Xero - Import Payments to HirePOS

The Payments (Import) tab within the Xero Exporter allows payment records entered in Xero to be imported back into HirePOS and automatically applied to the matching invoice.

This helps keep Accounts Receivable balances consistent between HirePOS and Xero while reducing duplicate data entry.

A typical workflow is:

1. Create an invoice in HirePOS.

2. Export the invoice to Xero using the Invoices tab.

3. Receive and allocate a payment against the invoice in Xero.

4. Import the payment back into HirePOS using the Payments (Import) tab.

This feature is most commonly used for bank transfer payments, where the payment is first identified during bank reconciliation in Xero.

For a payment to be imported successfully:

• The invoice must have originally been created in HirePOS.

• The invoice must have been exported to Xero using the Invoices tab.

• A payment must have been allocated against that invoice in Xero.

• The payment date must fall within the selected Date From and Date To range.

Payments linked to invoices that were not originally exported from HirePOS cannot be imported into HirePOS.

Open the Xero Exporter and select the Payments (Import) tab.

The list displays payment records that:

• Exist in Xero.

• Fall within the selected date range.

• Have not already been imported into HirePOS.

Click Refresh to reload the list using the current date filters.

Unlike the invoice export process, it is generally recommended to keep the date range relatively narrow, such as today, yesterday, or the last few days.

1. Select the required payment records.

2. Click Xero Transfer.

3. HirePOS will create the payment record and automatically apply it to the matching invoice.

Once imported successfully, the payment will no longer appear in the list.

The Payments (Import) tab matches payments using the invoice number only.

The invoice number recorded against the payment in Xero must exactly match the invoice number expected by HirePOS.

If you are using an Invoice Prefix in the Xero integration, the invoice number in Xero must match the prefix and invoice number combination generated by HirePOS.

For example:

If the invoice number in Xero does not exactly match the invoice number expected by HirePOS, the payment cannot be matched automatically.

In some situations it may be possible to manually correct the invoice number in Xero so that it matches HirePOS. However, this should be done carefully, as changing invoice numbers in an accounting system can affect existing processes, integrations, and audit history.

If automatic matching cannot be achieved, the payment can instead be recorded manually against the invoice in HirePOS.

Unlike the Invoices and Payments export tabs, the Payments (Import) tab does not include a Mark Complete button.

A payment is considered complete when the exact payment record already exists in HirePOS.

Once a payment has been successfully imported, it will automatically disappear from the list.

A common workflow is:

1. Export invoices from HirePOS to Xero.

2. Export payments received directly in HirePOS to Xero.

3. Perform bank reconciliations in Xero.

4. Use the Payments (Import) tab to import any newly allocated bank transfer payments back into HirePOS.

Because the importer is generally only concerned with newly received payments, it is recommended to keep the date range limited to recent activity rather than large historical periods.

There are some situations where a payment may appear in the importer but does not require any action.

If a payment in Xero relates to an invoice that was not originally created and exported from HirePOS, the payment may still appear in the importer.

Because there is no matching HirePOS invoice, the payment cannot be imported and can safely be ignored.

As the selected date range moves forward, these records will naturally disappear from view.

If a user has already manually entered the payment in HirePOS, the importer may still display the payment from Xero.

Attempting to import the payment will usually result in an overpayment warning because HirePOS can see that the invoice has already been paid.

In this situation:

• The invoice is already paid.

• No further action is required.

• The payment can be safely ignored.

As the selected date range moves forward, the payment will naturally disappear from the importer.

If you recently enabled an Invoice Prefix in the Xero integration, older invoices may not import correctly.

For example:

If the importer is now expecting the HP prefix, it may attempt to match a payment against HP1234, even though the original invoice exported to Xero was simply 1234.

Because the invoice numbers no longer match, the payment cannot be imported automatically.

Options include:

• Manually recording the payment in HirePOS.

• Temporarily removing the invoice prefix, importing the payment, then re-enabling the prefix.

This issue only affects invoices exported before the prefix was introduced and is generally temporary during the transition period.

After importing payments, you can verify the results by navigating to:

Payments > Find Payments

The payment should appear against the relevant invoice and include a memo indicating that it was imported from Xero.

The Payments (Import) tab is a convenience tool only.

Using the importer is not required.

If preferred, payments can always be entered manually against invoices in HirePOS to match the payments already recorded in Xero.

The importer simply reduces duplicate data entry by automatically creating matching payment records in HirePOS when those payments have already been recorded in Xero.