To say that QuickBooks Online supports multi-location inventory tracking may be a bit generous. It can be achieved through a configuration of lists but it’s far from ideal. Looking for a better multi-location inventory solution? Get a demo of Lexul Field Service.
Multi-location inventory features require the QuickBooks Online Plus or Advanced subscription.
- Enabling Location Tracking:
- Go to Settings ⚙️ (the gear icon).
- Select Account and settings.
- Navigate to the Advanced tab.
- Find the Categories section and select the Edit ✎ icon.
- Turn on the Track locations switch. You might also be able to customize the label for “Location” (e.g., Store, Territory, Property).
- Select Save, then Done.
- Adding and Managing Locations:
- Go to Settings ⚙️.
- Select All lists.
- Choose Locations (or whatever custom label you set, like “Stores”).
- Select New to add a location and enter its name.
- Select Save.
- From this list, you can also edit existing locations or make them inactive.
- Using Locations in Transactions:
- Once enabled, a Location field will appear on transactions like Invoices, Sales Receipts, Estimates, Expenses, Bills, Purchase Orders, etc.
- When entering a transaction, you can select the appropriate location from the dropdown menu. This tags the entire transaction to that specific location.
Important Note on Inventory Reporting by Location:
While you can assign transactions involving inventory items to specific locations using the steps above, viewing inventory stock levels specifically broken down by location in standard inventory reports within QBO might be limited.
Based on search results from the QuickBooks Community:
- Direct reports like “Inventory Valuation by Location” are not natively available. The suggested workaround is run reports like Sales by Location Detail or Purchases by Location Detail and filter them to analyze activity per location. This shows which transactions occurred where, but isn’t a direct stock level report per site.
- For detailed, real-time inventory quantity tracking at each specific location within dedicated inventory reports, many businesses turn to third-party inventory management apps, such as Lexul Field Service, that integrate with QuickBooks Online.
