Do you often sell multiple items together? Would you like to create a package where you only need to list one item and all of the parts that make up the whole auto-fill? If this scenario applies in your business, you’ll want to create a Group Item.
A Group Item is a bundle of products or services sold together as a package. For example, think of a full-service car wash offering multiple choices (Standard, Gold, and Platinum). “Standard” is the basic wash, “Gold” includes the basic wash plus a spot-free rinse, and “Platinum” contains the basic wash, spot-free rinse, and wax and tire treatments. Using a group item allows you to make one entry, and all the products or services that make up the package are automatically included on the invoice or sales receipt. Here is how to set up your group item:
In QuickBooks, click Lists and select Item List. On the bottom left corner, click Item > New and select Group from the drop-down. Enter the name you want to use for this grouping and a description of the package (this description will appear on invoices and sales receipts). At the bottom add each line item that makes up the service and/or items that will be invoiced. If you want the individual items to appear on the invoice/sales receipt, click the Print items in the group box. You could instead include the breakdown in the description and not check this box.
This Group Item capability can be very helpful during your invoicing process potentially saving you time and money (failing to include all parts of the package on your sales form is lost income and could potentially throw off inventory figures). However, one drawback is that QuickBooks is unable to generate any sales reports for the group item itself. This means you can’t generate a report showing how many of the packages were sold. Instead, each part making up the whole will appear on your reports.
If you have lots of packages made up of multiple items you offer individually as well, consider creating a group item to simplify your invoicing process. In the end, you may find it saves you quite a bit of time and keeps your inventory (if applicable) accurate.
