User seats and license messages in QuickBooks Online
QuickBooks Online is a cloud subscription, so there is no license number, product number, or installation CD to manage. Access is tied to your Intuit account sign-in, and the closest thing to a license is the set of user seats that comes with your plan. This page covers how seats work, what to do when you exceed them, and where the “license” prompts you may remember from QuickBooks Desktop have gone.
How many users can work at the same time?
Unlike the older desktop products, QuickBooks Online lets multiple users work in the company file at the same time, up to the limit of your subscription’s user seats. The exact number depends on the plan you are paying for. There is no separate simultaneous-user count to configure; the seat limit is the limit.
What does the “purchased seats exceeded” message mean?
If you see a message that the number of purchased seats has been exceeded for this license, it means more users are trying to access the company than your current subscription allows. You have two options: sign out inactive users to free up seats, or add seats to your subscription. The seat count is not something a third party can adjust for you, since it is part of your billing relationship with Intuit.
Where do you check your plan and seat count?
You can view your current plan and the number of seats included with it in your own account settings:
- Sign in to QuickBooks Online and go to Settings (the gear icon).
- Select Account and settings, then open the billing section.
- Your plan and seat details appear there, and additional seats can be added from the same place.
Menu names shift between versions, so if the exact labels differ, look for the billing or subscription area of your account settings; that is where Intuit keeps this information.
How do you add or change users?
To invite a new user or change an existing user’s role:
- Go to Settings and select Manage users.
- Choose Add user, or select an existing user’s name to edit their role.
- Assign the appropriate user type, such as standard user, admin, or a custom role, and send the invite.
The invited person signs in with their own Intuit account credentials. You never share a password to give someone access.
Do you need a license number for QuickBooks Online?
No. QuickBooks Online does not use license numbers or product numbers for installation or activation. Your subscription is tied to the Intuit account (email and password) used at purchase. If you bought a new subscription, sign in at Intuit’s QuickBooks Online sign-in page with that email address. If a paid subscription is not visible after signing in, you are probably signed in with the wrong user ID; the sign-in page has a recovery option for both user ID and password.
Because everything runs in the cloud, moving to a new computer requires nothing to be transferred. Sign in from any supported browser, or install the QuickBooks Online mobile app. Older operating systems such as Windows 7 or 8 are no longer supported by current browsers, so a supported operating system with an up-to-date Chrome, Firefox, Edge, or Safari is the practical requirement.
Are you being asked for a product number?
If a screen or set of instructions is asking you for a license or product number, you are almost certainly looking at a QuickBooks Desktop process, not QuickBooks Online. Desktop is a separately licensed installed product; Online is not. For billing details or proof of purchase for an Online subscription, check the billing area of your account settings. For anything involving a Desktop product number or an Intuit account you cannot access, Intuit’s own support is the right channel, since only Intuit can see its accounts and licenses.