How do I track different parts of my company: Class vs. Location tracking?

Tracking different segments of your business in QuickBooks Online is possible with Class tracking or Location tracking. They let you see income and expenses by segment without creating separate company files. You can use one, or both together, for deeper reporting.

Class tracking vs. Location tracking

• Class tracking – Assigns a class to each line item of a transaction. Useful when a single sale or purchase spans multiple divisions (e.g., you sell products from different departments on one invoice).
• Location tracking – Assigns one location to the entire transaction. Ideal for businesses with physical storefronts, branches, or territories where a whole sale happens at a specific site.

Both features require QuickBooks Online Plus or Advanced. They are not available in Simple Start or Essentials.

You can also customize the term for “Location” (e.g., “Store,” “Division,” “Territory”) to match your business. This label is set when you turn on location tracking.

Turn on class or location tracking

1. Select the Settings ⚙ icon, then Account and settings.
2. Go to the Company tab.
3. In the Categories section, select the ✏️ edit icon (pencil).
4. Check Track classes and/or Track locations.
5. (Optional) If you enabled locations, you can rename the label and choose whether location is a required field on transactions.
6. Select Save, then Done.

Create your classes or locations

After you enable tracking, you need to set up the actual class or location names.

1. From the Settings ⚙ icon, select All lists under Lists.
2. Choose Classes or Locations.
3. Select New (top right).
4. Enter a name (e.g., “New York,” “Web Sales,” “Commercial”).
5. Select Save.

Repeat for each class or location you need.

Use classes and locations on transactions

Once created, look for the Class and/or Location dropdown on transaction forms (invoices, bills, checks, etc.). For classes, you can pick a different class on each line item. For locations, choose one location for the whole transaction.

Run reports by segment

You can run financial reports filtered or grouped by class or location:

• Profit and Loss by Class
• Balance Sheet by Location
• Sales by Class/Summary
• Any standard report – use the Customize button and then filter by class or location.

Reports let you see the whole company or zoom into a single segment.

Important: Only users with the correct permissions can create or assign classes/locations. If you don’t see the options, ask your QuickBooks administrator to grant access.