Quickbooks Pro, Gift Certificates, and Prepaid Packages

[lolly]

So we got QB Pro 2009 on the recommendation of our accountant. Um.... it's a big program. Supposedly very non-accountant user-friendly. I know it's easier than Peachtree (we tried that one for a different business many years ago- ack! What a nightmare!) and others.

But I can't figure out how to set up for gift certificate sales and redemption (and tracking the unique serial numbers we like to put on each GC), nor how to handle a series of prepaid sessions. I have seen instructions for dealing with both (except for the GC serial numbers), but it is very complicated for someone who just wants to click and print a receipt. Is there an easier way?

Is there an easier program (that is not either Massage Suite, which screws up every time I try to load the demo onto my computer), Massage Director, which scheduler keeps double-booking or dropping appointments out of the blue, and while we can easily use gift certificates in it, can't assign serial numbers to them), or Customer Pro File, which .... I don't recall what, but there was a reason why we stopped using it.

I need a very easy, WYSIWYG way to help us keep our records- otherwise, Mr Massage Brain won't be consistent in recording everything when I'm not in the office (it is rare for me to go in nowadays, and I can see scheduling myself to go in once or twice a week to do "maintenance recordkeeping", but not for every appointment he has). (And pencil and paper is O.U.T too- even if he were to write down what I needed to know consistently, it would be a miracle if I could end up able to read it all... the guy shoulda been a doctor, lol!). We currently have one therapist- with the possibility of a second from time to time *sometime in the future*; we sell products (not much right now but plan to add more); and we want to start offering classes soon.

Anyway, any suggestions would be most appreciated!

(And I know that software discussions abound on the board, but I had these *specific* issues, and tracing down all the threads/posts that might address them is beyond me at the moment. Thanks for understanding.)

 

[sarah p]

Quickbooks Pro, Gift Certificates, and Prepaid Packages

If you sign up for the INtuit users forum, you will probably find a very simple answer to how to set this up.

The bottom line is a GC or series sale is a Balance Sheet event that creates a short term liability for your company, which you work off as it is redeemed.

 

[xida_loverx]

Quickbooks Pro, Gift Certificates, and Prepaid Packages

Thanks; I spoke with my CPA yesterday, and he told me that "there are easier ways" to track GC's and packages.

 

[Rhonda N]

Quickbooks Pro, Gift Certificates, and Prepaid Packages

Thanks; I spoke with my CPA yesterday, and he told me that "there are easier ways" to track GC's and packages.

My, isn't HE helpful? :irked:

 

[Neicy]

Quickbooks Pro, Gift Certificates, and Prepaid Packages

lol sharon... sorry about that. I had to close the window in a hurry, so couldn't finish what I was intending to say.

A local colleague of ours also uses QB Pro, and she has offered to come over next week and give me an "extra eye" after I get the basics that I can think of set up. She does sell gift certificates, but says she doesn't do them the way I've seen instructions from QB. In the meantime, I am working on setting up what I know to do, and if she can't help me figure out what I can't on my own, THEN I'll call my CPA for help. We actually even have enough credit left with him for this year to cover an hour of QB consulting, so even if I do get it figured out myself (or with my friend's help), I'll probably have them come out just to give me a "professional opinion".

And last night as I was falling asleep, I figured out how to do a more "user friendly" system for hubby- I'll set up a second company, using the same information but with a different file name,and set it up as a "POS" type thing- ALL he will have to worry about on THAT computer will be tracking sales, and he'll back up to a flash drive daily and bring it home for me to look at on my computer, where I'll have a copy of "his" company files as well as the "real" one; I can just list "Gift Certificate" and "packages" as items on his version, and do the tweaking to enter the proper information/going to the proper accounts into my version. It'll be a "little" more work for me than if he could just do it "right" in the first place, but it will ensure that it gets done properly, and consistently- he is a *fabulous* massage therapist, but for the business end of things.... not so much, lol!