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Here’s How to Request to be the Primary Admin or Contact in QuickBooks Desktop

• 
• By Jonathan Browns
• Jan 02, 2026
• Accounting
• 7 min read

While doing the business transition, you may need to change your Intuit Account’s primary admin or contact. As a result, it will help in keeping your account details safe. Also, you have to prove whether you own the business or have the necessary permissions to be the primary admin. However, if you won’t get the primary admin or contact assigned to you, then you need to request to be the primary admin or contact in QuickBooks Desktop.

Difference between the Primary Admin & Primary Contact

Primary Admin: The primary admin handles the company file, such as adding users. Moreover, it has the right to access all areas of QuickBooks Desktop.

Primary Contact: The Primary Contact is an individual who takes care of the product and other subscriptions on CAMPs website. It also handles the entire Intuit account within the CAMPs portal.

Key Considerations Before you Request to be Primary Admin

Verify that you have registered with an Intuit account. In case you don’t have one, then generate an Intuit account. For that, you must require the documents mentioned below.

• Initially, you require your driver’s license, government-issued ID, or passport.
• The driver’s license, government-issued ID, passport, or any other documents of any majority owners, business partners, non-profit directors, or presidents.
• If you don’t run any business, you need a letter of permission providing you with the name of the business’s new primary admin. Also, you must require the signature from other majority owners, business partners, non-profit directors or presidents, or estate executors.
• If your old owner is deceased, you need a notarised document with the name of the executor of their estate.
• According to your business type, you must need the following documents, with the owner, chairperson, or president’s name and title.
  • Sole proprietorship or self-employed: Business license.
  • Corporation / S Corporation: articles of organisation or an operating agreement.
  • Limited Liability Company (LLC): articles of organisation or an operating agreement.
  • Limited Partnership: certificate of limited Partnership or certificate of limited liability partnership.
  • Non-profit organisation: A board of trustees meeting minutes identifying the new primary admin. If you don’t have any of them, you need an article of incorporation or a non-profit corporate bylaws.
  • Other business: articles of organisation, articles of incorporation, corporation bylaws, or shareholders’ agreements.

Important Tip: If this isn’t a business and you won’t handle the file, then treat the file admin as the owner.

Complete the Form:

• To begin with, launch the Business Change Request Form.
• After this, pick the company for which you want to request primary admin or contact.
  • Note: Herein, verify that you have chosen an answer to the questions by clicking the drop-down arrow.
• Thereon, hit the Continue tab and thoroughly check your business details. Otherwise, go with the “This is not the right business” option.
• Check your personal details and then hit the Continue tab.
• When you are on the Summary page, review that all the details are mentioned properly. Later on, tap on the Continue tab.
  • Note: Be careful while making the changes because once you click on the Continue tab, you can’t make any changes.
• Now, assign the required documents and click on the Submit Request option.
  • Note: If you want extra time to complete the requirements, you can exit from the form. The form will automatically get saved within your drafts for up to 30 days. Once you are all done, reopen your form and resume your tasks.

Further Steps

Intuit will then review your case as soon as possible. Once you have re-checked it, you will get an update via email with the status of your request. Thereon, you need to wait for an email from the no_response@intuit.com. You can review the status of your request at any time.

• If Intuit approves your request

The Intuit will notify you whether they provide you with the primary admin or contact role. Thereon, you need to log in with the email address you used to create the account to access QuickBooks.

• If Intuit is unable to approve your request

Intuit will guide you regarding which steps you must take. Then, you need to complete the form again and upload all the necessary documents for security.

How to Transfer the Primary Admin Role in QuickBooks Desktop?

Within QuickBooks Desktop, there are two different types of admins that you can transfer. The first one is the company admin, and the other one is the Intuit Account primary admin. Furthermore, we have described the step-by-step instructions to transfer both the admin.

Instructions to Remember

Before moving ahead, check out the following pointers for handling admins easily.

• Make sure you log in as the Primary admin for transferring the admin role.
• If your Primary admin isn’t around or they can’t make any changes on their own, then send a request to the account protection team.
• You must remember that you can have only one primary admin per company or Intuit account.
• Above all, the Intuit Account primary admin might be different from the company primary admin.

Steps to Transfer the Primary Company Admin

Perform the steps below to transfer the primary company admin.

Method 1: Transfer Via QuickBooks Desktop

• Primarily, move to the Company menu > My Company > Manage Your Account option.
• After this, log in using your Intuit Account details accurately. These details must be different from the credentials you use to log in to your company file.
• Now, scroll down to the Primary Contact section and tap on the Change option.
• Pick the new primary contact from the available list of contacts on the account.
  • Important Tip: If you see that the user isn’t mentioned, the admin must send an invite or add the user. Herein, the user must accept the invite to change the primary contact on the account.
• When all the changes are done, hit the Save and then Close tab.

Method 2: Transfer Via Web Browser

• Access your web browser and log in to your Intuit Account (CAMPs).
• After this, scroll down to the Primary Contact section and hit the Change tab.
• Choose the new primary contact from the list available on the account.
  • Note: If the user name isn’t mentioned, the admin must send an invite or add the user. Herein, the user must accept the invite to change the primary contact on the account.
• Finally, hit the Save and Close tab to complete the process.

Steps to Transfer the Primary Intuit Account Admin

Go through the step-by-step instructions mentioned below to transfer the primary Intuit account admin.

Method 1: Transfer Via QuickBooks Desktop

• Firstly, browse to the Company > Users > Intuit Account User Management option.

• After this, move to the secondary admin that you wish to make the primary admin and click Edit > Change Primary Admin. If the user name isn’t mentioned, you have to add them to the account.
• Provide the verification code sent to the admin’s phone number.
• Thereon, the admin transfer email will be sent to the current primary admin and the secondary admin.
• Once the secondary admin accepts the transfer, they will eventually become the Primary Admin. Later on, the original primary admin will eventually become a secondary admin.

Note: You can only assign the primary admin role to the secondary admins.

Method 2: Transfer Via Web Browser

• Initially, login to your Intuit account with the correct credentials.
• After this, pick the company file that you want to access and then click Continue.
• You must scroll down to the secondary admin that you want to make the primary admin and tap on the Edit menu. Then, choose the Change Primary Admin tab.
• Now, insert the verification code sent to your admin’s phone number.
• Furthermore, the admin transfer email will be sent to the current primary admin and the secondary admin.
• Once the secondary admin confirms the transfer, they will become the primary admin. Then, the original primary admin will eventually become a secondary admin.

Note: You can only assign a secondary admin the role of primary admin. Moreover, only one primary admin can exist at any point in time.

User Groups in QuickBooks

1. Company Users-

The Company users are the ones who can administer the company in the Customer Account Management Portal (CAMPs) and then update their billing details.

These are basically the roles that are assigned to company users.

• Primary Admin:

The primary admin has the right to add/delete users, edit user roles, assign users, and update the billing profiles. Moreover, they can transfer the primary admin role to an authorized user.

• Authorized User:

The Authorized User is the person who can only update their user ID and contact details. Also, they can connect with our experts to get help with the account or any technical glitches within QuickBooks.

2. Intuit Account Users-

The Intuit Account user is the person who can administer the Intuit account via Intuit Account User Management. Also, that person has the right to access any of the add-on services, including payroll, payments, and QBTime, used by the account. Besides this, the primary Intuit account admin is not the same as your primary company admin.

The following are the roles that you can assign to Intuit Account Users. (You won’t see all of them if you are not accessing the service.)

Role	Description
Primary Admin	A primary admin must require the following rights. Add/edit/delete users Assign secondary admin roles to users Transfer primary admin role to other users
Secondary Admin	The Secondary admin must requires the following rights. Add/edit/delete users Assign secondary admin roles to users Access to all user roles.
Payroll Manager	The Payroll Manager role must have full access to all payroll functions consisting of: Employee paychecks Paycheck information Payroll adjustment Payroll liabilities.
Payroll Processor	A payroll processor is used for processing the payroll checks, payroll liabilities of all your employees and create reports.
Payments: Full Admin	The Payment full admin can get access to all pages / features present within the payments account. Check that they must have the necessary rights: • Manage users • Edit account information and settings • Create additional accounts • Turn services on or off, and access tax documents. To modify payment related roles visit https://merchantcenter.intuit.com/msc/portal/userM
Payments: Limited Admin	A Payments: with the limited admin account can handle permissions of all users except the Payments. Full admin role: A limited admin doesn’t require much rights to list the accounts or services. To modify payment related roles visit https://merchantcenter.intuit.com/msc/portal/userM
Payments: Full User	A Payments: The full user account can only get access to: • Payment processing features • Reporting screens, and statements. To modify payment related roles visit https://merchantcenter.intuit.com/msc/portal/userM
Basic User	Basic User is basically a default role that you can’t delete. If your data file is linked with Payroll, Workforce, QBTime, Capital. Also, if there is any user having Intuit account roles will be granted as Basic User. Besides this, for this role, you also require access to Payments but not the Merchant service center.

How to Change or Update the Primary Contact in QuickBooks?

You have the option to assign someone else as the Primary Contact for your business on the Customer Account Management Portal site (CAMPs). However, for assigning someone else as the primary contact, you must have the primary contact or have admin access.

In case the current primary contact has left the company, you need to request primary admin access from the Intuit team.

Steps to give the primary contact role to someone else

• Begin the process by logging in to the Intuit CAMPs website.
• After this, when you are in the Primary Contact section, choose the Change tab.
• Now, pick the new primary contact from the list of contacts mentioned on the account.
• When all the changes are done, hit the Save and Close tab.

How to Change the Primary Admin Role in QuickBooks Online?

The Primary Admin plays a crucial role as it has access to every part of the QuickBooks account and can handle various other admin tasks.

Considerations Before You Transfer the Primary Admin Role

The user must take care of the following requirements for transferring the primary admin role.

• Make sure you have the right to log in as the current primary Admin.
• Moreover, the person you want to link with the new primary Admin must have been previously added to the account. If not, then you first need to add them.
• Above all, check that the new person has the role of Admin before transferring the role to them.

Steps to Transfer the Primary Admin Role in QBO

• Initially, log in to the QBO as the current primary Admin. If you are unable to log in, recover your user ID or password.
• Now, choose the Settings menu > Manage Users tab.
• Look for the person that you wish to make the primary Admin.
• When you are in the Role column, ensure that they are mentioned as Admin. If not, then hit the Edit menu to change their role as Admin.
• Thereon, head to the Actions > Make Primary Admin and then click Change Primary Admin to confirm the changes.
• Finally, you need to log out of the QuickBooks application.

Note: You can only access the option to transfer the primary Admin if the incoming user is already a company admin. Herein, your new primary admin user won’t have to do anything.

Request the Primary Admin Role if the Current Admin is Unavailable? Here’s What To Do

If your current primary Admin is no longer with the company and you won’t be able to sign in to their account, you can’t implement the standard transfer steps. In that case, you have to submit a request to the Intuit protection team to become the primary Admin.

For that, you have to complete the form and provide documents to prove that you own the business or have the necessary permissions to access the account to take over the account.

Conclusion

By now, we hope that by performing the above-given steps, you can request to be the primary Admin or contact in QuickBooks Desktop. Thus, it will help you change your primary Admin or contact accurately. Furthermore, if you still have any queries, you can connect with our BizBooksAdvice professionals for quick assistance.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s):-

Question 1: What is the difference between primary admin and company admin?

Ans. The Primary Admin has the complete rights to take care of all user roles and permissions. Whereas, the Company admin can handle only standard users and other company-level functions, but they can’t remove the permissions of the Primary Admin.

Question 2: Can there only be one primary Admin in QBO?

Ans. Yes, there can be one primary Admin in QBO as it has the highest level of permissions in a company account. But, you have the option to set multiple company admins having full access (without removing the Primary Admin).

Question 3: Who is the primary administrator in QuickBooks?

Ans. The primary Admin is an individual who can access every section of the QuickBooks account. Also, they have the right to handle the other admin tasks smoothly.

Question 4: How to delete a Primary admin in QuickBooks Online?

Ans. To remove the primary Admin in QuickBooks Online, do as follows:

• Browse to the Settings menu > Manage Users option.
• After this, look for the user that you wish to make the primary Admin.
• You must verify that you have listed Admin in the Role column.
• If not, then you have to edit the admin role by clicking the Edit menu.

Question 5: Why is QuickBooks asking for administrator permission?

Ans. QuickBooks often asks for administrator permissiU+006fn when the admin account in use is either damaged or corrupt. Also, this issue may arise when you don’t have enough permissions to run the QuickBooks application.