QuickBooks Time Settings Migration Causes Confusion for Users
QuickBooks Time company settings are moving to QuickBooks Online, leaving many users unsure where to manage payroll, overtime, and billing options.
We are hearing from QuickBooks users who are running into a familiar problem: settings that used to live in one place have started showing up somewhere else. As Intuit shifts QuickBooks Time company settings into QuickBooks Online, many of you are unsure where to go when you need to update payroll schedules, overtime rules, or billing details.
The short answer is that the two products now share settings management, but the split is not always obvious. Some options must be changed in QuickBooks Online. Others can still be handled in QuickBooks Time. And a few, like overtime, need attention in both places.
Where the settings now live
If you have ever opened QuickBooks Time and headed straight to Company Settings, you will have noticed that certain fields are no longer editable there. That is because Intuit is consolidating settings under the QuickBooks Online umbrella. The vendor’s stated goal is to reduce the number of places you have to visit when managing your account.
For users who only use QuickBooks Time on its own, the Company Settings menu inside Time still works much as it always has. But if you also use QuickBooks Online or QuickBooks Online Payroll, several sections now pull their data from QuickBooks Online. You will see notes inside Time telling you that a particular field must be managed in QuickBooks instead.
What moved and what stayed
Company information is one of the biggest areas affected. If you are on QuickBooks Online or QuickBooks Online Payroll, your company name, website, and street address now come over from QuickBooks automatically. You can no longer edit those fields inside QuickBooks Time. The same applies to your admin contact details.
Account and billing management has also shifted. Subscription details, billing history, and payment methods are now handled through QuickBooks Online. The QuickBooks Time interface still offers a link to view billing, but the actual management happens on the QuickBooks side.
Accountant access follows the same pattern. If your firm uses QuickBooks Online Accountant, the invitation and permission process runs through QuickBooks Online. You can still invite an accountant from within Time, but the underlying access is governed by the QuickBooks account.
Payroll settings are split in a way that catches people off guard. Your pay schedule (weekly, biweekly, semimonthly, or monthly) must be set up in QuickBooks Online if you use its payroll features. Overtime rules, however, need to be configured in both QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Time. Missing one side of that equation is a common reason overtime calculations come out wrong.
How to update settings in each product
In QuickBooks Online, the path is straightforward. Sign in, open the Settings menu, and select Account and settings. From there, choose the Time tab. Make your changes, save after each one, and select Done when you are finished.
In QuickBooks Time, the process is unchanged for the settings that remain there. Sign in, select Company Settings, and update what you need. Save after each change. The interface will guide you to QuickBooks Online for anything that has migrated.
Common pain points
The most frequent complaint we see is the back-and-forth. A user opens QuickBooks Time to fix a setting, only to be redirected to QuickBooks Online. Then they return to Time and find that a related option still needs adjusting there. It is an extra step that many did not expect.
Overtime setup is another trouble spot. Because it requires configuration in both products, it is easy to update one side and forget the other. When that happens, timesheets may show correct hours but incorrect overtime totals.
Billing confusion also comes up regularly. Users who manage their subscription through QuickBooks Time sometimes do not realise that their payment method or plan details now live in QuickBooks Online. A failed payment or an expired card can leave them locked out of Time features without understanding why.
What you can do now
Take a few minutes to check where your key settings actually reside. If you use QuickBooks Online alongside Time, open the Account and settings page and review the Time section. Compare what you see there with the Company Settings menu in Time. Note which fields are editable in each place and which ones redirect you.
For overtime specifically, verify the rules in both products. Make sure the thresholds and rates match. If they do not, your payroll reports will reflect the discrepancy.
If your billing has lapsed or your subscription is not behaving as expected, check QuickBooks Online first. That is where the vendor now manages payment details for most QuickBooks Time accounts.
This transition is still unfolding, and the boundaries between the two products may shift again. For now, knowing which settings live where will save you the frustration of hunting through menus that no longer control what you need.