What the Discontinuation of QuickBooks Desktop 2016 Means to You as a Merchant

On May 31st, 2019, QuickBooks discontinued support for their QuickBooks Desktop 2016 accounting and finance software – one of the most popular accounting and productivity tools available. That discontinuation was planned and shouldn’t come as a surprise to any Desktop 2016 users, but it still causes headaches for QuickBooks’ large 2016 userbase, annoying some even more so considering that the 2016 version isn’t all that old as far as software goes. While the discontinuation doesn’t totally brick the software for current users, it does cause some notable limitations in popular features and addons that many users – especially at the enterprise and pro levels – will need to figure out a solution to. 

What does the discontinuation limit access to?

The core QuickBooks Desktop 2016 software will continue to work, and any users who only use the core software with no additional add-ons won’t see any interruption or limitation in their use. However, for business users who also use addons, like QuickBooks’ payroll, online backup, or banking tools, the addon integration will no longer function. That impacts all editions of QuickBooks Desktop 2016 (Pro, Premier, Enterprise, and Accountant editions) and represents a major lapse in functionality for addon users. The change also impacts all Desktop 2016 users in that live support will no longer be available in any form. 

What are your options?

For users of the core software only who see no situation in which they’ll require live support from QuickBooks, the easiest option is to go about business as usual. For all other users, an upgrade to QuickBooks Desktop 2019 will be required in order to maintain functionality. Desktop 2019 includes new productivity features designed to further streamline accounting, banking, and financial management, and upgrading is as simple as making a purchase online, downloading the installer, and letting the software do the rest. However, for Desktop 2016 users that don’t want to purchase or install new software, or whose computer systems don’t have the necessary specs to run Desktop 2019, there are still other options available. 

How can BAMS help?

BAMS integrates seamlessly with QuickBooks and continues to work with all versions of the software, including Desktop 2019, online, and POS versions. BAMS merchants receive access to IRIS CRM, the payment industry’s leading customer resource management tool and the productivity features included replace or improve many of the features available in the now discontinued addons. That means BAMS merchants can continue using QuickBooks Desktop 2016 and, in many cases, actually save money over paying for QuickBooks’ addons.

For more information on how BAMS can help support and stabilize your use of QuickBooks Desktop 2016, provide you with access to a powerful customer resource management tool, and provide you with the lowest cost merchant account available, contact us today. We’d be happy to answer any of your questions or to get started on our unique five-step price comparison which identifies, line-by-line, every fee that BAMS can help you reduce.