# Group Items vs Inventory Assemblies in QuickBooks Desktop: Which to Use for Kits and Bundles

> Use a group item to sell items together without stocking the kit, or an inventory assembly to build and stock it. How each works in QuickBooks Desktop.

- URL: https://logistify.ai/guides/quickbooks-desktop/group-items-vs-inventory-assemblies/
- Section: QuickBooks Desktop Guides, Assemblies & BOM
- Applies to: QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise, Premier, Pro, Accountant
- Steps checked against: Intuit's QuickBooks Desktop help articles, updated August and October 2026
- Updated: 2026-10-19

**Short answer:** In QuickBooks Desktop, use a Group item to sell items together without stocking the bundle, or an Inventory Assembly to build kits and keep them in stock. Create either one at Lists > Item List > Item > New. Group items are in Pro, Premier and Enterprise. Assemblies are in Premier, Enterprise and Accountant, and each kit has to be built before you sell it.

## Before you start

- Set up every item that goes in the kit first. Intuit says a group's items must already exist before you create it.
- Group items are in QuickBooks Desktop Pro, Premier and Enterprise.
- Assemblies need Premier, Enterprise or Accountant, with inventory turned on in Edit > Preferences > Items & Inventory > Company Preferences.
- Ask one question: do you need to count finished kits on the shelf? If yes, you need an assembly.

## Group item vs inventory assembly at a glance

|   | Group item | Inventory assembly |
| --- | --- | --- |
| What it is | A shortcut that puts several items on a form at once | A product built from components and kept in stock |
| Stock of the kit itself | None. Stock stays on the items inside it | Its own quantity on hand, value and build point |
| Extra step before you sell | None | Build it with Inventory > Build Assemblies |
| What it can hold | Items already on your Item List, such as a shipping charge and another charge | Inventory parts, non-inventory parts, other charges and other assemblies |
| Editions | Pro, Premier, Enterprise | Premier, Enterprise, Accountant |
| If you move to QuickBooks Online | Becomes a bundle | Shows as an inventory item |

*Based on Intuit's QuickBooks Desktop articles on item types, assemblies and moving to QuickBooks Online.*

## When to use each

### Use a group item when

- You sell or buy the same items together but don't track them as one product. Intuit's examples are a shipping charge paired with another charge, and a gift basket.
- You pack the kit when you ship it and don't keep finished kits on the shelf.
- You want to add a bundle to sales forms in one step.
- You're on QuickBooks Desktop Pro, which can't create assemblies.

### Use an inventory assembly when

- You put the kit together ahead of time and keep finished kits in stock.
- You want QuickBooks to remind you when it's time to build more.
- You need the kit's own quantity on hand and value on inventory reports.
- The kit contains another kit. An assembly can include subassemblies and build them automatically.

## Step 1: Create a group item

1. Go to Lists > Item List.
2. Open the Item menu, select New, and choose Group as the type.
3. Enter the Item Name/Number and a description.
4. In the item table, choose each item in the kit and its quantity.
5. Select Print items in a group if customers should see each item on invoices and other forms.
6. Select OK.

## Step 2: Or create an inventory assembly

1. Go to Lists > Item List, select Item > New, and choose Inventory Assembly.
2. Under Bill of Materials, add each component and the quantity one kit needs.
3. Under Inventory Information, choose the Asset Account and set Build Point (Min) and Max.
4. Select OK.
5. To make kits, go to Inventory > Build Assemblies, choose the assembly and enter the Quantity to Build.

We cover every field in [How to set up a bill of materials and build assemblies](https://logistify.ai/guides/quickbooks-desktop/set-up-bill-of-materials-build-assemblies/).

## Switching from a group item to an assembly

- You can't change a group item's type. QuickBooks only lets you change the type of inventory, non-inventory and other charge items.
- Create a new Inventory Assembly with the same components instead.
- Two items can't share a name, so give the assembly a new name or rename the group first.
- An item used on any transaction can't be deleted. Open the old group and select Item is inactive to hide it.

## Edge cases

- Intuit's articles give different limits for how many items one group can hold. Test a large group in your own file before you rely on it.
- A bill of materials holds up to 100 items in Premier and 500 in Enterprise.
- Pro can't create assemblies, but any edition can open and edit existing assemblies and the transactions that use them.
- Short on components? Lower the Quantity to Build, or select Mark Pending. When the parts arrive, open the build and select Remove Pending Status.
- To take kits apart, open the assembly's QuickReport from the Item List. Delete the build or lower its Quantity to Build, and the parts go back into stock.

## Where QuickBooks Desktop leaves the work to you

- A group item has no inventory fields of its own, so there's no reorder or build reminder for the kit.
- Assembled kits have to be built before you sell them, and short components become purchase orders someone has to chase.
- When a kit's contents change, every group and bill of materials has to be updated by hand.
- If you move to QuickBooks Online, Intuit says group items become bundles, assemblies become inventory items, and bundles aren't tracked as inventory.

If a move is on the table, see [How to migrate from QuickBooks Desktop to QuickBooks Online](https://logistify.ai/guides/quickbooks-desktop/migrate-quickbooks-desktop-to-online/).

## How Logistify helps with kit orders

Logistify doesn't create group items or build assemblies. The [Sales Order Service](https://logistify.ai/agents/sales-order/) enters customer orders for kits and parts into QuickBooks Desktop as sales orders, from email, PDF, WhatsApp, SMS, voicemail or paper. A person reviews the exceptions. The [Procurement Service](https://logistify.ai/agents/procurement/) follows up with suppliers on open purchase orders for short components.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Does a group item track inventory in QuickBooks Desktop?

Not as a kit. The group has no quantity on hand of its own, and stock stays on the items inside it.

### Can I convert a group item into an inventory assembly?

No. QuickBooks only lets you change the type of inventory, non-inventory and other charge items, so create a new assembly instead.

### Can QuickBooks Desktop Pro use group items?

Yes. Pro has group items, but creating inventory assemblies needs Premier, Enterprise or Accountant.

### What happens to group items and assemblies if I move to QuickBooks Online?

Intuit says group items become bundles and assemblies show up as inventory items. Bundles aren't tracked as inventory.

## Sources

- [Intuit: Add, edit, and delete items in QuickBooks Desktop](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/list-management/add-edit-delete-items/L1XvP7YQo_US_en_US)
- [Intuit: Set up your product's bill of materials](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/set-inventory-lists/set-products-bill-materials/L3Kao5E9m_US_en_US)
- [Intuit: Track the products you manufacture](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/set-inventory-lists/track-products-manufacture/L5pGuMiFO_US_en_US)
- [Intuit: Combine inventory items to build finished goods (assemblies) in QuickBooks Desktop](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/small-business-processes/combine-inventory-items-build-finished-goods/L1HTQZOAL_US_en_US)
- [Intuit: Adjust your inventory of finished goods](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/inventory-quantity/adjust-inventory-finished-goods/L6E15O3nL_US_en_US)
- [Intuit: Maximum number of list entries (list limits in QuickBooks Desktop for Mac)](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/list-management/maximum-number-list-entries-list-limits-custom/L0q0uTz3u_US_en_US)
- [Intuit: Learn how features and data transfer from QuickBooks Desktop to QuickBooks Online](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/import-export-data-files/expect-switch-quickbooks-desktop-quickbooks-online/L0dEyNosU_US_en_US)