QuickBooks Desktop will be subscription-only in 2022

ByRanica Arrowsmith

Intuit has announced changes to QuickBooks Desktop for 2022. Most notably, Intuit will now only be selling its Pro, Premier, and Mac products as Pro Plus, Premier Plus and Mac Plus subscriptions. QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise has been a subscription offering for a few years.

A number of the other updates are noted below.

Discovery hub

Included with: QuickBooks Desktop Pro Plus, Premier Plus, Accountant Plus 2022 and all editions of Desktop Enterprise 22.0.

How to find it: From the top right, on the menu bar, select Discovery Hub.

Features: Simply a preview of new features included with the release of QuickBooks Desktop Plus 2022.

Enhanced 64-bit compliant computing power

Included with: QuickBooks Desktop Pro Plus, Premier Plus, Accountant Plus 2022 and all editions of Desktop Enterprise 22.0.

How to find it: Users will only be able to install QuickBooks Desktop 2022 on computers running 64-bit Windows. To confirm the successful installation of 64-bit, launch QuickBooks Desktop. Using a Windows keyboard, select the F2 key. The Product Information window displays. At the top and center of this window, you will see your product edition, maintenance release, and “(64-bit)” listed.

Features: This means that QuickBooks Desktop is quicker. This enhanced 64-bit power helps the software to stay compliant with modern operating system standards and helps maintain third-party integrations by using a preferred developer infrastructure.

Pay bills with Melio

Included with: QuickBooks Desktop Pro Plus, Premier Plus, Accountant Plus 2022 and all editions of Desktop Enterprise 22.0.

How to find it: From the menu bar, select Vendors > Pay Bills. Optionally, from a displayed vendor bill, select Schedule Online Payment from the top right of the main ribbon.

Note: If paying a vendor bill with a payment type that includes a separate processing fee, QuickBooks will create a vendor named Melio, and these charges will be added as a vendor bill. As the charges are deducted from your funding source, QuickBooks will record the fee bill as paid. Optionally, on demand, users can select Sync Online Bill Payments from the menu bar to sync these details with the QuickBooks Company file.

Features: Users can schedule vendor payments online from within QuickBooks. Assign a specific day for the payment to be processed and sent. QuickBooks users can choose to pay their vendor bills by ACH, debit or credit card. Separately, they can choose how their vendor will receive the payment — as a deposit in their bank account (ACH) or as a paper check. Vendor payment details are securely recorded with Melio and not in the QuickBooks Desktop Company file. Once the payment is processed, QuickBooks marks the bill as paid, for visual confirmation. Take a look at this video on how to pay bills online with QuickBooks Desktop.

Customizable accounts payable approval process

Included with: All editions of QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise 22.0.

How to find it: From the menu bar in QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise, select Company > Track and Approve Transactions.

Features: Users can manage cash flow by defining a customizable approval process for vendor bills received. They can delegate accounts payable tasks backed by an established bill approval process before a vendor bill can be processed for payment. The dashboard organizes those bills that require specific approval before being paid. Both the accounts payable clerk and selected approvers receive emails, keeping them informed of the status of vendor bills. For a video on how to set up custom bill approval workflows, click here.

Customize and email vendor bill payment stubs

Included with: QuickBooks Desktop Pro Plus, Premier Plus, Accountant Plus 2022 and all editions of Desktop Enterprise 22.0.

How to find it: To modify the bill payment stub, from the menu bar, select Lists > Templates and select the Bill Payment template. Optionally, from a displayed vendor bill payment transaction, on the formatting ribbon select Manage Templates. Print the newly customized Bill Payment Stub from the Payment Summary window or optionally, from the menu bar, select File > Print Forms > Bill Payment Stubs.

Features: Users can email customizable bill payment stubs to vendors and modify the bill payment stub to include their business logo, along with details of the payment made in QuickBooks.

Attach documents via mobile device

Included with: QuickBooks Desktop Pro Plus, Premier Plus, Accountant Plus 2022 and all editions of Desktop Enterprise 22.0. The QuickBooks Desktop app is available for Android and Apple mobile devices, as of Oct. 12, 2021.

How to find it: From a mobile device, log into the QuickBooks Desktop app and select Document, then follow the prompts.

Features: Users can snap a picture of a document with the free QuickBooks Desktop mobile app, or optionally scan documents into the QuickBooks Desktop Attachment Center. Attach these documents to transactions or records to avoid the need to keep paper copies.

Choose from multiple email customer contacts

Included with: QuickBooks Desktop Pro Plus, Premier Plus, Accountant Plus 2022 and all editions of Desktop Enterprise 22.0.

How to find it: From the menu bar, select Customers > Customer Center. Select the customer record for which you want to create multiple email addresses. From a displayed Customer invoice, select email or from the menu bar, select File > Send Forms.

Features: When emailing customers invoices from within QuickBooks, users can choose emails from a drop-down selection of the emails associated with the customer’s record.

Add-on e-commerce integration powered by Webgility

Included with: QuickBooks Desktop Pro Plus, Premier Plus, Accountant Plus 2022 and all editions of Desktop Enterprise 22.0.

How to find it: Available as an add-on for an additional fee. From the menu bar, select Company > My Company.

Features: This is for QuickBooks Desktop users with an online storefront presence. Webgility integrates with QuickBooks Desktop to simplify e-commerce management. Users can select from three packages — Core, Classic and Deluxe. This add-on provides a e-commerce integration with online stores including Shopify, WooCommerce, Big Commerce, Magento and online marketplaces like eBay, Amazon and Walmart.com. Users can add new product listings and update inventory management details for their channels.

Payment links for customer pre-payments

Included with: QuickBooks Desktop Pro Plus, Premier Plus, Accountant Plus 2022 and all editions of Desktop Enterprise 22.0 with an active QuickBooks Payments account.

How to find it: From the menu bar, select Customers > Payment Links, or optionally from the Home Page > Payment Links.

Features: Users can request money from the customer as a “deposit” for services and/or products not yet provided without sending an invoice. Email the link to customers for them to process the payment without having to receive an invoice. Users can track the payment links sent in QuickBooks. When the payment is received, QuickBooks will record the payment as an unapplied customer credit in the Accounts Receivable account.

Instant deposits for QuickBooks Payments account users

Included with: QuickBooks Desktop Pro Plus, Premier Plus, Accountant 2021 and Desktop Enterprise 22.0; maintenance release 5 and newer with an active QuickBooks Payments7 account.

How to find it: From the menu bar, select Customers > Billing Solutions > Download Payments. There are multiple access points in QuickBooks Desktop. Setup requires only debit card details and a one-time verification.

Features: Merchant payments can be deposited into the business bank account. Users can review the Instant Deposit details (available balance, connected debit card, fees, etc.) and accept the deposit in one step.

Next-day direct deposit for Assisted Payroll subscribers

Included with: QuickBooks Desktop Pro Plus, Premier Plus, Accountant Plus 2022 and all editions of Desktop Enterprise 22.0 with an active Assisted Payroll subscription.

How to find it: When processing payroll with an active Assisted Payroll subscription.

Features: Businesses can pay employees and keep funds for longer in the business bank account; process payroll any time before 5 p.m. PT the day before payday.

Simplified Assisted Payroll activation

Included with: QuickBooks Desktop Pro Plus, Premier Plus, Accountant Plus 2022 and all editions of Desktop Enterprise 22.0 with an active Assisted Payroll subscription.

Discovery: Fewer steps are now needed in setting up Assisted Payroll in QuickBooks Desktop Plus.

Updated QuickBooks Desktop Mac Plus 2022

QuickBooks Desktop Mac 2022 is transitioning to a subscription model, and will now be called QuickBooks Desktop Mac Plus. Businesses will now have access to the following through QuickBooks Desktop Mac Plus:

Access to the latest version, with the most up-to-date features, security patches, and support for third-party operating system changes;
Unlimited customer support;
Data recovery; and,
Time-saving and money management features.

Unlimited customer support

Users have access to live customer support through messaging and call-back options, at no additional cost.

Improved bank feeds

Users can automatically categorize bank transactions with more details by using enhanced rules, batch editing and improved matching.

Receipt management

Users can automate regularly sent statement emails tailored to different customer needs.

Automatically send customer statements

Automate the process of creating statement reminders to send to clients.

Apple silicon processor compatibility

QuickBooks Desktop is now optimized to work with legacy Intel processor-based Macs as well as the latest Apple Silicon processor-based Macs.

Create customer groups

Users can create rule-based customer groups based on fields like customer type, status, location and balance, to better manage and communicate with customers.

Transaction improvements

Users can manage transaction details by referencing reconciliation status and with one-click export to Microsoft Excel.

Collapse report columns and rows

Hide columns and rows to see totals in reports with jobs and classes.