Intuit "Merchant Accounts" that include QuickBooks processing can be linked to QuickBooks (Desktop for Windows) versions to permit payment processing inside QuickBooks for credit cards and checks. You can only link one QuickBooks Company file to a specific “Merchant Account”, and you can only link one “Merchant Account” to a specific QuickBooks Company file. You can NOT link multiple company files to the same “Merchant Account”, nor can you link multiple “Merchant Accounts” to a single QuickBooks Company file. Should you attempt to link an existing Merchant Account to a new QuickBooks Company file, QuickBooks will prompt you to transfer the “Merchant Account” to the new file, as part of that process the “Merchant Account” will automatically be disassociated from the previous QuickBooks Company file.
When attempting to configure a new QuickBooks Company file to use an existing “Merchant Account” you encounter a QuickBooks message advising that you must transfer the existing Merchant Account to the new Company File. The steps below are intended to guide you through this 'transfer' process:
Step-by-step
1 - Log in as Administrator to QuickBooks and the company file you want to link to your existing Merchant Services account. (Note: You must have already turned on Customer Credit Card Protection in order to associate a Merchant Service account with a QuickBooks Company file.)
2 - From the Customer menu, select the option to Link Payment service to company file.
3 - When prompted, log in with the Merchant Service username and password associated with the Merchant Service Account.
4 - QuickBooks will display a window informing you that you must transfer service. (Note: If you have more than one Merchant Service account associated with your Merchant Service log-in, you must select the appropriate Merchant Service account you want to link to this QuickBooks file.)
5- Select the appropriate Merchant Service account you wish to link to this QuickBooks Company file and then select the option to Transfer.
6 - You will then be asked to Confirm Transfer.
7 - QuickBooks will then display a message indicating that you have successfully activated (transferred) your Merchant Service account to the new Company file.
Helpful Hint: It is possible that you might accidentally link your Company file to the wrong Merchant Service account, in such case take the following steps to resolve this situation:
- Press the F2 key to open the Product Information window.
- Click your cursor anywhere on white space within the Product Information window.
- Press the control (CTRL) key and the A key together (CTRL + A), this step resets QuickBooks so it does not recognize the existing account association, allowing you to re-start the process above over again.