The steps to disconnect a bank account

To remove a bank account from QuickBooks Online, go to the Settings menu (the gear icon in the top left), select Linked Accounts, find the bank or credit card you want to remove, and click the Disconnect button next to it. QuickBooks will ask you to confirm — once you do, the connection ends when ready. Your account at the bank itself is not affected; you are only breaking the link between that bank and your QuickBooks file.

The account and all its transaction history stay in QuickBooks after you disconnect it. You can still see past transactions, edit them, and use the account for manual entries. What stops is the automatic read of new transactions from your bank.

If you cannot find the Linked Accounts option, check that you are logged in as an admin user. Only admins can manage linked accounts. If you are an admin and still do not see it, your QuickBooks subscription may not include bank connections — this feature is available in Plus and Advanced plans, not in straightforward Start or Essentials.

Key Takeaways

  • Disconnecting a bank account in QuickBooks takes one click on the Disconnect button after you navigate to Settings > Linked Accounts.
  • Your bank account itself is not closed or changed when you disconnect it from QuickBooks — only the automatic transaction feed stops.
  • All past transactions remain in your QuickBooks file and can still be edited or viewed after disconnection.
  • Only admin users can disconnect accounts; if you do not see the Linked Accounts option, check your user role or subscription level.

Why you might disconnect a bank account

You might disconnect an account because you are closing it at the bank, switching to a different accounting software, or no longer want QuickBooks to pull transactions automatically. Some people disconnect accounts temporarily if they are troubleshooting sync problems or if they want to stop seeing duplicate transactions while they clean up their records.

Another common reason is that you linked the wrong account by mistake — perhaps you connected a personal account instead of a business one, or a credit card instead of a checking account. Disconnecting and relinking takes only a few minutes and does not harm your QuickBooks data.

What happens to transactions after you disconnect

Transactions that QuickBooks already downloaded stay in your file. You can view them, match them to invoices or bills, categorize them, or delete them just as you would any other transaction. The only change is that new transactions from that bank will no longer appear automatically.

If you want to keep tracking that account but do not want automatic downloads, disconnecting is the right move. If you later decide you want the automatic feed back, you can reconnect the same account — QuickBooks will resume downloading new transactions from the date you reconnect, not from the date you disconnected.

Reconnecting the same account later

If you disconnect an account and then change your mind, you can reconnect it by going back to Settings > Linked Accounts and clicking the Link Account button. You will need to log in to your bank's website again to authorize the connection, just as you did the first time.

When you reconnect, QuickBooks will start downloading transactions from the current date forward. It will not re-read transactions from the period when the account was disconnected. If you need those transactions, you can enter them manually or check your bank statement and add them by hand.

Removing an account you no longer use

If you are closing a bank account or credit card, disconnecting it from QuickBooks is a good housekeeping step. It prevents confusion later when you are looking at your linked accounts and wondering why an old account is still there. You might also want to mark the account as inactive in QuickBooks itself so it does not appear in dropdown menus when you are entering transactions.

To mark an account inactive, go to Settings > Chart of Accounts, find the account, click the three dots next to it, and select Make Inactive. This hides it from most views but keeps the historical data intact. You can reactivate it later if needed.

Troubleshooting if the disconnect button does not appear

If you see the account listed under Linked Accounts but no Disconnect button appears, the most common cause is that you are not logged in as an admin. Ask your QuickBooks administrator to remove the account, or have them change your user role to admin temporarily.

Another possibility is that the account is still in the process of syncing or has a connection error. Wait a few minutes and refresh the page. If an error message appears, write down the exact text and contact QuickBooks support — they can often resolve sync issues without requiring you to disconnect and reconnect.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does disconnecting a bank account close the account at my bank?

No. Disconnecting only breaks the link between QuickBooks and your bank. Your actual bank account remains open and active. If you want to close the account, you must contact your bank directly.

Can I disconnect an account if I have pending transactions?

Yes. Pending transactions in QuickBooks are not affected by disconnecting. They stay in your file and you can still match or categorize them. The disconnect only stops future automatic downloads.

What if I disconnect an account by mistake?

You can reconnect it when ready by going to Settings > Linked Accounts and clicking Link Account again. You will need to authorize the connection with your bank, but your QuickBooks data is not lost.

Will my bank see that I disconnected QuickBooks?

No. Your bank has no way of knowing whether you are using QuickBooks or any other software. Disconnecting is invisible to your bank.