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.

Estimated time: 15 minutes

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 Hotmail or other Windows Live email

1. Open QuickBooks and choose Edit > Preferences.

   

2. Select Send Forms and click Add.

   

   
    
3. 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.

   

4. Click OK. Your Hotmail or Windows Live account appears in the E-Mail Ids field and is set as the current default.

   

5. Click OK.
6. 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.

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

1. Open QuickBooks and choose Edit > Preferences.

   

2. Select Send Forms and click Add.

   

   
    
3. 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.

   

4. Click OK. Your email account appears in the E-Mail Ids field and is set as the current default.
   

   

5. Click OK.
6. 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.