In Quicken, you can handle billable expenses by marking a transaction in the register as Billable and assigning it to the appropriate Client and Business. You can then include the billable expense in an invoice. This topic covers how to track and invoice these expenses.
Quick overview
Here are the basic steps to categorize and invoice a billable expense:
-
Record the billable expense transaction in your register.
-
Create or edit the invoice you want to add the expense to.
-
Add the billable expense to the invoice.
Use the detailed instructions below for further guidance.
Categorize a transaction as a billable expense
Record and categorize the expense in the register
All expenses begin in the register, where you enter details such as the payee, amount, and category. For downloaded transactions, review and update any missing details. To record or edit an expense:
-
Navigate to the appropriate account register.
-
Edit the transaction details. The transaction must include the Business, the Client, and a Business Expense category.
-
Select the Billable checkbox.
-
Save the transaction to categorize it as a billable expense.
Add a billable expense to an invoice
-
Navigate to Business > Invoices and select New Invoice, or choose an existing invoice to edit.
-
In the panel on the right side of the window, select the Billable Items tab. The Expenses section lists the unbilled billable items the client has for this business.
-
Add items to the invoice:
-
Click the plus (+) button next to an item to add it.
-
Click Add All Expenses to add everything in the list.
-
-
For each item you add, review the Description that appears on the invoice line and edit it if needed.
-
Save or send the invoice:
-
Select Save as Draft to review or modify the invoice later.
-
Select Save, then Print or Export Invoice as PDF, when the invoice is ready to deliver to the client.
-
Billable mileage trips appear in the Billable Items list alongside billable expenses. When you add a mileage trip, Quicken fills in a default description based on the trip's date and purpose, for example 7/15/2026 - Client Meeting. You can edit the description before you send the invoice.
Add business, client, and billable details to a bill payment
When you pay a bill through Quicken, you can attach business, client, and billable details directly to the payment. This lets you track expenses paid on a client's behalf and pass those costs back to the client through an invoice. These fields are available when you pay bills using Quick Pay, Check Pay, or Bank Bill Pay.
Business fields
The following fields appear in the bill payment form when your account is set up for business use.
-
Business: Select the business associated with the expense.
-
Client: Select the client or project the expense belongs to.
-
Billable: Select this checkbox to mark the expense as billable, which makes it available to add to a client invoice.
After you mark a bill payment as billable, you can apply it to an invoice.
Things to keep in mind
-
Once a billable expense is added to an invoice, it can't be used for another invoice.
-
If an expense is added by mistake, remove it before you can add it to another invoice.
-
Adding a billable expense to an invoice automatically links it, ensuring accurate tracking in your financial records.
-
Editing a billable expense transaction may unlink it from an invoice. For example, this can happen if you change the Business or Client on the transaction, or change the category to one that is not a Business Expense type.