I love the idea of progress invoicing.  However, we do not use the estimate for and estimate of the cost for a job.  We actually use the estimate for entering non-inventory parts and quantities ordered and would like to show a backorder.  Does anyone have a workaround to change the progress invoicing from a percentage or dollar amount to a quantity of parts being shipped/backordered.

Your help would be appreciated.

Hi there, KITTYJ. The idea of being able to change the details in progress invoicing to achieve your goal was great.

You may consider looking for a third-party application that lets you do the tasks. For guidance on what app to use, you can go to the Apps menu in your QBO account and browse for one that suits your business needs. 

You can also send your ideas to our product development team so they may consider adding this feature to future product updates.

Here's how:

1. Select the Gear icon at the top.
2. Then click Feedback.
3. Enter your comments or product suggestions.
4. Then select Next to submit feedback.
   

Your valuable feedback goes to our Product Development team to help improve your experience in QBO.

Moreover, I'm adding this article that can guide you in personalizing your invoices base on the data you need: Customize invoices, estimates, and sales receipts in QBO.

Let me know if you have other queries about invoices or managing your account. I’ll be around to assist you.

Has any progress on this been made by QBO?  I just switched from Desktop to Online and have the same issue.  Since QBO seems to make it impossible to show Prior % paid on an invoice, or even invoice a percentage of what's left in a line item to reach 100%, how is everyone working around this?  This is so fundamental to the way we communicate with clients and document percentage completed vs percentage invoiced that I'm struggling to understand the value of percentage billing at all as set up in QBO.

It's nice to have you join the Community space, JKPowell. I'll share some details on how to isolate your issue.

You can generate and send statement summaries to your clients to show their invoices, payments, credits, and balances. I'd be delighted to demonstrate how:

1. Go to the Sales menu, then Customers.
2. Choose the checkboxes for the customers you want to make statements for.
3. Select Create statements in the Batch actions dropdown ▼.

• In the Statement Type dropdown ▼, pick the customer statement type: Balance Forward, Open Item, or Transaction Statement.

1. Navigate the dates for the statements and the date range.
2. Check the customer's email addresses.
3. Hit Save, Save and close, Save and send, or Print or Preview.

To know more details, visit this article: Create and send customer statements in QuickBooks Online.

Moreover, if you do projects for customers and bill them as you go using progress invoicing, you can enclose an estimate summary on their invoices. It helps your customers track how much they have spent on their projects. Please refer to this article: Add project estimate summaries to a progress invoice in QuickBooks Online.

Please feel free to click the Reply button below if you have further QuickBooks-related concerns. I'm always available to assist you. Have a nice day, JKPowell.

Here is it is 3 years since this questions was asked and QB stated it's not offered at this time and it's still not offered. Why can't QBO create a Progress Invoice that shows pervious percentage billed, current % being billed and total % bill to date as QB Desktop invoices had? People have been asking for this for YEARS! Why isn't it being addressed? I left QBO before for this reason. Such an inferior product. Are there even designers on staff? 

EXACTLY!!!!! What's the point? Why can QBO address this basic request? Why is QBO invoicing so inferior to what was capable in Desktop? 

Im starting to doubt that Quickbooks is even looking into adding any real progress billing functionality for QBO.  3 years since the original question was posed and still nothing?? 

But the team responsible for ensuring the monthly fees keep increasing seems dedicated to working around the clock.  Its a joke and they've made it very difficult to change your mind and go back to desktop.  It might be time to explore other software

 Quickbooks 2003 had the ability to progress invoice.  Yeah, 20 years ago.  QB online is geared towards a coffee shop. 

My workaround has been to only invoice quantities of 1.  If the order is for 7 I put "set of 7" in the description and the quantity is 1.  That way I can bill .1 and it is easier for clients to see it is 10%.  

yes - I am scrolling through this and trying everything.  Our invoicing is complex and our customers need to see the percentage previously invoiced and the current percentage being invoiced.  I regret changing over from QB desktop that had this feature.  I am paying probably 200% more for QB online and it has some good features, but lots of downgrades from QB desktop...very frustrating.  And some of the user interface and logic of how to do things in QB online is very obscure and difficult to figure out.  BUMMER !  Hopefully they fix this percentage of estimate stuff soon - thanks for your efforts in pushing this !

After a year of using QB Online I can report that it stinks. It is a definite step down from QB Desktop, which we used for 12+ years, at a significant increase in cost. The threat of QB features ceasing to work after May 2023 made us change with this fiscal year. The phone app is buggy and lacking features present in the online version; the billable expenses feature worked and then it didn't anymore, and the support staff weren't helpful. It is a mess and I feel they are just out for money and add-ons; at any given minute there are pop-ups for additional features that don't even work when clicking on them, for example bill pay (could be my browser but I tried Safari and Chrome).

I wish I had switched to Xero which promised a better interface and has a strong following amongst professionals. Whenever you dig into QB forums people who go beyond simple billing complain. Anyone with a professional practice that isn't a coffee shop can't use this software in a serious fasion. 

3.5 years later and still no ability to show amounts previously billed?

This is fundamental to the way we financially communicate with clients. I do not understand at all - how this can be available in the Desktop version and not available Online, especially after asking for OVER 3 YEARS! Why would I pay for this? I have enjoyed QB Desktop but will have to start researching Xero, Freshbooks, and maybe Sage or Epicor? Has anyone found a platform that will provide this basic function?

3.5 years later and still no ability to show amounts previously billed? This is fundamental to the way we financially communicate with clients. I do not understand at all how this can be available in the Desktop version and not available inline, especially after asking for OVER 3 YEARS! Why would I pay for this? I have enjoyed QB Desktop but will have to start researching Xero, Freshbooks, and maybe Sage or Epicor? Has anyone found a platform that will provide this basic function?

I am EXTREMELY disappointed in the QBO version.  Running a small engineering firm, I've used QBD for almost 18 years with no issues.  Completely unbelievable how bad the OBO is.  I'm looking at other options for my business.  The lack of useful progress invoicing is embarrassing.

Completely with you @mkjohn777 , an enormous dissapointment, we have been asking for this for three years of QBO and are completely ignored. I wouldn't typicaly respond to anything QB these days but this hit my inbox and I felt compelled to sign back on to express my disappointment and abandonment by QB of our community and the way we invoice.