How to Set Up Time Tracking in QuickBooks (Online & Desktop)

Time is not only money in the modern dynamic world of business, but it is also one of the resources that can make or break its existence in terms of productivity and profitability. In a job where there are numerous people to be kept on track, accurate payroll, billing, and general project management, it is always vital to keep time effectively. QuickBooks Time (previously TSheets) is one of the most popular time-tracking solutions that enables QuickBooks accounting software to take care of the workforce management process and make it more streamlined.

This guide is a comprehensive review of QuickBooks Time Tracking, including its functionality, advantages, installation steps, best usage recommendations, and how it can revolutionize the process of managing teams and projects.

What is QuickBooks Time?

QuickBooks Time (formerly TSheets, acquired by Intuit in 2017) is a cloud-based time-tracking application that is used to have employees clock in and out on mobile devices, desktops, or time kiosks. It is also quite useful in businesses that require remote employees, field workers, or those that have multiple job locations. The software not only assists in registering the right hours of work but also syncs with the payroll system and billing systems, enabling the right disbursements to be made to employees and clients.

QuickBooks Time provides employers with insight into their workforce, and employees with an easy-to-use interface that they can use to record their time. The system is cost-effective because it makes the manual timesheets superfluous, minimizes the types of errors involved, and, most importantly, saves time and money.

How to Set Up QuickBooks Time Tracking

Using QuickBooks Time is not difficult to initiate. The following is a step-wise description:

Step 1: Sign Up

Businesses can enroll in QuickBooks Time via the Intuit site. New users are frequently invited to make a free trial in QuickBooks.

Step 2: Add Employees

After the account has been created, you can add employees by typing their information and sending them an invitation email or text message.

Step 3: Customize Settings

Create your pay rates, overtime regulation, PTO policies, job codes, etc., as per the requirements of your company.

Step 4: Install the App

The employees are expected to download the QuickBooks Time mobile application or the web version to commence time tracking.

Step 5: Set Up Schedules (Optional)

Managers are in a position to make schedules and allocate assignments to employees or shifts.

Step 6: Integrate with Payroll

Link QuickBooks Time to the payroll provider, QuickBooks Online, or QuickBooks Desktop.

Step 7: Start Tracking

Employers log in and out, Managers check the timesheets, and the payroll is automatically calculated.

Why Time Tracking Matters for Businesses

Now that we have explored QuickBooks Time in detail, it is worth knowing why time tracking is so essential to a contemporary business:

1. Accurate Payroll

Manual time entry is known to cause errors that result in overpayment and underpayment. Automated time accounting provides accuracy in payroll.

2. Billing and Invoicing

There are service-oriented companies that depend on invoiceable time. QuickBooks Time enables accurate client billing that increases trust and revenue.

3. Project Management

Time data assists managers in the allocation of resources to optimize their use, measurements of productivity, and tracking the status of projects.

4. Compliance

Labor laws may need records of the number of hours worked by the employee, breaks, and overtime to be detailed. Automated time tracking is useful in assuring compliance.

5. Productivity Insights

Time-based tracking shows the amount of time consumed on tasks, which allows businesses to identify inefficient work and streamline workflows.

Key Features of QuickBooks Time Tracking

QuickBooks Time comes with numerous features that make it the most preferred option in businesses of various industries. Some of its more notable features are:

1. Mobile Time Tracking

Workers can punch in and out anywhere through the QuickBooks Time mobile app (on iOS and Android). This is especially beneficial to remote workers, field force teams, and people who travel a lot.

2. GPS Location Tracking

The app offers series of GPS locating features, which can enable managers to verify its whereabouts of employees as they clock in and where they (the employees) are during work hours. This option increases accountability, and this helps in knowing that the employees are on their approved job sites.

3. Geofencing

QuickBooks Time includes geofencing, whereby reminders notify employees upon entering or leaving a job site to clock in or out. This minimizes forgotten punches and provides more precise time data.

4. Job and Shift Scheduling

Managers are able to assign and create shifts, jobs, or projects within QuickBooks Time. Employees are notified of their schedules, and when there are changes, they are timely updated.

5. Real-Time Reporting

QuickBooks Time provides in-depth reports on overtime, hours worked, job costs, and productivity. Managerial minds use these reports to approach data-driven decisions.

6. Overtime Alerts

Managers and employees are alerted by the software when they are approaching overtime to enable businesses to manage labor costs and remain compliant with the labor laws.

7. Customizable Timesheets

Business firms configure timesheets according to their needs, whether for hourly labor, salaried employees, or contractors. Timesheets can be modified, possibly by project, client, and/or job code.

8. Seamless Payroll Integration

QuickBooks Time is integrated into QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop, as well as several other payroll providers. All recorded working hours will, therefore, automatically be transferred to the payroll to ensure correct and prompt payment.

9. Billable Hours Tracking

When service-based firms utilize QuickBooks Time to log time for their customers, it creates a highly simplified version for billing through invoices generated with QuickBooks.

10. Time Kiosk

QuickBooks Time has a time kiosk solution in case your employees are working at the same location. A PIN code is needed, and the worker is permitted to clock in and out using a shared device.

11. Leave and PTO Management

QuickBooks Time has options to monitor PTO, sick leave, and vacation days, as well, diminishing the administrative pressure placed on HR departments.

Benefits of Using QuickBooks Time

QuickBooks Time features translate into major business advantages of any size. Among the most notable advantages are the following:

1. Improved Accuracy

Automatic time tracking eliminates the risk of human error and time tracking fraud to ensure that employees are taxed fair and clients are billed appropriately.

2. Time and Cost Savings

The time to collect primary time sheets by hand and do manual payroll calculations may take several hours a week. QuickBooks Time streamlines these time-consuming activities, saving managers and HR personnel a lot of time.

3. Enhanced Productivity

Comparing time reports will show inefficiencies in a business and make improvements to the workflow, and eventually increase productivity.

4. Greater Transparency

Payroll workers and employers can also see exactly how many hours have been worked, what the schedule is, among other pieces of information, leading to trust and accountability.

5. Compliance with Labor Laws

QuickBooks Time allows you to customize overtime alerts and provides reporting, so businesses can remain in compliance with federal and state labor requirements.

6. Scalability

QuickBooks Time is scalable with your business needs, whether you have 5 or 500 employees. It fits the commitments of small businesses, medium-sized businesses, and large corporations.

7. Employee Satisfaction

Employees appreciate how easy it is to clock in using mobile devices, the precision of their paychecks, and the clarity of their work schedules.

Who Should Use QuickBooks Time?

QuickBooks Time can be suitable for almost any industry. This information is especially useful:

• Companies running construction crews at multiple work locations.
• Companies that operate on a billable-hour basis include law firms, creative agencies, and consulting organizations.
• Retailers have daily employees who are working at various shifts of the day.
• Healthcare establishments monitor the hours that nurses, caregivers, and support staff work.
• Enterprises in the field service industry, including HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and landscaping companies.
• Remote Teams that require an effective method to capture time at any location.

In short, any company requiring proper timekeeping, payroll integration, and project tracking can utilize QuickBooks Time.

Best Practices for QuickBooks Time Tracking

To take full advantage of QuickBooks Time, companies need to:

1. Train Employees Thoroughly

Training sessions will have to be set up where employees can learn clocking in/out and filling timesheets using the mobile app.

2. Use Geofencing and GPS

Such features alleviate errors and guarantee the correct location of employees.

3. Review Reports Regularly

In order to identify trends, overtime, or inefficiencies, managers are supposed to examine weekly and monthly reports.

4. Setting Clear Policies

Developing policies on tardiness and absenteeism, breaks, timings, and other general guidelines is always a good thing.

5. Leverage Automation

Utilize scheduled violations, reminders, and alerts so that very little manual intervention is required.

6. Encourage Employee Feedback

Employees might find out some problems or improvements that could be made in the software. So, make good use of these suggestions to improve usage.

Common Problems and their Solutions

While QuickBooks Time is an excellent tool, it may not be simple for every company to use. Listed here are some prevalent issues with their remedies:

1. Employee Resistance

Time tracking may be interpreted as micromanagement by certain employees.

Solution: Communicate the benefits, e.g., correct compensation and equal work settlement.

2. GPS Privacy Concerns

Employees might fear being tracked in their location.

Solution: Clarify that GPS tracking can only be undertaken when the employees are clocked in.

3. Forgotten Punches

Employees will forget to clock in/ out.

Solution: Add reminders, geofencing, and approvals by the managers to prevent errors.

4. Integration Issues

There are certain businesses that encounter some difficulties in synchronizing payroll.

Solution: Make sure the integrations are done correctly, and connect with the QuickBooks support in case any trouble occurs.

QuickBooks Time Pricing

As of 2025, QuickBooks Time also has various pricing plans according to the types of teams and features required. The cost normally encompasses:

• A fixed price (fixed monthly subscription).
• A charge per employee to access the system.

Pricing ranges from around $20 -$40 per month base price to around $8 -$10 per user/per month, depending upon the options, discounts, or bundling with QuickBooks Online may be available.

QuickBooks pricing is as follows (up-to-date information can be found on their site)

Alternatives to QuickBooks Time

QuickBooks Time is very popular, but some businesses will have a different preference. Competitors include:

• Clockify: A free time tracker that also has paid options.
• Harvest: Good at tracking projects and any billing.
• Hubstaff: Provides time tracking with monitoring productivity.
• Toggl Track: A simplistic and easy-to-use tracker that even teams can use.
• Paychex Flex Time: Designated for managing payroll and HR.

Because of its seamless QuickBooks integration, QuickBooks Time remains the best choice, even if each solution has unique benefits.

The Future of QuickBooks Time Tracking

The future of workforce management is likely to be even more automated, to use artificial intelligence, and to entail more information-based insights. Additional future integration with other Intuit services will likely include:

• AI-enhanced productivity tracking.
• State-of-the-art forecasting tools for labor costs.
• Better merging with project management tools.
• Biometric identification of the engineers clocking in.

Companies that adopt such technologies will be in a good position to minimize labor costs, enhance efficiency, and improve employee satisfaction.

Conclusion

QuickBooks Time Tracking goes beyond a simple digital timesheet; it becomes a workforce management tool that allows businesses to improve the accuracy of tracking time, streamline administrative tasks, and provide meaningful insight into productivity. Among its strong functionality, such aspects as mobile clock-in, GPS tracking, job scheduling, payroll integration, and customizable reporting make it one of the favorite choices with enterprises spread across industries.

With QuickBooks Time and the best practices that should guide its use, businesses are set to not only avoid the pain of manual timesheets and the hazards of non-compliance with the law on labor, but also make decisions that will deliver growth and profitability.

Frequently Asked Questions