Hello jon-nuckels,

This happens if you connect parent a credit card account and its sub-accounts.

You can't connect the parent account and sub accounts at the same time. This triggers the error you get. You'll only need to connect the account where your transactions are downloaded. If all transactions go the parent account, just connect the parent account. If they are downloaded to the individual sub-accounts, you can connect all sub-accounts.

Here's an article for additional reference: About Bank or Credit Card Sub-account Setup.

If you have additional questions, please go back to this thread.

This is not working for me.  No account is connected. In fact, I have a brand new card and just added one account.  It still tells me it "is already linked to a bank feed."

Hello there, @Southside Plumbing!

Let me share a few information and help you set up your credit card successfully.

When connecting your credit card account, you'll have to make sure you've selected the correct link. Since, your account might have multiple names on the list of suggestions.

I've attached an article you can read to learn more about setting up your credit card: How to Identify the Correct Bank?

Please let me know if you have any other questions or if you're referring to something else. I'll be always around to help.

I'm getting the same error message after adding new subaccounts to a parent account that was formerly connected (before realizing that the import was leaving out other users).  The error message isn't helpful to understanding the problem.  and there's no real technical reason why the subaccounts would not be connectable. 

Hello there, got2bkidding.

Allow me to chime in and share some additional information about linking a credit card via online banking.

Before connecting it, you’ll have to check first how the bank sends the downloaded data. This is to ensure the online banking setup is compatible with your financial institution.

If the transactions download to one account, link only the parent credit card. However, if the data are imported to each account, you’ll only link the sub-accounts.

Currently, you can’t sync both the parent account and sub-accounts. If you try to link them, you'll get a message that they're already connected.

For more in-depth information, check out this link on how to set up a bank or credit card.

This information should point you in the right direction.

If you have additional questions or concerns about QBO, leave me a comment. I’ll be right here with you. Have a good one.

Hi, 

I am trying to add a second credit card (not connected to the first credit card) and it is giving me the same error. Any suggestions on what to do differently? Your message above doesn't solve anything for me at this time. 

Thanks for joining this thread, pieceofcake.

This error message typically comes up if you are adding multiple credit cards for the same bank in QuickBooks Online.

Before connecting to Online Banking, you need to identify how your financial institution sends your downloaded transactions. If they download to only one account, you can connect the main one. If it’s to the individual accounts, link the sub-accounts.

On the other hand, you'll get a message that the account is already connected if the second credit card has the same bank account number with the first one, but login credentials are different. You can update the sign in info instead of adding a new connection to get rid of the error.

Let me show you how to do it:

1. Go to Banking.
2. Click the Edit ✎ icon next to the bank name.
   
3. Select Edit sign-in info, and enter your updated bank website username or user ID and password.
   
4. Select Save and connect.
5. QuickBooks Online will try to connect with your bank to verify your information.
6. Once you see a confirmation message, select I'm done, Let's go!

You can also refer to this article: How to update your bank account sign-in information for additional information.

Let me know how this goes by leaving a comment below. I always have your back.

Good morning,

I am having a similar issue. I have a parent CC and two additional users so a total of 3 accounts. I believe I understand that you cannot link the parent account if there are transactions in the other two sub accounts. But my parent CC will not show the the transactions of the other 2 sub-accounts. I found another way to zero out the accounts through journal entries but I would like to know if there is a way to fix this? I want to be able to see the transactions from the sub-account as well as the parent.

Hi there @Angel12,

You'll want to run a report at the parent level (parent account). This lets you see all of the transactions for the parent account and each subaccount. Let me guide you how.

1. Go to Accounting, then Chart of Accounts.
2. Look for the parent account that you want to pull up, then click the View register link.

If you want to view transactions specific to one of the subaccounts, you can run a report for that subaccount. Please see added screenshot below.

I've got this awesome article that you can read for details about bank or credit card subaccount setup. You can also visit our banking and bank feeds page for future reference.

You can leave a comment anytime if you have other questions and concerns. The Community is always here for you. Thanks for joining and happy weekend.

This answer is not helpful at all.

We want to provide you a resolution specific for your concern, Gail521.

For us to this, we'd like to know more about the issue. Which of the responses that don't correspond to your concern? What are you trying to do? 

We'd appreciate any additional details of your concern so we can provide further action.

Simple -

I have 3 Sub-accounts/authorized user cards at my real bank (not QBO) and when syncing with QBO it'ell only sync transactions from the Main account (and show bank balance the combined from all 3 accounts

Hi joe10950,

You'll have to know how your bank sends the downloaded transaction in QuickBooks Online (QBO). You'll want to connect on the main account if the transactions download into one account. Otherwise, connect the subaccount if transactions download to an individual account.

To give you a complete overview of connecting accounts, please go to this article for more information: About Bank or Credit Card Subaccount Setup.

For future reference, you can match bank transactions in QBO: Match and categorize bank Transactions in QuickBooks Online.

Please let me know if you have further questions. I'll always be around to help you.

I am having the same issue.

This seems so easy to fix.  Why can't I add another credit card to the account even if it has a parent?  Seems straight forward.

Hi there, Treehouse.

The reason why we're unable to add the credit card as a sub-account is because transactions are already downloaded in the parent account if it's already connected. 

When it’s time to reconcile, you only need to reconcile the parent account because all transactions in the subaccounts roll up into it.

Let me share another article for additional details: Connect bank and credit card accounts to QuickBooks Online.

I'll be around if you need anything else. 

I need to know if this issue was solved or not. If so please let me know how. I have same issue. please advise. 

Thanks for joining us here today, @MECLAX.

I have some information about connecting credit card accounts. You're unable to connect both a parent account and its subaccounts. If you try to connect both, you’ll get a message that the account is already connected. As mentioned by my colleague @JessT, you can only connect one account and create a sub-account for your other card to fix this.

To set up a sub-account:

1. Go to Accounting and select Chart of Accounts.
2. Pick New.
3. Choose the account type and detail type. Then, tick the Is sub-account box and then enter the parent account (see the image below).
4. Give your new subaccount a Name. You can also add a Description.
5. Click Save and Close.

Want more details? Check out these guides below:

• Connect bank and credit card accounts to QuickBooks Online.

• About bank or credit card subaccount setup.

• Create subaccounts in your chart of accounts in QuickBooks Online.

You can also browse this link here if you need help with other banking tasks. It has topics and articles that will walk you through along the way.

Hit the reply button anytime if you still have questions or concerns with bank or credit card accounts. I'll be around for you. Take care and have a lovely day ahead.

My transactions in the sub-accounts don't roll into parent account. I have my primary card pulling transactions into QBO (even though it doesn't pull the transactions from the additional card into QBO). Additionally, the payment is brought into the primary account (this covers the whole balance from both cards on the account). I only had one card linked to QBO initially and subsequently added another card. Now I'm unable to have this second card automatically pull in the transactions because I had the original one linked as a primary and not a sub-account? What if I added another card still? Can this not be fixed easily without journal entries?

I'm here to share some information with you about how primary and additional credit cards sync transactions in QuickBooks, @emorales05.

Currently, we're unable to control what bank's give us the data. This is because the bank provides us with a static balance of the entire account, not the balance of each subaccount. That is why your primary account get the whole balance from both cards on the account.

So when your second card is associated with the primary card that pulling transactions into QBO, you can set this up as a sub-account. This way, you won't have to link this with online banking, only the primary account and the transactions will depend on how your bank delivers the data (your bank decides whether to sync it on the primary account or sub-accounts).

If you'll add a new card associated with the primary card, you can also set this up as a sub-account under the primary card. This will help fix and sync transactions with ease without using journal entries.

Here's how to change an existing account into a sub-account:

1. Go to Gear⚙ and then select Chart of Accounts.
2. Find the account and select the triangle ▼ in the Action column, then choose Edit.
3. Check the Is sub-account box and then select the parent account.
   
4. Select Save and Close.

Here's how to change an existing account into a sub-account:

1. Go to Gear⚙ and then select Chart of Accounts.
2. Find the account and select the triangle ▼ in the Action column, then choose Edit.
3. Check the Is sub-account box and then select the parent account.
4. Select Save and Close.

For more details about setting up a bank/credit card account with multiple cards associated with it, you can reference this article: About bank or credit card subaccount setup.

Additionally, you want to import old transactions from your bank, you can manually upload transactions into QBO.

Please keep me posted if you have other concerns with getting your online banking or credit card transactions into QuickBooks. I'm available to help anytime. Take care always.

Has there been a recent change in qbo to disallow connecting parent and sub-accounts? I had them connected already, one parent and three subs. To reconcile, I reconciled the parent and made a JE to balance the other accounts. All accounts are on one statement. 

The problem arose when I tried to add a fourth sub, and I get the error message that I can't because it's a sub-account of an account that is already connected. But the other subs are still connected. And the transactions from the new sub aren't importing with the parent at all. I've disconnect and reconnected, using different browsers and incognito windows. Can you tell me why I can have three subs connected but I can't add the fourth? There is no difference in how they are set up.

Hi there, MR88.

The guideline for Online Banking has always been the same when connecting parent and sub-accounts. It might have initially allowed you to connect both, but was eventually detected by the system. This can be the reason why you're now getting the error when connecting the fourth sub-account. 

You can read more details about this in the Connect the accounts to Online Banking section of this article:  About Bank or Credit Card Subaccount Setup.

Feel free to refer to these articles for additional guidance and reference when using Online Banking: 

• Unmatch Downloaded Bank Transactions or Move Them to Another Account
• What To Do If You Can’t Find Downloaded Transactions in QuickBooks Online

Reach out to us again any time of the day if you have other questions or concerns when working in QBO. We'd be happy to help you again. 

Ok, but the fact remains that my sub-accounts are still connected, and it's only when I add the new sub-account that I get the error message. Further, the transactions from the new card are not importing into quickbooks, whereas the other sub-accounts all import in the parent account and that's why I use a JE to avoid duplicate transactions.

Hello, MR88. 

Thank you for getting back to us. As mention by my colleague above, initially they will allow you to connect both a parent account and its subaccounts. However, if you try to attach both, and the system detects it, you’ll get a message that the account is already connected. 

You may consider contacting our customer support team to help you further with this. 

On the other hand, If you need further help reconciling your account, see how to reconcile accounts for a step-by-step guide.   

Drop me a comment below if you have any other questions. I'll be more than happy to help. Wishing you a good one. Stay safe!                                                                                               

Did anyone get an actual helpful answer from this feed?

It sounds like we are all in the same boat.

I have a primary card and an employee card. It was working fine for awhile. Total balance feeds through the primary card and the transactions for primary card uploaded to it and the employee card to the employee card. When it was time to reconcile, all the transactions for both reconciled against the total balance on the primary account.

Now its disconnected my employee card so none of those transactions are coming through to reconcile against the total balance that is coming through to the primary account.

I've followed all of the variations of how to disconnect and re-link the sub accounts and none work. I end up getting the same error message.

Nothing balances at this point since all of the employee card transactions are failing to come over.