Configure your email service with QuickBooks

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Configure your email service with QuickBooks

Last updated: Dec 13, 2012

Article ID: HOW12742

You may configure QuickBooks to easily email invoices, reports, and other transactions. There are four options too choose from:

Webmail: Gmail, Windows Live Hotmail*, and Yahoo mail may all be used by entering your login information.
Outlook, Outlook Express, or Windows Mail*: If you already email through Microsoft Outlook, choose that option in QuickBooks' Send Forms preferences.
POP mail: Most Internet Service Providers (ISP) who provide email, provide POP (Post Office Protocol) email access. Get the settings from your ISP and enter them in QuickBooks' Send Forms preferences.
Manual attachments: While Quickbooks will attach forms and reports to your email messages using the above options, you can also create .pdf files from within QuickBooks and attach to your emails on your own. This is similar to attaching pictures and other files to email.

Note: To use any of these options, you need one of a webmail account or an account with an Internet service provider (ISP).

*Microsoft provides two programs, Windows Mail and Windows Live Mail. They also provide a webmail service called Windows Live Hotmail. The names of these programs and the service are often confused, in particular since Microsoft has changed the names:

Windows Mail: Windows Mail is only available in Windows Vista. If Windows Mail is setup to send and receive email, you can choose it in QuickBooks
Windows Live Mail: Windows Live Mail is a program provided by Microsoft to send email and organize your Calendar and Contacts. While QuickBooks is not designed to email through Windows Live Mail, you can save Invoices, Reports Estimates, Purchase Orders and other forms as a .pdf file. Once saved as a .pdf file you can attach them to an email from any email software that supports attachments.
Windows Live Hotmail: is a webmail service, also provided by Microsoft. It is most often used within a web browser to send and receive emails.

Note: The differences between the program and the service are often a source of confusion. Contributing to the confusion is the ability to send and receive emails through your Windows Live Hotmail service inside your Windows Live Mail program. Either way, you may choose from the 4 options above.

Set up QuickBooks with Gmail

Estimated time: 15 minutes

If you want to use Gmail and you do not have an account, you must create a Gmail account with Google first.

Set up QuickBooks to work with Gmail

Open QuickBooks and choose Edit > Preferences.
Select Send Forms and click Add.
In the Add Email Info window:
1. Enter your Gmail address in the Email Id field.
2. In the Email Provider drop-down list, select Gmail.
Note: The SMTP Server Details fields are automatically filled in and grayed out.
Click OK. Your Gmail account appears in the E-mail Ids field and is set as the current default.
Click OK.
Email a transaction or report as a test.

Note: You may be required to enter your password one or more times before sending forms when you launch QuickBooks or when you launch Windows. For security reasons, QuickBooks cannot store the password to send your email.

Set up QuickBooks with Yahoo

If you want to use Yahoo and you do not already have a Yahoo webmail account, you must sign up for a Yahoo account first.

Set up QuickBooks with Yahoo

Open QuickBooks and choose Edit > Preferences.
Select Send Forms and click Add.
In the Add Email Info window:
1. Enter your Yahoo! address in the Email Id field.
2. In the Email Provider drop-down list, select Yahoo.
Note: The SMTP Server Details fields are automatically filled in and grayed out.
Click OK. Your Yahoo account appears in the E-mail Ids field and is set as the current default.
Click OK.
Email a transaction or report as a test.

Set up QuickBooks with Hotmail

Set up QuickBooks with Hotmail or other Windows Live email

Open QuickBooks and choose Edit > Preferences.
Select Send Forms and click Add.
In the Add Email Info window:
1. Enter your Hotmail or other Windows Live address in the Email Id field.
2. In the Email Provider drop-down list, select Hotmail/Live.
Note: The SMTP Server Details fields are automatically filled in and grayed out.
Click OK. Your Hotmail or Windows Live account appears in the E-Mail Ids field and is set as the current default.
Click OK.
Email a transaction or report as a test.

Use my regular email account

If your email address is from an ISP like Shaw, Bell, or Telus, you can set up QuickBooks to send email through your regular email account. You may need to contact the company to determine what SMTP server name and ports to use. This information will usually be provided on the ISP's web site.

Set up QuickBooks to work with your ISP's email service

Open QuickBooks and choose Edit > Preferences.
Select Send Forms and click Add.
In the Add Email Info window:
1. Enter your email address in the Email Id field.
2. From the Email Provider drop-down list, select Others.
3. Enter your ISP's mail server name in the Server Name field.
4. (Optional) Select the SSL checkbox if your ISP specifies that Secure Socket Layer should be enabled.
Click OK. Your email account appears in the E-Mail Ids field and is set as the current default.
Click OK.
Email a transaction or report as a test.

Note: You may be required to enter your password one or more times prior to sending forms when you launch QuickBooks or when you launch Windows. For security reasons, QuickBooks cannot store the password to send your email.

Use Outlook, Outlook Express, or Windows Mail

Select the link for the email program you want to set up.

Outlook 2007 or Outlook 2003

Estimated time: 20 minutes

Note: If you are already using Outlook as your email program, begin with step 2.

Create an email profile. For steps, refer to How to create and configure an email profile in Outlook 2010, Outlook 2007, and Outlook 2003.
You will need the following information to set up Outlook 2007 or Outlook 2003 as your email client (you may need to contact your ISP for server information):
- Username
- Password
- Incoming email server address
- Incoming email server type
- Outgoing email server address
Open QuickBooks and choose Edit > Preferences.
Select Send Forms and verify that your email client is an option in the Send emailing using section.
(Optional) If your email client is not selected, choose the option you want and click OK.

Outlook Express

Estimated time: 20 minutes

Note: If you are already using Outlook Express as your email program, begin with step 2.

Create an email profile. For steps, refer to Set Up an Outlook Express E-mail Account.
You will need the following information to set up Outlook Express as your email client (you may need to contact your ISP for server information):
- Username
- Password
- Incoming email server address
- Incoming email server type
- Outgoing email server address
Open QuickBooks and choose Edit > Preferences.
Select Send Forms and verify that your email client is an option in the Send emailing using section.
(Optional) If your email client is not selected, choose the option you want and click OK.

Windows Mail

Estimated time: 20 minutes

Note: If you are already using Windows Mail as your email program, begin with step 10.

Collect the following information, which you will need to set up Windows Mail as your email client (you may need to contact your ISP for server information):
- Username
- Password
- Incoming email server address
- Incoming email server type
- Outgoing email server address
Open Windows Mail and choose Tools > Accounts.
In the Internet Accounts window, click the Add button.
Click the Next button.
In the Display name field, enter the name you want to use and click Next.
In the E-mail address field, enter your email address, and then click Next.
Click the POP3 drop-down arrow and select your incoming email server type. Then enter the names of your ISP's incoming and outgoing mail servers. (Optional) Select the Outgoing server requires authentication checkbox if your ISP specifies that Secure Socket Layer should be enabled.

In the Internet Mail Logon window, enter your user name and password.
In the Congratulations window, click Finish.
Open QuickBooks and choose Edit > Preferences.
Select Send Forms and verify that your email client is an option in the Send emailing using section.
(Optional) If your email client is not selected, choose the option you want and click OK.

If this solution does not resolve the issue, you can read discussions and post messages and questions relating to your issue on the Intuit QuickBooks Community site for free, or you can contact a technical support agent for additional guidance. Fees may apply.