Enter or Edit Your Payroll Service Key

When you purchase QuickBooks® Payroll, you are assigned a 16-digit service key that is specific to your EIN and payroll service. You must enter this service key into QuickBooks to activate the payroll service in your QuickBooks file.

Step 1: Obtain your service key. It usually comes by e-mail. If you do not have your service key, use our automated Service Key Retrieval tool. You will need to sign in using your Intuit® Account  If you are unable to retrieve your service key using this tool, contact us. The automated tool may not work if:

• there are multiple payroll orders in our system for your company,
• you purchased your payroll product from a retail store, or
• the business phone number you provided did not match what Intuit® has on file.

Step 2: Open the QuickBooks Service Keys window. If you do not have a payroll service in your company file, choose Employees > Payroll > Enter Payroll Service Key.

If you do have a payroll service in your company file, choose Employees > My Payroll Service > Manage Payroll Service.

Step 3: In the QuickBooks Service Keys window:

• Select Add, if no payroll service is listed.

• Select Edit, if a payroll service is listed.

• Select Edit, if a payroll service is listed.

• Select Edit, and take note of the service key.

• Remove payroll service key in QuickBooks Desktop.

• Select Next and then
• When thePayroll Update message appears, select OK.
• Verify the Service Status shows ACTIVE and then select OK.