Skip to main content
G
GraceESMB
January 16, 2023
Question

Sorting items on invoices with QBO

  • January 16, 2023
  • 1 reply
  • 0 views

I recently changed from QB Desktop to QBO Plus because I also switched from PC to Mac. In both versions I am not able to sort by item when creating a customer invoice. Because we bill cost-plus we need to list all items separately and group/subtotal by item and date. With QB Desktop I used a 3rd party application to sort but they don't have a Mac version. Does anybody know if there are any 3rd party apps or any other way to sort on the invoice.  The only way I'm able to do it currently is by exporting the unbilled costs to Excel and creating an invoice there. This seems very short-sighted of QB to not have this function.  Thanks for any help you can provide.

1 reply

Nicole_N
Nicole_N
January 16, 2023

Hi, @GraceESMB! Thanks for taking the time to write about your concern here.

 

The option to sort line items on an invoice is currently unavailable. However, you can manually select which item you'd like to appear first in the item drop-down list and so on. This will set your items in a particular order the way you want. 

 

Here's how:

  1. Go to the Sales menu, then select Invoices.
  2. Locate the entry and click the pencil icon to edit invoice.
  3. Change the items in a particular order from the item drop-down and click Save.
     

 

Once done, you may click on the Print or Preview button located at the bottom. This enables you to show the items in their respective orders. Refer to the screenshot below.

 

I also appreciate you sharing your ideas about adding this feature. We'd love to hear more of your insights, so I recommend sending feedback to our product developers. This way, they can further review which parts of the program need enhancements and consider adding them to future updates.

 

Here's how:
 

  1. Go to the Gear icon and click Feedback.
  2. Provide your feedback or product suggestions.
  3. Click Next to submit.

 

To get updates about the status of your feedback, you may visit the Customer Feedback page.

 

You may visit this article if you want to learn how to personalize your sales forms in QuickBooks Online: Customize invoices, estimates, and sales receipts. 

 

Please know that you can always get back to me if you have any other questions about managing invoices. I'm happy to help. Stay safe!

G
GraceESMBAuthor
January 16, 2023

Thanks for the detailed information. Unfortunately I don't seem to be following your instructions very well. If I click on the pull-down where you've indicated with the red square, and choose which item I'd like to appear first, it just changes the product/service & Description of THAT line item. It does not make the subsequent line items appear in an different order.  Am I misunderstanding your instructions?

 

 

DivinaMercy_N
DivinaMercy_N
January 17, 2023

Thanks for getting back here, @GraceESMB. I want to ensure you can sort the items by order in QuickBooks Online (QBO) seamlessly.

 

To clarify, are you manually entering the details in the Description column per line item? If so, this will be automatically removed once you select a new item in the Product/Service dropdown. That said, you can manually add the information after selecting the correct item. This will also happen if you're editing an invoice. 

 

In the case that the product or services have their own descriptions in the setup, this will automatically appear when you choose it in the invoice.

 

Then, you can follow the steps provided by my colleague above to ensure you select items in a particular order the way you want. 

 

Another option is to drag the line items in the invoice to correct the order. This will prevent the description and other details to disappear. To do this, simply hover your cursor over the box icon in the line item row and drag it in an upward or downward motion.  

 

To look for a third-party application that will help you sort the items on the invoice, I recommend checking our QuickBooks Apps Store. Simply enter a keyword or phrase of the feature you need. You can also go to the Review tab of the application you choose to read other users' reviews. 

 

I've also added this helpful resource that you can check to have a guide in processing customer payments in QBO: Record invoice payments in QuickBooks Online. 

 

If you have any other concerns about managing invoices in QBO, please don't hesitate to post again here. I'd be glad to assist you further. Have a good one and keep safe. 

Terms & ConditionsAccessibility statement