"Btw, posting here is new to me so if I'm in the wrong area to post this please let me know how to get to the correct site. Much thanks."

You are in a Community for Tax Prep using ProSeries, Lacerte and ProConnect programs.

The QB Community has its own Community forum, which is linked to your QB in-product Help panel. Go to it using your browser, here:

https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/us-quickbooks-community/misc/03/community-us

Intuit owns payroll.com and beyond that, your info such as payroll key is available to you from your Intuit Account, the same as all products and subscriptions Intuit.

QB Support thinks the world revolves around QB Online. Especially if you use Desktop Accountant Edition, you are the red-headed stepchild for them.

You know there is no reason to get or use any different key than you already have working. You know you are logged into the company files where you use this info. Anything outside of the Intuit-verse would be suspicious and ignored. Inside of the QB program, that is server-to-server and not intercepted by spammers. You cannot conclude the same is true about email or web links.