If much of your workday running a business happens away from your office, you may be forced to leave a lot of your bookkeeping for the end of the day. Receipts pile up, estimates get delayed, and your business miles go unrecorded unless you remember to write them down.

With QuickBooks, though, you can handle a lot of these bookkeeping processes from your phone. In addition to snapping photos of your receipts, you can track mileage automatically, create and send estimates and invoices, take card payments, and more.

What’s more, everything you do syncs with your QuickBooks Online account, so you don’t have to perform the same tasks twice. That said, some mobile features can be limited, depending on which plan you choose. Here’s what you should know about how the QuickBooks mobile app works, how to take advantage of it, and whether it’s worth paying for extra features.

What the QuickBooks mobile app can do

The QuickBooks mobile app works in tandem with the QuickBooks Online platform in your web browser. While some features differ slightly, any data you add syncs across both platforms. Here’s what you can do with the app:

• Take photos of receipts and match them to expenses.
• Track business miles automatically.
• Create and send invoices.
• Capture customer signatures on estimates.
• Convert estimates into invoices.
• Take in-person card and digital wallet payments (iOS only).
• Record voice notes.

That said, there are a few tasks you can only do on your browser. For example, you can’t add an accountant to your plan from the mobile app, and you also can’t file your tax return.

How to use the mobile app’s features

The QuickBooks mobile app makes it easier to perform tasks that are a bit clunkier through your browser. For example, if you want to upload a receipt, you’d have to take a photo, share it to your computer, and then add it to your transaction.

The app also makes tracking mileage easy because it does it automatically. Other features can also be done easily through your online account, but doing them in the moment can save you time and avoid forgetting important details.

Snap receipts at the point of purchase

Taking a photo of your receipt allows you to record an expense right after you make the purchase and before there’s a chance that you might lose the paper receipt.

For example, let’s say you stop at a hardware store to buy materials for a job. Before you leave the parking lot, you can quickly open the QuickBooks mobile app, select “Receipt snap,” and then take a photo with the receipt camera.

If QuickBooks finds a corresponding transaction, you can match the two. If the transaction hasn’t been posted to your checking account or credit card, though, you can add the expense in the app.

Note that if you’re a QuickBooks Free user, you can only capture up to two receipts per month.

Track your mileage automatically

Business miles can make for sizable tax deductions, but only if you have a good record of each trip you make. Here’s how you can do it:

1. Change your user permissions (if needed): Only admin users can track mileage with the app. If needed, consider changing the driver’s user permissions so they can use the feature.
2. Set up the mileage tracking feature: Start by adding your vehicle to your QuickBooks account, then make sure you give the app permission to access your location. You can then turn on automatic tracking.
3. Keep the app open while you drive: Whenever you take a deductible trip, you’ll appreciate that QuickBooks mileage tracking is designed to work automatically in the background (when the requisite permissions and settings are enabled). Users may occasionally need to open the app if automatic tracking is not working as expected.
4. Categorize your miles: Once you complete a trip, you can use the mobile app to categorize your trip as business or personal.

Keep in mind that with QuickBooks Free, you can only track and categorize up to five trips each month.

Send estimates and invoices from the job site

Writing up an estimate while you’re with the customer helps ensure that you don’t accidentally forget key details, and you also don’t have to wait for a reply. The mobile app allows you to present an estimate, collect the customer’s signature, view its status, and convert it into an invoice once you’ve completed the job.

You also have the option to send other invoices directly from the app, making it easier to bill your customers as soon as you complete work for them.

If you have a QuickBooks Free plan, you’re limited to sending one estimate and two invoices per month. However, if you register for QuickBooks Payments, you’ll get unlimited invoices, even on the free plan.

Take payments from customers

If you have an iOS device, such as an iPhone or iPad, you can accept contactless payments from physical credit and debit cards, as well as digital wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay. You don’t even need a separate card reader or other hardware.

To use this feature, you’ll need to register for QuickBooks Payments. From there, you can use the QuickBooks mobile app or the GoPayments app. The latter option is worth considering if you have employees who take payments because it doesn’t give them access to your QuickBooks data.

Note, however, that QuickBooks takes a fee from every transaction you make through the Payments platform. Here are the rates, as of this writing:

• 2.5% for in-person payments with a card reader or iOS device.
• 3.5% for manually entered card payments.
• 2.99% for invoices paid by card or digital wallet.
• 1% for ACH bank payments.

Which QuickBooks plans include the mobile app?

QuickBooks mobile access is included with your QuickBooks Online subscription at no extra cost. Here’s what the paid plans cost, as of this writing:

• Simple Start: $38 per month for one user.
• Essentials: $85 per month for up to three users.
• Plus: $140 per month for up to five users.
• Advanced: $340 per month for up to 25 users.

If you’re a new QuickBooks Online user or you’re thinking about upgrading your plan, Intuit is currently offering 50% off those regular monthly prices for the first three months in lieu of a 30-day free trial.

While certain mobile features are included with usage limits, the full mobile experience is not available on the Free plan. For example, Intuit’s pricing page for QuickBooks Online lists the mobile app as unavailable for QuickBooks Free users. However, the no-cost plan does include limited receipt capture and mileage tracking, both of which are mobile-first features.

The takeaway

The QuickBooks mobile app comes with a handful of features that can make it easier to manage your bookkeeping and, therefore, your business while you’re on the go. It’s important to keep in mind, though, that features are limited for QuickBooks Free users.

But if you’re often on a job or traveling to meet with clients or customers, the time-saving mobile features alone could make it worthwhile to upgrade your plan.

Frequently asked questions

Does the QuickBooks mobile app work on Android?

Yes, the QuickBooks mobile app works for both Android and iOS devices. However, if you want to accept in-person payments, that feature is not accessible with an Android phone or tablet.

Can my employees use the QuickBooks mobile app?

Your employees can use the mobile app, but certain features, such as automatic mileage tracking, are only available to admin users. Also, if you want to accept in-person payments, consider having your employees download the GoPayment app to avoid giving them access to all of your financial data.

Which QuickBooks Online plan works best with the mobile app?

All paid plans offer the same mobile features, and you don’t have to worry about the free plan’s limits on invoices, estimates, and mileage tracking. If you don’t need extra features on the web version of QuickBooks, the Simple Start plan is sufficient.