Custom fields in QuickBooks Online (QBO) have gotten a major overhaul in 2025, with new flexibility for tracking customer and transactional data. But as with most things in QBO, the details—and limits—matter. Here’s what’s new, and what users should know before diving in.
Expanded Customer Custom Fields: Up to 30 Per Customer
As of July 2025, all QBO subscription levels (except Ledger) can now add up to 30 custom fields to customer profiles. These can include text, number, date, and dropdown fields (with up to 100 dropdown options, including a color picker).
What this means:
You can now capture a wide range of customer-specific details, from loyalty numbers to preferred contact methods, directly on each customer’s profile. This is a significant increase from previous limits, which reserved most custom field flexibility for QBO Advanced users.
You can now capture a wide range of customer-specific details, from loyalty numbers to preferred contact methods, directly on each customer’s profile. This is a significant increase from previous limits, which reserved most custom field flexibility for QBO Advanced users.
Important Limit: Transactional Use Is Still Restricted by Plan
Here’s the catch:
Even though you can create up to 30 custom fields on customer records, the number of custom fields you can actually use on transactions (like invoices, sales receipts, and bills) is still limited by your QBO subscription level:
Even though you can create up to 30 custom fields on customer records, the number of custom fields you can actually use on transactions (like invoices, sales receipts, and bills) is still limited by your QBO subscription level:
| Plan Level | Custom Fields Allowed Per Transaction |
|---|---|
| Simple Start | 1 |
| Essentials | 4 |
| Plus | 4 |
| Advanced | 12 |
| Ledger | Not available |
- Simple Start: Just one custom field per transaction, and it’s not included on reports.
- Essentials/Plus: Up to four per transaction.
- Advanced: Up to twelve per transaction.
Key detail:
Custom fields used on transactions appear only on the header of the transaction form (such as the top section of an invoice or bill)—not on individual line items. So, if you’re hoping to track something unique for each product or service line, custom fields won’t cover that scenario.
Custom fields used on transactions appear only on the header of the transaction form (such as the top section of an invoice or bill)—not on individual line items. So, if you’re hoping to track something unique for each product or service line, custom fields won’t cover that scenario.
Custom Fields vs. Tags
With the sunset of the Tags feature for new or inactive users, custom fields are now the primary way to track extra details on transactions. But unlike tags, which could be applied more flexibly, custom fields are more structured and limited by your plan.
Practical Considerations
- Just because you can create 30 custom fields on customers doesn’t mean you can use all 30 on every transaction. Your plan’s per-transaction limit is the real bottleneck.
- Custom fields on transactions are for the overall transaction, not for individual items. If you need per-line detail, you’ll need to look for workarounds or third-party tools.
- Clarity and consistency matter: If you’re rolling out more custom fields, set clear guidelines for your team to avoid confusion or data clutter.
How to Set Up and Use Custom Fields
-
To add customer custom fields:
- Go to the Customer Profile or Custom Fields list.
- Click “Add Custom Field,” select the type, and save.
-
To add transactional custom fields:
- Go to Settings > Custom Fields.
- Add your fields, then choose which transaction forms (invoices, bills, etc.) they should appear on.
Remember: You can edit or deactivate custom fields, but you can’t delete them outright.
Bottom Line
QBO’s custom field expansion offers more ways to track what matters to your business, especially on customer records. However, when it comes to using those fields on transactions, the limits are set by your subscription—and they only apply to the header, not the line items. As always, weigh the new flexibility against your actual workflow needs before making big changes.
Looking for more flexibility?
If you need unlimited custom fields and want to use them without being restricted by your QuickBooks subscription level, Method offers a solution. Method allows you to create and use as many custom fields as you need, and you can start with a no-risk free trial to see if it fits your workflow.
If you need unlimited custom fields and want to use them without being restricted by your QuickBooks subscription level, Method offers a solution. Method allows you to create and use as many custom fields as you need, and you can start with a no-risk free trial to see if it fits your workflow.
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