why do all my credit card sub-accounts show the total balance

In QuickBooks Online (QBO), you only have to reconcile the parent account because all transactions from the subaccounts roll up into it, Jack.

If you are inquiring about the bank balance, please note that some banks may display the total balance at each subaccount level. This is because the bank provides us with a static balance of the entire account, not the balance of each subaccount.

If you're referring to QuickBooks Balance, the balances for sub-accounts of a credit card are shown individually, while the total balance is displayed on the parent account. This means that each sub-account will display its specific balance, and the cumulative total of these balances will appear on the parent account even if they are individually reconciled.

However, there are instances where a payment is made directly to the parent account, rather than to the individual sub-accounts. In such cases, the total balance displayed on the parent account may coincide with the balances shown on the individual sub-accounts. This can give the impression that the sub-accounts are showing the total balance when in reality, they still display their balances, but these individual balances happen to add up to a total that matches the payment made on the parent account.

Take a look at my screenshot below:

To verify, you can open each register and examine the transactions. Let's make sure that they're posted to the correct credit card.

1. Go to Transactions,
2. Select Chart of Accounts and locate the account you want to review.
3. Click View Register, then verify each of your transactions.
   
4. Make any changes as necessary.

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This information helps break down the process of a reconciliation a bit better. Feel free to reach out if you have any further questions or concerns.