Relay’s integration with Xero allows you to sync vendors, import unpaid bills, and record payments automatically—saving time and eliminating manual entry. With this integration in place, you can manage your bill pay process entirely from Relay, while keeping your Xero account clean, current, and accurate. This article walks through:
- What the Xero integration does
- How to connect your Xero account to Relay
- How bill syncing and payment updates work
- Troubleshooting and best practices
What the Xero Integration Enables
Once connected, the Xero integration allows Relay to:
Feature |
Description |
|---|---|
| Import Xero contacts | Automatically add your Xero suppliers as payees in Relay |
| Sync bills from Xero | Import unpaid bills so they can be scheduled and paid in Relay |
| Send payment details back to Xero | Automatically mark bills as paid and record payment details in Xero |
| Support for chart of accounts | Use Xero’s Accounting categories to classify your expenses in Relay |
This integration supports businesses using Relay’s Grow and Scale plans with advanced accounts payable needs.
How to Connect Xero to Relay
- Sign in to your Relay account.
- On the Xero integration tile, click Manage.
- Under the Bill Pay section, toggle Enable Bill Pay.
- You’ll be prompted to confirm which bills you want to sync.
- Optionally, turn on Import unpaid bills and Import vendors under the Imports section.
- Click Save changes when done.
Once enabled, Relay will automatically sync bill payments made in Relay to Xero’s Accounts Payable ledger.
Syncing Bills and Contacts from Xero
After connecting Xero, Relay will:
- Pull in your supplier contacts as payees
- Import any unpaid bills marked as “Awaiting Payment” in Xero
- Display synced bills in the Bills tab of Relay
You can also:
- Trigger a manual sync by going to Settings > Accounting Integrations > Sync Now
- Import new contacts at any time using the Sync Contacts option
Note: Relay does not sync bills that are already marked as "Paid" or "Draft" in Xero.
Paying Bills and Updating Xero Automatically
Once a bill is imported into Relay from Xero, you can:
- Review and optionally assign approval rules (Grow & Scale only)
- Schedule or pay the bill from any of your Relay checking accounts
-
Relay will:
- Mark the bill as “Paid” in Xero
- Push the payment date, method, and bank account info into your Xero ledger
- Ensure both systems remain in sync
There’s no need to log into Xero to mark the bill as paid—Relay handles this for you automatically.
Supported Sync Features
Function |
Supported? |
|---|---|
| Bill import | ✅ |
| Contact import | ✅ |
| Two-way payment sync | ✅ |
| Accounting categories import for expense categorization | ✅ |
| Partial payments | Coming soon |
Best Practices for Using the Xero Integration
- Clean up payees before syncing: Consistent naming in Xero will reduce duplicates in Relay.
- Don’t mark bills as paid in Xero: Let Relay initiate and update payments to avoid conflicts.
- Merge duplicate vendors in Relay after sync to avoid confusion when paying.
- Use Relay’s bills inbox or manual upload for bills that originate outside of Xero.
Troubleshooting
Problem: A bill isn’t syncing into Relay
Fix: Make sure it’s marked as “Awaiting Payment” in Xero and the vendor is a supplier.
Problem: A Relay payment isn’t updating in Xero
Fix: Go to Settings > Accounting Integrations and click Sync Now.
Problem: Duplicate payees after sync
Fix: Manually merge duplicates in the Payees section of the Bills tab.
Need more help? Check out our Bill Pay Troubleshooting Guide or Talk to our Customer Experience team!
Learn More
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Still have questions? Our team is ready to help! Talk to our Customer Experience team