How to Migrate QuickBooks Enterprise to QuickBooks Online?

QuickBooks Enterprise and QuickBooks Online are both used by organizations for handling their day-to-day accounting, invoicing, inventory management, sales forecasting, bank reconciliation, etc. The difference between the two versions is that the QuickBooks enterprise contains more comprehensive features like fixed asset management, multiple entity accounting, etc, and is generally intended for manufacturing or industry-specific companies.

On the other hand, QuickBooks online is intended for an accounting-focused business that prefers a web-based system. When you migrate your accounting data from Quickbooks Enterprise to QuickBooks online, you’ve to go through a series of steps to transfer all of your data, and then verify the migration of data. The good thing, however, is that you don’t have to start over. You can just transfer all your accounting data to the online platform and get started.

In this post, you’ll learn how to migrate QuickBooks Enterprise data to QuickBooks Online.

Prerequisites for Migration From QuickBooks Enterprise to QuickBooks Online

Before the migration of QuickBooks, you need to make sure that your systems and factors fulfill the below eligibility criteria:

1. You should have Internet Explorer 10 or above installed on your system.
2. Ensure that you have a stable internet connection and speed to complete the migration process.
3. A subscription to QuickBooks Online Plus, an essential, or advanced version will be required for migration.
4. You need to have full admin rights to access QuickBooks Enterprise on Windows to complete the migration process.
5. Make sure to create a backup from QuickBooks Enterprise, you have to clean up all the unwanted or junk files to QuickBooks Enterprise.

Apart from this, you need to be aware that you will not be able to migrate any company file from QuickBooks Enterprise to QuickBooks online which is more than 60 days old. So, before making any decision you should keep this limitation of QuickBooks online in mind.

Requirements for Importing Data from QuickBooks Enterprise to Online

Before we proceed forward with the important actions, let's understand the basic needs that must be met before importing data from QuickBooks Enterprise to QuickBooks Online:

1. You will require Internet Explorer 10 or any later variant.
2. A functioning internet association.
3. Membership to QuickBooks Online Essential or Plus variant.
4. QuickBooks Company file that is not older than 60 days.
5. Administrator access authority to QuickBooks Online.

How To Migrate Data From QuickBooks Enterprise To QuickBooks Online

Follow the instructions below steps to migrate QuickBooks Enterprise to QuickBooks Online:

Step 1: Prepare to migrate your company file from QuickBooks Enterprise to QuickBooks Online.

You can transfer your data from QuickBooks Enterprise to QuickBooks online within 60 days of creating a new QuickBooks online account. Make sure that you import all your data before that time; otherwise, you’ll have to rely on the manual method to transfer your files.

Before you migrate your company file, take care of the following steps:

• Install the latest updates for QuickBooks Desktop.
• Check the size limit that QuickBooks desktop can import into QuickBooks Online.
• Look at the major differences between the features offered by the two platforms.
• Create and export the Sales Tax Liability report so that you can use the numbers in this report to make adjustment entries in QuickBooks online. Steps to create a sales tax liability report:
  1. From the Reports menu, choose Vendors & Payables.
  2. Click on Sales Tax Liability.
  3. Choose the Date Range or Choose All if you want to include the entire fiscal period.
  4. Click on the Print option, then choose Save as PDF.
  5. Select a folder to save the file. Input a name and click on Save.

Step 2: Migrate your company file from QuickBooks Enterprise to QuickBooks Online

Users with QuickBooks 2018 or older need to use the QuickBooks Desktop file restoration tool to upgrade their files before they can import them into QuickBooks online. You can also rely on a trial version of QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise 2021 to upgrade the company file and then transfer the data to QuickBooks online.

Steps to migrate the QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise company file to QuickBooks online:

1. Launch QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise.
2. Sign in to your company file using an admin account.
3. Press Ctrl + 1 and check the Product Information to know that your file is within the maximum size limit that can be migrated to QuickBooks online.
4. To launch the Export window, press Ctrl + B + Q. Then select OK.
5. Click on Get Started in the new window, then Sign into our QuickBooks online account.
6. Click on Choose an online company.
7. Choose the company file that you want to replace with the one you’ll be importing from Quickbooks Enterprise.
8. Click on OK.
9. For inventory options, you can choose one of these options:
   1. Yes: choose the as-of-date to import your inventory items.
   2. No: you’ll have to set up items manually later in QuickBooks online. Or you may have to import this file using a CSV or Excel file.
10. Choose Agree, then click on Replace.
11. Click on Yes, and go ahead and replace the data.
12. Click on Replace again.

The import process will begin as soon as you verify the process and click on Replace. It may take some time for QuickBooks online to import all of your data from the QuickBooks enterprise company file.

Read more: How to Convert QuickBooks Online to Desktop

Step 3: Get started with QuickBooks Online

Now that you’ve successfully migrated all your QuickBooks Enterprise data to QuickBooks online, you can get started with the online accounting platform. With your company files all set, you can proceed with the following tasks:

1. Create and send invoices to customers.
2. Connect your bank account to QuickBooks Online.
3. Track accounts receivables and payables.
4. Set up Payroll to pay employees and taxes online.

Now that you’re all set up, you can get to accounting tasks with your new online accounting platform.

Read more: How to Convert QuickBooks Enterprise to Pro or Premier

How to Export & Import a chart of accounts from QuickBooks Enterprise to QuickBooks Online

Steps to the export chart of accounts from QuickBooks Enterprise to QuickBooks online:

1. From the File menu, choose Export.
2. Click on Lists, then select Excel.
3. Input a name for the Excel file.
4. Choose a location to save the exported Excel file.
5. Use Microsoft Excel to make the required changes to the chart of accounts before you import the file into QuickBooks online.

Now you have to follow a series of steps to format your spreadsheet, upload it, and then map it correctly to the accounts in QuickBooks Online. This process may take some time, so let’s get started immediately.

Step 1: format the chart of accounts spreadsheet

Since QuickBooks online has a specific format for charts of accounts, you need to format your spreadsheet accordingly. 

Here are the steps to format your spreadsheet exported from QuickBooks Enterprise:

1. Launch the spreadsheet using Microsoft Excel.
2. Ensure that all these columns are present in the spreadsheet:
   1. Account number
   2. Account name
   3. Account type
   4. Account detail type
3. Input any sub-accounts that you want to include before you want to import your data. You can name the subaccounts in the following way - main account: sub-account.
4. Save the changes made to the spreadsheet.

Step 2: Import the spreadsheet into QuickBooks Online

Once you upload the spreadsheet to QuickBooks Online, you will be able to map the columns in the spreadsheet to the corresponding fields in QuickBooks Online.

Steps to upload the chart of accounts spreadsheet to QuickBooks Online:

1. Log into your QuickBooks online account.
2. From the Settings menu, choose Import Data.
3. Click on Chart of Accounts from the available options.
4. Click on Browse, then select the spreadsheet file that you exported from QuickBooks Enterprise.
5. Choose Open, then Next.

Step 3: Maps columns in the spreadsheet to fields in QuickBooks Online

1. After the spreadsheet is successfully uploaded to QuickBooks online, go to the Your Field column.
2. Click on the Arrow icon.
3. Match the names in the columns of the spreadsheet to the corresponding fields in QuickBooks Online:
   1. Account Name
   2. Account Number
   3. Account Type
   4. Account Number
   5. Currency
4. Choose No Match for any column in the spreadsheet that cannot be matched to an appropriate field in QuickBooks online.
5. Click on Next.

Make sure that you get all the accounts correctly when matching the fields. Otherwise, your chart of accounts won’t make a lot of sense.

Step 4: Import, then enter balances for each account

Now you can import your data and then input an opening balance that summarizes all the transactions in that account up to a particular point in time. 

Let’s get started with the final process of migrating the chart of accounts from QuickBooks Enterprise to QuickBooks online:

1. After matching the fields, click on Import.
2. Go to Settings, then Chart of Accounts.
3. Find the accounts that you need to input the opening balances.
4. Click on the Arrow icon in the Action Column.
5. Choose Edit, then input the opening balance for the bank or credit card account.
6. Click on Save and Close.

And you’ve successfully migrated your chart of accounts from QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise to QuickBooks Online. The manual process can take a long time. That's why we recommend that you go with utilities available within the desktop accounting software to migrate to the online one.

Read more: How to Print Chart of Accounts in QuickBooks Online

How to Export customer & vendor from QuickBooks Enterprise to QuickBooks Online

Steps to export customer and vendor lists from QuickBooks Enterprise to QuickBooks online:

1. From the Customer/Vendor center, click on the Excel drop-down menu.
2. Choose one of the two options:
   1. Export Customer/Vendor list: this will let you export data - name, contact information, and balances - for selected customers and vendors.
   2. Export Transactions: this will let you export transactions based on various parameters.
3. Click on Create a comma-separated value (.csv) file when the Export window appears.
4. Click on Export.
5. Input a name for the file that you’ll export, then choose a location to save the exported CSV file.
6. Launch the file using a spreadsheet program and edit it as per your preferences before you begin the process of importing the data into QuickBooks Enterprise.

How to Import Customers & vendor from QuickBooks Enterprise to QuickBooks Online

Steps to import customer and vendor lists from QuickBooks Enterprise to QuickBooks online:

1. Log into your QuickBooks online account.
2. Go to the Settings option.
3. Choose Import Data, then choose Customers or Vendors.
4. Click on Browse, then choose the customer or vendor list that you exported from QuickBooks Enterprise.
5. Click on Open.
6. Go to the Your Fields column.
7. Choose the Arrow icon, then map each field in the CSV file to the corresponding one in QuickBooks Online.
   Note: you can choose the No Match option for any column in your CSV file that cannot be matched with any field in QuickBooks online.
8. Verify the details and exclude any content that you don’t want to import into the online platform.
9. Click on Import.

QuickBooks Online will import all of the customer or vendor data from the list that you exported from QuickBooks Enterprise. You can repeat the steps to migrate other lists from QuickBooks Enterprise to QuickBooks Online.

Migrate items from QuickBooks Enterprise to QuickBooks Online.

You can use this method to:

• Migrate inventory items from QuickBooks Enterprise to Online
• Migrate Payroll items and wage items from QuickBooks Enterprise to Online.
• Migrate sales tax items from QuickBooks Enterprise to Online

Read more: How to Import QuickBooks Desktop to QuickBooks Online

How to Export Item List from QuickBooks Enterprise to QuickBooks Online

Steps to export item lists from QuickBooks Enterprise to QuickBooks online:

1. Go to the Lists menu.
2. Choose the Item List option.
3. Choose the Excel drop-down list.
4. Click on Export all Items.
5. Choose Create a comma-separated value (.CSV) file.
6. Click on Export when ready.
7. Input a name for the file and choose a location to store it.
8. Launch the file using a spreadsheet program so that you can edit it as per your preferences before you import the item lists into QuickBooks online.

How to Import Item List from QuickBooks Enterprise to QuickBooks Online

Steps to import item lists from QuickBooks Enterprise to QuickBooks online:

1. Go to the Settings option.
2. Choose Import Data, then choose Items.
3. Click on Browse, then choose the item list that you exported from QuickBooks Enterprise.
4. Click on Open.
5. Go to the Your Fields column.
6. Choose the Arrow icon, then map each field in the CSV file to the corresponding one in QuickBooks Online.
7. Note: you can choose the No Match option for any column in your CSV file that cannot be matched with any field in QuickBooks online.
8. Verify the details and exclude any items that you don’t want to import into the online platform.
9. Click on Import.

For each list, you manually migrate, create a report specific to that list in both QuickBooks Online and Enterprise, then match the data between the two reports to spot any discrepancies. 

Conclusion

I hope that you were able to migrate all of your accounting data from QuickBooks Enterprise to QuickBooks online using the methods mentioned in this post. You can find more helpful resources on our websites related to the migration process - especially if you encounter an error during the process. We also have several posts that walk you through setting up QuickBooks online and using its features effectively and efficiently.

However, if you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact the QB technical team. You can get in touch with the experts at smbaccountatnts.com and they will help you in every possible way to resolve your problem.

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