Quick answer
QuickBooks Point of Sale 19.0 reached end of life on October 3, 2023. Intuit discontinued the software and turned off POS Payments, Gift Card Service, Mobile Sync, Store Exchange, Webgility ecommerce integration, Vendor Lookup and live support. The installed program still rings sales in a limited, unpatched state with no security updates. Back up your data, export your lists, and plan a migration.
What Intuit announced about QuickBooks POS
Intuit introduced QuickBooks Desktop Point of Sale more than 20 years ago to help retailers manage their stores. On October 3, 2023, it discontinued QuickBooks Desktop Point of Sale 19.0 and the connected services that depended on Intuit's servers. No future versions of the product were released.
According to Intuit, you can keep using QuickBooks Desktop Point of Sale 19.0 without those services, but discontinued products no longer receive critical security patches or feature updates. The software still processes sales on your own computers; the ecosystem around it — payments, gift cards, multi-store exchange, ecommerce, and support — is gone.
| Connected service | Status after October 3, 2023 |
|---|---|
| QuickBooks Point of Sale Payments | Turned off; card processing no longer works inside POS |
| QuickBooks Point of Sale Gift Card Service | Turned off; redeem manually and confirm balances from the Gift Card report |
| Mobile Sync | Unavailable |
| Intuit Store Exchange | Unavailable between stores |
| Webgility ecommerce integration | Unavailable |
| Vendor Lookup Service | Unavailable |
| Live support (phone, email, chat) | Ended |
The Tetra Lane 5000 PIN pad sold by Intuit no longer works, because it was configured only for QuickBooks Desktop Point of Sale and QuickBooks Payments. The product was no longer sold to new customers, and existing customers could add users and buy hardware on existing licenses only until October 3, 2023.
What still works and what stops
Separating the local software from the online services is the key to planning your next step. Anything that runs on your own computers keeps working. Anything that must reach an Intuit server does not.
| Still works locally | Stopped |
|---|---|
| Ringing up sales and collecting cash or check | QuickBooks POS Payments card processing |
| Inventory, purchase orders, and item records | Gift card activation and balance service |
| Reports, including sales history and Gift Card balances | Mobile Sync, Intuit Store Exchange, and Vendor Lookup |
| Viewing past transactions and customer history | Webgility ecommerce integration |
| Manual gift card redemption while balances last | Live support and security patches |
One symptom catches people by surprise: POS may prompt about unprocessed voice authorizations, and Authorize Now fails. Those offline transactions were designed to settle through QuickBooks Payments, which is no longer available for POS, so the settlement attempt cannot succeed.
Risks of staying on QuickBooks POS
- No security patches. Intuit states that discontinued products do not receive critical security patches or feature updates, while your registers still handle customer and payment data every day.
- Payment dead end. POS Payments and the PIN pad no longer work, so card processing needs a standalone terminal or a new platform.
- Hardware and replacement risk. You cannot buy new seats or hardware on the old license. If the server computer fails, recovery depends on your own installer, license, and product numbers, since Intuit no longer provides them.
- Operating system drift. New Windows releases and updates can break an unsupported POS build with no vendor fix coming.
- Ecommerce and multi-store gaps. Store Exchange and the Webgility integration are gone, so the old data flows between stores and online channels no longer run.
- Data extraction gets harder over time. The longer an unused POS machine sits in a back office, the greater the chance the hardware, installer, or license details are gone when you finally need the history.
- Gift card liability. The service that tracked balances is off, so you must confirm balances manually and honor them as customers redeem cards.
Before you start a POS migration
- Pick a quiet business day. A migration touches inventory counts and payment processing, so avoid a cutover during a sale or a holiday weekend.
- Confirm your accounting version. The QuickBooks Desktop Connector app that moves data to Shopify supports QuickBooks Desktop Pro Plus, Premier Plus, and Enterprise 2021, 2022, and 2023 (21.0, 22.0, and 23.0). Check the connector's current requirements if you run a different edition.
- Collect what you cannot re-download: the POS installer, license and product numbers, and any patch files you already have.
- Plan staff training and set a realistic schedule. Estimate two to six weeks for a full retail migration, depending on catalog size, hardware, and integrations.
Back up before you touch anything. Create a full backup of the Point of Sale company data file and copy it to two separate drives before you export, restore, upgrade, or uninstall anything. Keep the POS server and its data folder untouched until the new system has been verified for at least one full sales cycle. The same discipline applies to your accounting file, as covered in how to back up and restore QuickBooks Desktop safely.
How to migrate from QuickBooks Point of Sale step by step
Choose the replacement platform
If you need full retail features, Intuit partnered with Shopify, whose POS bundle includes a migration tool, premium onboarding, and 24/7 support, and whose integration syncs with QuickBooks Desktop financial software. For simple inventory and in-person payments, the QuickBooks mobile app can accept payments and sync transactions. Intuit notes that several point-of-sale solutions exist, so compare options against your register count, ecommerce needs, and reporting. Pick where your books will live as well: QuickBooks Desktop or QuickBooks Online.
Create a POS backup and export your lists
Use the built-in backup command in QuickBooks Point of Sale 19.0 to create a company data backup, then copy it off the POS server. Export the customer, vendor, and item lists, along with the reports you need: inventory valuation, sales history, tax summaries, and gift card balances. Save the exports as Excel or CSV files and confirm they open on a different computer. Export product images manually, because they are not included in any migration tool.
Run the migration tool or import your exported lists
Moving to Shopify: use the migration workflow in the QuickBooks Desktop Connector app to import products, including inventory quantities at each location, plus customers, vendors, and customer notes. Moving to another POS: import the CSV files you exported using that platform's import tool, and map fields carefully so item names, SKUs, prices, and quantities land in the right columns.
Recreate the data that does not move
Some records never transfer directly: customer balances, product images, and transaction records such as sales receipts, receiving vouchers, purchase orders, and sales orders. Keep QuickBooks Point of Sale available to view past transactions and customer history. Recreate discounts in the new system, and either move gift cards with a third-party app or redeem them manually while you run down the balance.
Set up new payment processing before you cut over
You cannot keep taking cards through QuickBooks POS Payments. Order new terminals or reader hardware, complete the merchant application, and run a test transaction in advance. Most POS hardware does not carry over; plan a small budget for replacement scanners, printers, and readers.
Connect the new POS to your accounting
Shopify syncs with QuickBooks Desktop through the QuickBooks Desktop Connector app, with a choice of summarized or detailed data, and it syncs orders, purchase orders, customers, inventory adjustments, and vendors. If you moved to QuickBooks Online, connect through an integration from the QuickBooks app store and confirm what each one syncs. Set the sync start date so the cutover day is not posted twice in your books.
Run a parallel test, then cut over
Ring test sales, returns, and a discount in the new system, and confirm that inventory decrements and tax calculate correctly. Then choose a slow hour for the real cutover. Keep the old POS installed but stop using it for live sales.
Verify the data and train the team
Recount inventory, spot-check prices and customer records, and confirm that the first day's totals in the new POS match what posts to accounting. Train staff on returns, discounts, and gift cards before the first busy shift. Do not wipe or repurpose the POS server until the new system has run cleanly through a full sales cycle.
Verify the migration worked
- Compare active item counts and inventory quantities between the last POS report and the new system.
- Spot-check customers and vendors, including contact details and notes.
- Ring a taxable test sale and confirm the tax rate and total match your old POS.
- Confirm the first day of synced sales posted to the correct accounts without duplicates.
- Document remaining gift card and customer balances, even if they are not yet in the new system.
If you cannot migrate yet
Some retailers need more time. If you keep running QuickBooks Desktop Point of Sale 19.0 for another season, reduce the risk:
- Keep a spare computer that can run the POS software, and store the installer, license and product numbers, and backup copies offline.
- Isolate the POS network and stop processing cards through the unsupported software; use a standalone payment terminal instead.
- Keep daily backups and test a restore on a spare machine at least once.
- Set a firm migration date. Waiting is how hardware, installers, and extracted data get lost. Related issues are covered in QuickBooks POS payment processing problems and QuickBooks POS sync and data problems.
Frequently asked questions
Can I still use QuickBooks Point of Sale after the discontinuation?
Yes, in a limited way. The installed POS 19.0 software keeps running on your own computers, but it no longer receives security patches or feature updates, and the connected services, including payments and gift cards, were turned off on October 3, 2023.
What data moves from QuickBooks POS to Shopify?
The QuickBooks Desktop Connector app moves products with inventory quantities at each location, customers, vendors, and customer notes. Customer balances, product images, and transaction records such as sales receipts and purchase orders do not transfer directly and must be handled separately.
Will my existing POS hardware work with a new system?
The Tetra Lane 5000 PIN pad no longer works because it was locked to QuickBooks POS and QuickBooks Payments. Intuit's FAQ says the QuickBooks POS cash drawer works with Shopify POS, but other hardware must be purchased from the new provider.
Can I still get support for QuickBooks Point of Sale?
No. Live phone, email, and chat support ended on October 3, 2023, and no future updates are planned. Independent technicians can assist with the installed software, but Intuit no longer supports the product or its services.
What happens to outstanding gift cards?
The Gift Card Service was discontinued, so the system can no longer manage balances. You can still redeem a gift card manually in QuickBooks POS and check its balance from the Gift Card report. Intuit's FAQ notes that third-party apps can help move gift card data to Shopify.