QuickBooks Online Multiple Users Setup

Click on the Users tab in the Manage users screen, as shown below.

Navigate to the Users tab in QuickBooks Online

If this is the first user you’re adding, you’ll be taken to the add a new user screen automatically. If you’ve already added users, you’ll see a list of users and need to click the green Add user button.

There are four types of users to choose from when granting someone access to your QuickBooks Online company (labeled below).

User types in QuickBooks Online

A. Standard user: Most QuickBooks users should be set up as Standard users. You’ll be able to customize their access in the next step.

B. Company admin: The QuickBooks Online master administrator is the person that purchased the subscription to QuickBooks. If that’s the company owner, then they probably want to give their controller or head bookkeeper Company admin rights so that they can manage QuickBooks users and the QuickBooks account.

C. Reports only: Reports only users can view all QuickBooks reports except for payroll or employee contact information. This user type is great for employees that aren’t involved in inputting data into QuickBooks but are interested in tracking data like cost reports for projects they’re managing.

D. Time tracking only: Employees and contractors can be set up as Time tracking only users so that they can input their hours worked, service code, and customer or project. Reported employee hours flow into the payroll system. Employee and contractor hours are available to add to invoices.

Reports only and Time tracking only users have very limited access to QuickBooks and don’t count toward your company’s maximum number of users. Simple Start subscribers will need to upgrade to Essentials for time-tracking-only users or Plus for reports-only users.

If you’re adding a standard user, you’ll need to assign them access rights in this step. If you’re adding any other type of user, you can skip to the next step. Select Standard user from the add a new user screen shown above and click the green Next button (not shown).

As you select different access levels on the left of the screen, a description of the access rights assigned to each level is given on the right of the screen.

Set user access in QuickBooks Online

• All: These users have unlimited access to all QuickBooks data. This includes adding, editing, and deleting transactions related to all vendors, customers, sales, and purchases. If you place a checkmark next to Payroll access, they also have access to employee and payroll information. The only access not included is administrative rights, which you can assign in the next step.
• None: The purpose of creating a user with no access rights is to allow someone to perform some administrative tasks without giving them access to the accounting features. You also have the option on the following screen to provide these users with access to input their own time.

• Limited: You can provide limited access rights to members of the accounting team that don’t require access to everything. If you select Limited, you must then select access to Customers, Vendors, or both. Customers is appropriate for an employee that generates invoices and collects payments from customers, such as an accounts receivable (A/R) clerk. Vendors is best for an employee who inputs and pays bills, such as an accounts payable (A/P) clerk.

After you have selected the level of access rights to provide the new user, click the green Next button (not shown) to assign administrator rights.

A user needing full administrator rights should be designated as a Company admin user in Step 3. However, you can assign different administrator rights to any standard user.

Assign administrator rights to Standard users in QuickBooks Online

After deciding which administrator rights the new user should have, click the green Next button to provide the user’s contact information.

Provide the new user’s first name, last name, and email address, and then click the green Save button (not shown).

Provide user contact information in QuickBooks Online

The user will receive an email inviting them to your QuickBooks Online company. Their user ID is their email address. The new user will generally be prompted to create a password. If they aren’t prompted to create a password, then there’s already an Intuit password associated with that email address.

In the Manage users screen, click on the Accounting firms tab. Enter your accountant’s email address and click the green Invite button.

Invite an accountant in QuickBooks Online

Your accountant can share their access with other bookkeepers in their firm, so there’s no need to invite two accountants from the same firm.

After you send the invite:

• Your accountant will receive an email that contains a link to sign in to your QuickBooks Online account.
• Once your accountant signs in, their status on the Manage users page will change from Invited to Active.
• Your accountant will be given administrator privileges to all areas of your QuickBooks Online company.