Frequently Asked Questions

Imagine your business has three people (owner, office manager and payroll clerk) who need to access one QuickBooks file at the same time. The business owner uses one QuickBooks license to run reports, while the office manager uses a second license to enter sales reports and receipts, and the payroll clerk uses a third license to run payroll and print checks.

In this scenario, since three users are using QuickBooks, a 3 User product will be best suited to your business’ needs. Similarly, if your business only has two users that will need to access QuickBooks, a 2 User product will be right for you.

• Multi-user access enables increased productivity and efficiency
• All users have simultaneous access to your most up-to-date company file, ensuring accurate and efficient collaboration
• You can also stay in control and keep your data protected — limit employee access by allowing different levels of user permission within your company’s file

The maximum number of simultaneous users (users accessing the file at the same time) for QuickBooks Pro is three users and Premier Edition is five users. A server does not count as a user if no one works on QuickBooks on the server itself. Our Enterprise Solutions product offers the ability for more users to work in the file at the same time.

The multi-user mode¹ in QuickBooks Pro and Premier allows multiple users to collaborate on the same company file at the same time. All users must be networked and must each have their own QuickBooks license.

Multi-user mode enables more than one person to work on a company file at the same time increasing collaboration and productivity. It improves accuracy because all users are working on the most up-to-date data. Additionally, it ensures data stays protected because individual user access levels can be set. To enable multi-user mode, go to the File menu in QuickBooks and choose “Multi-User Mode.”

If you need 5 or more users accessing QuickBooks at the same time, please see our QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions products.

Our standard license agreement requires separate QuickBooks licenses for each person who uses QuickBooks software. However, if you have both a laptop and desktop PC, and you’re the only person using QuickBooks, you only need one license. You need to get additional licenses when additional people need to use QuickBooks on their computers.

The most common scenario is when more than one person in the business needs to use QuickBooks, even if only for certain specific tasks. For example, a business owner may want to have a copy of QuickBooks solely for running reports, doing payroll, and printing checks, but his office manager needs to use QuickBooks to enter sales orders and receipts. Accordingly, the business needs two licenses.

If another person is solely reviewing printed reports that you generate yourself in QuickBooks, then they don’t need to get their own QuickBooks license. However, if they install and/or use QuickBooks, then they will need a separate license.

Under the single-user license, you may install QuickBooks software on one computer for access and use by only one specific person; and, install the software on one additional portable computer so long as only the same specific person accesses and uses the software.

You can configure your QuickBooks to suit however many users you need. Please send your inquiry using Contact Us link displayed on each page of our site. We would gladly offer you solution that best suits your needs.

Yes, you will save 10% off a single-user copy of Pro or Premier when you purchase an additional license. Currently, you cannot receive the discount by ordering from the CPAWarehouse.com Website. To get your discount, please place your order and send the request for the price adjustment referencing this page. The 10% discount applies to “add a seat” licenses only.

Yes. You can run as many companies as you want from one copy of QuickBooks. Of course, you’ll still need a separate license for each user of QuickBooks if you have multiple users.

QuickBooks Premier can accommodate up to 5 simultaneous users. QuickBooks Pro and Premier Edition are best suited for businesses with 1-4 users. (Note that one license is required for each user. A server does not count as a user if no one works on QuickBooks on the server itself). If your business has 5 or more users we recommend the Enterprise Edition.

You do not need a separate license if you install QuickBooks on a server for other users to access, but no one directly uses QuickBooks on that server. By choosing the Server Installation during the Installation Interview, QuickBooks will install a version that is appropriate for server access but not for regular QuickBooks use.

You can access additional help on multiple users in several different places:

• During the QuickBooks installation process
• In the materials included with your QuickBooks software

Move up to QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions when you’re at the point where you need to handle larger amounts of data (resulting from having more customers, vendors, inventory, and transaction volume) and multiple users with ease. With Enterprise Solutions, you get twice the list capacity of QuickBooks Pro and Premier Edition, and you can scale up to 30 simultaneous users with faster performance. The software also offers in-depth security features with different levels of access to more than 120 individual reports. And it includes 13 predefined user roles to make new user setup fast and easy. Learn more about Enterprise Solutions.