of moving our four companies from QBO to Xero.

Stop making excuses and start making progress. Just making changes does nothing but keep unqualified people in overpaid jobs. And I know you know that's the problem in the organization.

After all, look at the contrast of text foreground color in this forum app to the background color. Not even a chimpanzee would make such basic product development errors. 

Joining the conversation in case anything changes or this option becomes available again.  My invoicing time has just gone through the roof without this feature!  I refuse to pay for QB Time and will go back to using a spreadsheet.  How archaic!

NetSuite has a start-up package that might be appropriate for some of you that are dealing with these ridiculous moves by QuickBooks to deprecate features.

Thanks for the tip, John. I've been considering giving NetSuite a look.