QuickBooks Online low stock alerts and batch reorder

In QuickBooks Online, a low stock alert flags an inventory item once its quantity drops to the reorder point you set, and Batch actions > Reorder turns the items you select into a purchase order for a single vendor. It tells you what is low; deciding how much to buy and splitting orders by vendor is up to you.

This guide follows Intuit's current QuickBooks Online help for the US edition, as published on 2026-10-01. Low stock alerts, reorder points and purchase orders are available in QuickBooks Online Plus and Advanced.

What is a reorder point in QuickBooks Online?

A reorder point is the stock level at which you want to buy more of an item. Intuit describes it as the threshold for reordering a stock item, and you enter it per product.

Go to All apps > Sales & Get Paid > Products & services.
Find the product and select Edit.
Enter a number in Reorder point.
Select Save and close.

Intuit's help describes the reorder point as a number you enter and does not describe any automatic recalculation from sales. If an item's sales double, its reorder point stays where you left it until you change it. Our reorder point guide shows how to pick the number.

How do low stock alerts work?

Once reorder points are set, Products and services shows Low stock and Out of stock counts at the top of the page. Select See all next to either one to filter the list to those items.

Checking that filter is the alert. Treat it as a daily or weekly habit rather than something that will chase you.

How does Batch actions > Reorder work?

Batch reorder turns a selection of low items into one draft purchase order. It saves typing, not judgment.

Filter Products and services to Low stock or Out of stock.
Check the boxes for the items you need.
Open Batch actions and choose Reorder.
Complete the purchase order details, including vendor and quantities.
Select Save and send.

Intuit is explicit that batch reorder creates a purchase order for a single vendor. If your low items come from three vendors, select and reorder them in three passes.

What do low stock alerts and batch reorder not do?

They flag and draft; they do not plan. Knowing the gaps helps you decide what to add.

QuickBooks Online tells you what is low; you still decide how much and from whom.

Need	Built in?	What to do instead
Flag items at or below a level	Yes	Set reorder points and check the Low stock filter
Draft one PO from selected items	Yes, one vendor per PO	Reorder vendor by vendor
Suggest an order quantity from sales	Not described in Intuit's help	Work it out from Sales by Product/Service reports
Adjust reorder points as demand changes	Not described in Intuit's help	Review reorder points on a schedule
Account for what is already on order	Not in the alert	Check Open Purchase Order Detail before ordering

The last row trips people up most. An item can stay on the Low stock list after you have ordered it, because a purchase order does not change quantity on hand until you receive the goods. Check open POs so you do not order twice.

How do you get more out of the built-in tools?

A few habits close most of the gap without new software.

Set reorder points from real numbers: average weekly sales times weeks of lead time, plus a buffer.
Review reorder points every quarter, and before a seasonal peak.
Before each batch reorder, run Open Purchase Order Detail under Reports > Standard reports.
Give each product a consistent vendor so sorting by vendor stays easy.
Follow the rest of the purchase order workflow to receive and close each PO.

Where does ReorderOwl fit?

ReorderOwl fills the "how much" gap. It is free to start and works right in ChatGPT, using reports you export from QuickBooks Online: Product/Service List, Sales by Product/Service Detail and, optionally, Open Purchase Order Detail.

It forecasts each item from your sales history, accounts for stock on hand and open POs, and returns an Excel workbook of what to order and how much, along with the most urgent products. There is no direct connection to QuickBooks, and it does not create the PO there; you use batch reorder or + Create with its numbers. See the ReorderOwl for QuickBooks Online page.

Frequently asked questions

What is the reorder point in QuickBooks?

It is the stock level you set on an inventory product. When quantity on hand falls to that level, QuickBooks Online lists the item under Low stock.

Can QuickBooks Online create a purchase order for each vendor automatically?

No. Batch actions, Reorder creates one purchase order for a single vendor, so you reorder each vendor's items separately.

Does QuickBooks Online email low stock alerts?

Intuit's help describes the alerts on the Products and services page. Check the Low stock filter as part of a routine.

Why is an item still on the Low stock list after I ordered it?

A purchase order does not change inventory. Quantity on hand rises only when you record a bill, expense, check or item receipt for the goods.

Which plans have low stock alerts?

QuickBooks Online Plus and Advanced, the plans that include inventory tracking. Simple Start and Essentials can buy Intuit's inventory add-on for inventory tracking.

Sources

Set up low stock alerts, Intuit QuickBooks, accessed 2026-10-01
Set up and track your inventory in QuickBooks Online, Intuit QuickBooks, accessed 2026-10-01
Create and send purchase orders, Intuit QuickBooks, accessed 2026-10-01
Add purchase orders to expenses, bills, or checks in QuickBooks Online, Intuit QuickBooks, accessed 2026-10-01