How to Add a User in QuickBooks Desktop: License & Setup

Among the powerful accounting software programs, QuickBooks Desktop has a provision for multi-users that allows business teams to do collaborative work. More users are sometimes needed for your ever-growing organization. To include more users, you need to learn how to add a user in QuickBooks Desktop. This will help you to manage its operations and facilitate financial management.

However, depending on the version of QuickBooks Desktop you own, there will be a limit to the number of users who can simultaneously use the program. Therefore, you must repurchase the license to use the program with even more users. This tutorial will help you purchase a new user license, sync it to your QuickBooks desktop, and provide the correct roles. This tool allows maximum benefits from QuickBooks Desktop for your business.

Steps to Add Additional User License in QuickBooks Desktop

When a new user is added to QuickBooks Desktop, collaboration and workflow are established in the organization. Before adding an additional user license in QuickBooks Desktop, it is good to check the licensing information. Once a new license is added, it can be synchronized with QuickBooks, a new user can be created, and appropriate roles and permissions can be assigned. The following steps may be followed to add a user license to QuickBooks Desktop successfully.

Step 1: Check Your Current QuickBooks License Details

Before proceeding to add a user in QuickBooks Desktop, it’s important to examine how many licenses are currently owned and the QuickBooks user license cost.

• Launch QuickBooks Desktop.
• Tap F2 or Ctrl + 1.
• In the Product Information window, check the User Licenses displayed.
• In case the current licenses are all in use, the additional purchase of a user license will be warranted.

Step 2: Purchase an Additional User License

To add more users in the following ways, you need to first purchase an additional user license in QuickBooks Desktop.

• Go to the Help option.
• Then, click on Manage My License in QuickBooks Desktop.
• Select Buy Additional User License.
• If asked, say whether to buy licenses online or by phone.
• Continue completing the buy with the on-screen instructions.

Note: In case the ”buy license ” option doesn’t appear, this version of QuickBooks may have reached the maximum number of users allowed.

Step 3: Sync QuickBooks Desktop License

Once you have bought the extra license, update your QuickBooks Desktop for the exact user count. Here’s how you can sync a QuickBooks Desktop license.

• Move to Help > Manage My License.
• Click Sync License Data Online.
• QuickBooks will now automatically refresh the license details.

Here’s how to manually sync the license (For Offline Computers)

• Go to Help > Manage My License > Buy Additional User Licenses.
• Select the Phone option.
• Enter the validation code received when purchasing the additional license.

Step 4: Add the New User to QuickBooks Desktop

After you’ve updated your license, you can add a user in QuickBooks Desktop.

• Open QuickBooks Desktop and sign in as the admin.
• Go to the Company option.
• Next, click on Set Up Users and then on Passwords.
• Further, choose Set Up Users.
• Click Add User and enter the new user’s name and password.
• Click Next to continue to the user-role designation settings.

Step 5: Assign User Roles and Permissions

Once the user account is created, access levels should be defined to protect the data.

• Preset roles can be assigned (e.g., Accountant, Sales, Payroll), or custom permissions can be created.
• Specify areas of QuickBooks that the user can access (e.g., sales, banking, reports).
• Click Finish to keep the user’s settings.

How do you Purchase an Additional User License in QuickBooks Desktop?

You can purchase an additional user license in QuickBooks Desktop through different methods:

Method 1: Purchase Within QuickBooks Desktop

You can purchase and activate a new user license in QuickBooks Desktop.

• Go to the Help option.
• Further, click on Manage My License and then choose Buy Additional User License.
• Follow the instructions to purchase online or get a phone number to call Intuit support.

Method 2: Purchase Online from Intuit’s Website

You can also do QuickBooks license management by purchasing online directly from Intuit’s website.

• Visit the QuickBooks Online Store.
• Select your QuickBooks version and the number of additional users needed.
• Complete the payment and receive your validation code.

Method 3: Contact QuickBooks Customer Support

Contact Intuit’s Sales Team to purchase licenses over the phone.

Conclusion

After going through this blog, you must have understood how to add a user in QuickBooks Desktop. With QuickBooks Desktop, you can create multiple users that can collaborate and work more efficiently in your business. The first step to accomplish this is checking the license status to see if there will be any additional purchases for user licenses, after which the new user can access the program smoothly.

It is very important to assign each applicable role so that users only see the specific content they need to protect themselves further from sensitive financial information and enhance operations. If you need more licenses, you can buy an additional QuickBooks Desktop user license through the QB program or Intuit’s website. Otherwise, you could even call them for assistance.

FAQs

How many users can QuickBooks Desktop support simultaneously?

The number of users who can access QuickBooks Desktop depends on the version. QuickBooks Desktop Pro is designed to accommodate 3 users, while QuickBooks Desktop Premier supports up to 5 users. Companies that need more concurrent users can opt for the QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise Solutions, which can support up to 30 users. It’s also worth mentioning that every user who accesses QuickBooks simultaneously needs to have his license seat. If your business has more users than this version allows, you might need to upgrade to a version that allows a higher capacity.

What is the cost of adding a user license to QuickBooks Desktop?

The fees for supplementary user licenses within QuickBooks Desktop shift from version to version and according to the number of users required. Present-day pricing can be forwarded from Help > Manage My License > Buy Additional User License in QuickBooks and select Add Seats Online. These will also be affordable via the Intuit website or by calling customer support from QuickBooks directly.

How do I sync my QuickBooks Desktop license with a new user license?

If you have purchased an additional user license, you need to sync QuickBooks Desktop to register the new license information. To do this, open QuickBooks and navigate to Help > Manage My License > Sync License Data Online. If your computer does not have internet access, you can manually enter the validation code. Select the Phone option under Manage My License. Lastly, input the code you received when purchasing the license.

How do I use the validation code to activate a new user license?

When you buy additional user licenses, Intuit will provide you with a validation code. To activate your new license, install QuickBooks on the new computer using your existing license number and product number. Then, in QuickBooks, go to Help > Manage My License > Buy Additional User Licenses. Further, select the phone option and enter the validation code. This is how you make sure your license update is properly registered.

What happens if I exceed the user license limit in QuickBooks Desktop?

If you have exceeded the user limit for your version of QuickBooks Desktop, you will not see the option to Buy Additional User Licenses. To allow more users to access QuickBooks, you have two options. You can upgrade to a version that supports more users, such as the QuickBooks Enterprise user license. You may also purchase an additional QuickBooks Pro license. Exceeding the user limit prevents additional users from accessing the company file simultaneously, which can disrupt operations.