QuickBooks Time Pricing: How Much Does It Really Cost?

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What Are the Pricing Options for QuickBooks Time?

QuickBooks Time offers two pricing plans:

• Premium, priced at $20 per month plus $8 per user each month.
• Elite, which costs $40 per month with an additional $10 per user each month.

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So, what’s the difference between these two plans other than their pricing?

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The Premium Plan

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Premium is designed for companies that are mostly concerned with managing attendance and tracking time. It offers basic capabilities like payroll and invoicing, schedule creation, and customizable reports. However, it does not have all the advanced project management features of the Elite plan.

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Businesses with varying workforce requirements will find it very helpful to have the option to generate schedules based on jobs or shifts and distribute them to their team. Additional plan functions like photo attachments and access to 24/7 customer service provide a way for teams to communicate easily and receive support if needed.

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The Premium plan is appropriate for smaller businesses or those with minimal operational requirements, because it offers the basics of time and attendance monitoring without the extra complexity and expense of project management capabilities. 

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The Elite Plan

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Elite is intended for companies that need advanced tools for collaboration and project management. With features like real-time project collaboration, teams can work together easily and effectively meet deadlines with this plan. 

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For businesses with mobile employees, features like project and mileage tracking are essential. The Elite plan also provides insights into project expenses and performance metrics by comparing project projections with actual data. 

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Companies can also improve accountability and transparency throughout project cycles with tools like timesheet signatures and project activity feeds. To provide an additional degree of efficiency and security, the Elite plan offers geofencing to ensure that time tracking takes place within the appropriate parameters. Because of its extensive feature set, the Elite plan is recommended  for companies with demanding project management requirements. 

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As we’ve mentioned above, QuickBooks Time charges a base fee on both of its plans. But what is this fee for?

The monthly base fee is for several essential services, including unlimited in-house customer support. It also covers all data storage requirements, account setup processes, access to webinars and tutorials for continuous learning, and administrator privileges. 

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With admin access, managers can efficiently handle tasks such as running payroll, generating reports, editing timesheets, and managing schedules. This ensures that operations run smoothly and that there’s oversight of the system.

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The QuickBooks Workforce Mobile App

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The QuickBooks Time Tracker app was officially relaunched as the QuickBooks Workforce mobile app in late June 2023. They stated that all customer data and settings would remain unchanged and that no action was needed on their part.

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Other than changing its name, the QuickBooks Workforce app includes some features that were not previously available in the QuickBooks Time tracking app. Companies that relied on QuickBooks Time and QuickBooks Online Payroll could now use the mobile app to manage employee paychecks and W-2 forms in one location. This is in addition to tracking hours worked, scheduling, invoicing, and payroll functionalities.

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The app is available for iOS and Android devices. When you install QuickBooks Workforce, specific mobile device features may need to be changed for the app to function effectively. Users  may need to update location, battery, and access settings. Be sure to make any necessary changes to allow  the app to track location, send alerts, and synchronize data to and from the web dashboard. 

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Let’s take a look at some key features of QuickBooks Workforce:

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• Mobile GPS Time Tracking and Reporting: The QuickBooks Workforce mobile app tracks time and GPS location, making managing mobile and remote employees easier. Managers can see who is working and the location of each employee in case the need arises to send a worker to another job site. QuickBooks Workforce also offers a Crew Functionality, where the group leader can clock their team in and out as they move to their job sites. Employees can also attach photos and add timesheet notes via the app.

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• Employee Scheduling: QuickBooks’ Time subscription plans include reliable employee scheduling functionalities, which can help improve shift planning. Managers can use the drag-and-drop tools to generate shifts on their smartphones or computers. By using the Who’s Working tab, managers can see available employees and assign them immediately to urgent jobs.

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• PTO Management: QuickBooks Paid Time Off management tools are available with Premium and Elite plans. QuickBooks Time allows you to create custom PTO rules. Users can check their PTO balances and request time off through the QuickBooks Workforce mobile app. Managers can authorize requests and notify the employees of approvals via email or text messages. 

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• QuickBooks Integration: One of the main reasons people choose QuickBooks Time is because it integrates with QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Online Payroll, QuickBooks Desktop, and other software such as Xero, Paychex, Gusto, ADP, Breezeworks, OnPay, PaymentEvolution, and more.

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• Geotechnology: The QuickBooks Workforce mobile app offers reliable GPS functionalities to monitor the precise locations of team members throughout the entire shift. The app also includes geofencing functionalities, which restrict an employee’s ability to  clock in and out away from job sites. The QuickBooks Time Elite plan offers automatic GPS mileage tracking which allows field employees to track mileage that is easily documented on timesheets, mileage, and payroll reports.

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• Job and Project Tracking: QuickBooks Workforce allows you to track time that has been spent on different jobs and projects. The project tracking section allows you to track predetermined budgets for various projects and sends an alert when you are reaching the budget threshold.  This feature can be a valuable tool for businesses that often delay tracking metrics until a project is almost completed. 

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Does QuickBooks Time Offer a Free Trial?

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Yes, QuickBooks Time offers a free trial. New customers can sign up for a 30-day free trial by selecting the "Try it free for 30 days" option when enrolling in the monthly plan. During this trial period, users can access and use the QuickBooks Time solution without being charged. 

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However, to continue using the software after the 30-day trial, customers will need to provide a valid credit card for authorization. Subsequently, they will be charged on a monthly basis at the then-current price for the selected service (Premium or Elite). There is also an additional fee of $8 or $10 per worker each month, depending on the plan chosen. 

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It's important to note that if services are added or removed, service fees will be adjusted accordingly. Additionally, sales tax may be applied where applicable. The free trial offer cannot be combined with other QuickBooks Time offers. 

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Is QuickBooks Time Ideal For Your Business?

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QuickBooks Time is a versatile tool for tracking and managing a company's use of time. Because of its extensive integration with other accounting software, companies will find payroll and invoicing processes are now much more simple. 

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Since its cost may impact businesses in different ways, pricing is an essential factor examine when considering QuickBooks Time. Having said that, this software serves various companies across a range of sectors, including:

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• Businesses with workers who work remotely: The Quickbooks Time app is a good choice for companies who employ remote workers. It enables employees to clock in from any location or device, whether through a desktop, laptop, phone, or kiosk.

• Companies using QuickBooks Online Payroll or QuickBooks Accounting: The software will integrate with your current system to streamline payroll, invoicing, and budgeting. This means that you won't need to manually enter data twice or upload CSV files.

• Companies that have client accounts: You can assign hours to projects and clients for job pricing and invoicing with QuickBooks Time.

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QuickBooks Time may be too costly for certain businesses and independent contractors, despite its various benefits. Here are some groups that might find this solution isn't the best fit for them:

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• Companies on a tight budget: QuickBooks Time isn't the best time-tracking software for small businesses  with a low budget allotment. However, there are strong software substitutes like Timeero that provide reasonably priced solutions that meet all of your company's requirements.

• Independent contractors: QuickBooks Time offers advanced features such as complex payroll integrations and advanced reporting options which may not be essential for freelancers or single users. Independent contractors may find more value in a time-tracking app that offers essential features tailored specifically to their needs, such as simple time entry, project tracking, and invoicing capabilities. Options like Timeero provide these basic functionalities at a more affordable price point, making them a better fit for freelancers. 

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Curious to explore the drawbacks and benefits of this solution? Check out our QuickBooks Time review to see everything you need to know. 

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Timeero Vs. QuickBooks Time: How Do They Compare?

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Although Timeero is a popular alternative to QuickBooks Time for time tracking, it's important to evaluate which option best suits your company's needs. 

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Let’s compare Timeero and QuickBooks Time.

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Time Tracking

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You can efficiently track time with Timeero and QuickBooks Time without having to buy extra hardware or software. All you have to do is add staff members, invite them via email, and request that they download the respective apps to their iOS or Android smartphones.

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To clock in, workers must choose an assigned task on the user-friendly app. Employees can switch from one job to another with both time trackers, ensuring they get paid at the appropriate rates for every task. Additionally, admins can grant workers permission to let them modify time and mileage, run reports, and add schedules.

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GPS Location Tracking

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Businesses that employ mobile workers, such as sales representatives, delivery drivers, and other teams moving between different physical locations, will find GPS location monitoring quite useful. It keeps track of workers' whereabouts in real time and assists in managing their activity.

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Through its real-time GPS tracking feature, Timeero allows you to track each employee's GPS trail and see where they are anytime they're clocked in by clicking the "who's working" button. 

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Click on an employee's location pin to view specific information, such as their hours worked and clock-in time. Our Timeero review covers this feature, among others, in greater detail.

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QuickBooks Workforce has similar features. When a user is on the clock, their mobile app shares their location data. However, it doesn't collect GPS data when they are not clocked in. To use the QuickBooks Workforce app for real time tracking, users will need to set their location settings to "Always." 

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Geofencing

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Geofencing is essential for companies that need to restrict employee movement, and Timeero and QuickBooks Time both support this helpful function. However, there are some differences between the two.

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The QuickBooks Workforce "clock in now" feature allows employees to clock in while outside of the geofence as long as they leave a note stating why they were outside of the assigned location. This means that although managers will see which employees were outside the geofence during work hours, it does not prevent off-site punching.

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With Timeero, when an employee clocks in outside the geofence, you will receive a notification and their timesheet will be flagged. The software goes a step further and allows you to block employees from logging time if they are outside the set boundary.

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Timeero can notify users to remind them to clock in once they enter the geofence. Additionally, Timeero sends out alerts to remind them to clock out when they leave the virtual boundary.  

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Scheduling

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A great schedule allows employers to staff shifts with team members when they're needed. While both Timeero and QuickBooks Time offer scheduling tools, there are some minor differences in their functionality.

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With Timeero, creating a schedule simply requires clicking on a certain day, adding a shift title, choosing responsible individuals or groups, selecting the date, and clicking publish. Color coding is a useful tool for organizing projects and determining how often each change should occur, whether daily, weekly, or monthly. 

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Timeero limits staff no-shows and scheduling issues by using various reminders. Employees are immediately notified when a schedule is published or changed. The software will notify the management via email if a worker doesn't log in within ten minutes of starting their shift. 

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The management has the option to investigate the matter further, reschedule the shift, or give the position to the next available worker. The employee filling in for an absent coworker is notified immediately of the schedule change and is given the choice to accept or decline the shift. 

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With QuickBooks Time, a schedule is as easy to set up as it is to change. You can use the drag-and-drop interface to move things around. The software also sends automatic alerts to employees when a schedule is created or changed to make sure everyone is updated.

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Mileage Tracking

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Mileage tracking is one area where Timeero excels in accuracy. Its motion-detecting technology makes sure that when the car reaches a certain speed (usually 4.47 mph), it begins to record mileage. This means that walking would not count as mileage.

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The QuickBooks Workforce app tracks miles too, although it isn't as efficient as Timeero. It’s also worth noting that mileage tracking is only available in the Elite plan, so you’ll need to pay extra bucks to access this feature on QuickBooks Time. Learn more about the QuickBooks mileage tracker from our detailed guide.

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Timeero offers a function for route optimization called suggested mileage. This feature compares the best route with the actual one, allowing drivers to save time and gas. Unfortunately, QuickBooks Workforce doesn’t have a similar tool. 

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Time-Off Management

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The PTO tracker in QuickBooks Time makes it simple for users to automate "time off" tracking. Business owners can also decide if workers must submit requests for approval or if they can take time off without authorization.

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Requests can be submitted either through the QuickBooks Time mobile app or the web dashboard. Once approved, the time off shows up on the calendar. To keep team members informed at every stage of the request approval process, managers can create personalized alerts.

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Timeero also has features that simplify tracking and managing time off. Once you enable time-off tracking, you can create categories like ‘vacation,’ ‘holiday,’ or ‘sick leave.’ Managers can add time off requests for users within their group, but they are unable to accept requests for time off for workers not in their group.

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Reports

Timeero and QuickBooks Time are designed to precisely track employee work hours, mileage, and other critical information. You can generate reports using this data to have an overview of the various fronts in which your business is performing. The reports are easily generated and imported into payroll software, allowing you to pay employees in just a few clicks.

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With Timeero, you can filter generated reports in many ways, such as by job, date range, total only, mileage, scheduled vs hours worked, and week totals. You can also filter daily flat rate by user and by total.

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Similarly, QuickBooks Time also lets you generate reports which include the following types:

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• Tracking (GPS points and Mileage)
• Scheduling
• Payroll
• Itemized Time
• Auditing

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Integrations

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The quick export of employee time data for payroll processing is made possible by Timeero's integration with widely used accounting and payroll software. This covers software such as ADP, Paychex, Gusto, Rippling, Paylocity, QuickBooks, Zapier, Vieventium, and Xero. 

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QuickBooks Time also integrates with a wide range of software. This includes QuickBooks Online, Aero, Justworks, Makeshift, PaymentEvolution, Gusto, Paychex, Square, ADP, OnPay, Breezeworks, Karbon, and more. 

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QuickBooks Time or Timeero - Make the Best Choice

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Understanding the QuickBooks Time pricing structure and its features is essential for businesses looking to implement a time tracking solution. While this software offers a comprehensive set of features and integration capabilities, it may not be the most cost-effective option for all businesses. 

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Comparing QuickBooks Time with alternatives like Timeero can help businesses find the right balance between functionality, affordability, and user experience. Ultimately, the choice between QuickBooks Time and Timeero depends on your specific business requirements and budget constraints. To make an informed decision, check out our detailed Timeero vs QuickBooks Time side-by-side comparison guide.

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FAQs

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What Is the Cost Difference Between QuickBooks Time Premium and Elite Plans?

The price difference between QuickBooks Time Premium and Elite plans lies in the base monthly fee and the additional cost per user. The Premium plan is $20 per month, with an additional $8 per user each month. In contrast, the Elite plan has a higher base fee of $40 per month, plus $10 per user each month. 

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Does QuickBooks Time Offer A Free Plan?

No, QuickBooks Time does not offer a free version. There was a free plan previously, but it is no longer an option. As of now, QuickBooks Time offers Elite and Premium plans. Each comes with a thirty-day free trial, and no credit card is required to sign up.

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Does QuickBooks Time Work Offline?

Yes, QuickBooks Time has offline capabilities. This means that even when you lose your internet connection, the app will still track time and the data will sync with the server after the connection is restored.

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