I. How much does it really cost to use QuickBooks Time?
QuickBooks Time (formerly Tsheets) has experienced rapid growth due to its strong integration with QuickBooks. As a result, it has become the natural choice for users of QuickBooks’ accounting products. And really, the software offers some pretty top-tier features to track time for payroll.
With its dependable employee time-tracking and shift-scheduling software, QuickBooks Time caters to both office-based teams and mobile workers alike. Its real strength lies in its unique ability to track mobile workers with advanced features such as GPS tracking and geofencing. But what’s important to consider is the price at which businesses get access to this mighty software. Let’s look into it.
Pricing models
QuickBooks Time has two pricing plans, Premium and Elite, both of which come with a generous 30-day free trial.
Premium: At a base fee of US$20/month and an additional $8/user/month, this plan includes a shift and break scheduling facility, along with live reports of employees. It also allows integration with QuickBooks. The software is offering a 50% discount for the first 3 months.
Elite: At a base fee of $40/month and an additional $10/user/month, this plan includes geolocation, mileage tracking, and the ability to track the progress of current projects. Available at a discounted price of $20/month for the first three months.
What are the 5 things you’ve gotta watch out for with QuickBooks Time’s paid plans?
A. Hidden fees
I must say that QuickBooks Time operates on a transparent pricing model, meaning there are no hidden fees associated with their services. As a user, you will only be responsible for paying the monthly subscription fee for the paid plans. However, it is important to keep in mind that the monthly cost is dependent on the number of users and the level of plan selected.
B. Limited features on lower pricing tiers
QuickBooks Time offers different pricing tiers with varying features. Here is the list of features that are included in the lower pricing tier, Premium, of QuickBooks Time:
- Mobile app with GPS
- Streamlined payroll and invoicing
- Job and shift scheduling
- Customized reports
- Time off management
- Alerts and notifications
- Photo attachment
- Time kiosk
- Unlimited customer support
However, some advanced features are only available in the higher pricing tier, Elite. These features include real-time project collaboration and time tracking, track project progress to plan, project estimates vs actuals, project activity feed, timesheet signatures, geofencing, and mileage tracking.
One more thing worth mentioning is that QuickBooks Time does not offer a free plan, but it does offer a 14-day free trial period that allows users to test the software before committing to a subscription. During the trial period, users have access to all of the features offered in the paid plans.
C. Contracts and commitments
QuickBooks Time offers subscription-based services with no long-term contracts or commitments required. Users can subscribe to a plan and pay for their subscription on a monthly basis, and they have the option to cancel or change their plan at any time. However, I must mention that QuickBooks Time does not offer prorated refunds for cancellations, and any subscription fees paid are non-refundable.
D. Inflexibility in pricing
While QuickBooks Time offers transparent pricing policies and a range of plans to suit different needs, some users find the pricing inflexible. I acknowledge that this is because the monthly cost of each plan is determined by the number of users and the level of plan selected, and unfortunately, the software does not currently offer room for negotiation or customization in the pricing structure.
E. Difficulty in canceling or changing plans
According to QuickBooks Time’s terms and conditions, you can cancel your subscription at any time by going to “Account & Billing” in QuickBooks Time and selecting the “Close Account” tab, followed by “Permanently Close My Account.” It is important to note that no prorated refund will be issued once you have canceled your account.
While the process of canceling a subscription may seem straightforward, some users may experience difficulty canceling or changing their plans.
It is also important to note that terms, conditions, pricing, special features, and service and support options are subject to change without notice, so it is essential to review the latest terms and conditions before making any changes or canceling your subscription.
III. Is QuickBooks Time worth it?
To conclude, QuickBooks Time does offer a good variety of features that make it great but I kind of miss the free plan that would give it an edge. And anyway, the software’s pricing is quite high as well among other issues it has. Starting at US$20/user/month, it’s really on the higher priced side of things, and to get access to all features, businesses will have to cash out a hefty price of $40/user/month.
But QuickBooks Time does offer a generous 30-day free trial period and also 50% off for the first 3 months so any business will get ample time to decide whether the high price point is worth it or not.
Why not check out my honest review of QuickBooks Time, where I delve deep into what exactly makes the software an absolutely solid product for time tracking.
