Why can't I enter a bill and record the payment with "simple start"? Isn't that the most basic task in record-keeping?

Thanks for reaching out to us, mrmstynson.

The most basic bookkeeping software that we offer is QuickBooks Online Simple Start, and it is perfect for simple businesses that don't need to enter and track bills for the vendor.

You can run simple financial statements, connect bank and credit card accounts, invoice customers, and manage sales tax using QuickBooks Simple Start. Additionally, you can connect with your accountant to make tax season simpler.

If you want to manage and pay bills, you'll need a QuickBooks Online Essentials or Plus subscription. I recommend upgrading your plan to record bills and payments.

Here's how:

1. Sign in to QuickBooks Online as a primary or company admin.
2. Go to the Gear ⚙ icon and then Account and settings.
3. Select the Billing & subscription tab.
4. Make sure your payment info is up to date.
5. In the QuickBooks Online section, select Upgrade your plan.
6. Review the available plans and then select Choose plan.
7. Follow the on-screen steps to upgrade your plan.

For more details about the process, you can read this article: Upgrade or downgrade your QuickBooks Online subscription.

You can also visit this link to know the reports available for your version of QuickBooks Online: Reports included in your QuickBooks Online subscription.

You're welcome to post again if you have further questions about using Simple Start. We're always available to help you.

@mrmstynson-gmail 

Another option, signup for a free Melio account to manage and pay your bills for free. But keep in mind, you can't integrate it with your QBO account.

https://affiliates.meliopayments.com/quickbooks

I agree this is the most basic accounting practice. Entering your bills and then paying them. It actually makes me angry that Intuit is forcing us to upgrade/pay more to do this. I'm considering canceling my subscription just because this feels like extortion.

Is this still the case even though we now have Bill Pay on QuickBooks? I consider a "Simple Start" plan but I'd like to pay my bills through it too. Can I do that with Simple Start?

@DupontJason 

As I know QBO Simple Start does not offer the accounts payable feature. You can still signup for a free Melio account to manage and pay your bills but it won't integrate with Simple Start.

https://affiliates.meliopayments.com/quickbooks

You can also get $100 cashback to pay the first bill.

https://affiliates.meliopayments.com/cashback

Yes, you can now manage and pay your bills directly through the platform, @DupontJason. I’ve got an update about the bill tracking feature in QuickBooks Online Simple Start.

Last July 13, 2023, QuickBooks made an update allowing Simple Start users to access the Bill page. This helps you conveniently handle your bills and payments right in one place.

You can read these resources to learn more about tracking bills and payments, using QuickBooks Bill Pay, and how you can easily review and approve the bill to automatically add it to your books:

• Learn about QuickBooks Bill Pay
• Enter and manage bills and bill payments in QuickBooks Online
• Accounts Payable automation in QuickBooks Online

If you need further assistance or information about the process or the feature itself, let me know by adding comments below. I’m always ready to help, @DupontJason.