Ask the Accountant…
Question: The price for QB Premier has gone up a lot recently. I found a much lower price online. Is it the same thing? Should I wait and see if the prices come down?
Answer: Intuit has significantly increased the prices for QB Premier 2021. The wholesale pricing has nearly doubled, and we don’t expect the prices to go down. The guess is that Intuit would like to make QB Premier a subscription service like they did with QB Enterprise a few years ago.
While the prices have increased, the good news is that QB Premier 2021 is still available for a one-time purchase. By purchasing QB Premier 2021 now, even at the increased price, you will own the software and receive updates at no additional charge through May 2024. Even at the new prices, this is still a good deal.
The lower prices you are seeing are for a subscription service. There is a teaser rate for the first year and a significantly increased rate for each year thereafter. It works out to be much more expensive than purchasing Premier 2021 for a one-time purchase. Be careful if you see reduced costs – you are likely looking at a subscription product.
If QB is trying to move to a subscription model for Premier, it’s anyone’s guess as to when this would occur. At that point, the one-time purchase would no longer be available. Purchasing QB Premier 2021 for a one-time purchase now would at least cover you with no additional expense through May 2024.
For wholesale prices from a reputable source, check out www.softwarediscountcenter.com, with whom I am not affiliated in any way. They have good prices.
Please email your questions to Harriet at Ask The Accountant.
QuickBooks Premier and Enterprise can be modified to better serve ad specialty distributors. Harriet Gatter is a QuickBooks ProAdvisor, a former accounting professor and a former ad specialty distributor. She advises ad specialty distributors to use QuickBooks Premier and Enterprise, often in conjunction with other industry-specific software, to manage the complexities of the ad specialty business, with the results being time saved, errors eliminated and an overall accurate accounting of your business. Contact her at [email protected].
