How to Export Bills and Invoices to Xero

On this page:

Export client invoices

Export supplier bills

Map your client and supplier accounts

Record payments on client invoices

Re-export an invoice/bill

How to fix error codes

FAQ

Export client invoices

To export client invoices to Xero:

1. Click Finance > Invoicing > Report Type: Invoices
2. Select the checkbox beside the invoice(s) you'd like to export
3. Click to Export to Xero
4. In the Xero Export Report pop-up, click the X to close the export screen

Exported invoices automatically transfer to the Finance > Invoicing > Report type: Exported Invoices. Refer to FAQ if you receive an error during the export process.

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Export supplier bills

To export supplier bills invoices to Xero from your Operations tab:

1. Click Finance > Billing > Report Type: Export Bills
2. Select the checkbox beside the bills(s) you'd like to export
3. Click to Export to Xero
4. In the Xero Export Report pop-up, click the X to close the export screen

Exported bills automatically transfer to the Finance > Billing > Report type: Exported Bills. Refer to FAQ if you receive an error during the export process.

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Map your client and supplier accounts

If it's the first time you're exporting an invoice/bill for a particular account, Xero will ask if you want to create a new client/vendor in Xero or if the client/vendor already exists, but under a different name or with a different spelling. 

The Xero Export Report pop-up will read, "You are trying to export invoices for clients that are not associated with a Xero Contact. Would you like to map them to existing contacts?"

To map the commonsku client/vendor to an existing account in Xero:

1. Click the "Don't map" drop-down and select the client/vendor you'd like to export the invoice/bill to
2. Click the Map and Export button

To create a new client/vendor account in Xero:

1. Don't select anything in the "Don't map (This will create a new Xero Customer)" drop-down
2. Click the Map and Export button

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Record payments on client invoices

The best practice is to record payments inside Xero, then manually update the commonsku invoice's status to Paid.

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Re-export an invoice/bill

To re-export a client invoice:

1. In the Finance > Invoicing > Report Type: Exported Invoices, select the checkbox beside the invoice(s) you'd like to re-export
2. Click UnExport Selected
3. Export the invoice as normal

To re-export a supplier bill:

1. In the Finance > Billing > Report Type: Exported Bills, select the checkbox beside the bill(s) you'd like to re-export
2. Click UnExport Selected
3. Export the bill as normal

How to fix error codes

• Error: The TaxType code "x" cannot be used with account code "x."
• Error: An existing contact could not be found using the specified contact details. The contact name field is required to create a new contact.
• Error: The contact with the specified details has been archived. The contact must be un-archived before creating new invoices or credit notes.
• Error: This document cannot be edited as it has a payment or credit note allocated to it.
• Error: Invoice #: Invoice not of valid status for modification

Error: The TaxType code "x" cannot be used with account code "x."

Xero's integration requires you to use different tax codes for client invoices and supplier bills; somebody previously used the tax code on the opposite form type. Switch the form's tax to the correct tax code (bills vs. invoice tax code), then export as usual.

Error: An existing contact could not be found using the specified contact details. The contact name field is required to create a new contact.

Something in the Xero client/supplier account has changed since it was initially connected to commonsku.

1. In the client/supplier page > client/supplier details, click Check It
2. Either click the "Unmap" drop-down and select the proper client/supplier account, then click Update, or click Update and re-map the client/supplier when you export the form.

Error: The contact with the specified details has been archived. The contact must be un-archived before creating new invoices or credit notes.

Something in the Xero client/supplier account has changed since it was initially connected to commonsku.

1. In the client/supplier page > client/supplier details, click Check It
2. Either click the "Unmap" drop-down and select the proper client/supplier account, then click Update, or click Update and re-map the client/supplier when you export the form.

Error: This document cannot be edited as it has a payment or credit note allocated to it.

Xero has a credit note with the same invoice/bill number. You'll need to remove the credit or change the credit number before exporting the invoice/bill.

Error: Invoice #: Invoice not of valid status for modification

Unfortunately, voided invoices cannot be re-exported to Xero. Xero recommends creating a new invoice or making a copy of the voided one. If you'd like to re-export from commonsku, you'll need to create a new invoice and export it to Xero.

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FAQ

• What if I need to make changes to an invoice or bill I've already exported?
• Do I have to add new clients/suppliers to Xero and commonsku?
• How can I remove an invoice/bill from the export list without exporting it to Xero?

What if I need to make changes to an invoice or bill I've already exported?

You can either:

• Manually edit the invoice/bill inside of both Xero and commonsku
• Delete the invoice/bill from Xero (if applicable) and re-export it

Do I have to add new clients/suppliers to Xero and commonsku?
Xero will automatically create new customer and vendor profiles for your new clients and suppliers.

How can I remove an invoice/bill from the export list without exporting it to Xero?

To remove an invoice/bill from your export list without exporting it to Xero:

1. Set your invoices/bills to export as CSV or XML files
2. Export the invoices/bills as normal
3. Set your invoices/bills to export to Xero

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