Xero sync: Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Below are answers to frequently asked questions about Xero Sync.

Xero Sync

Chart of Accounts are a 2-way sync
Sales Tax is a one way sync from Xero to Bill.com
Tracking Categories (Locations & Departments) are a 2-way sync, as long as the Tracking Categories are named "Location" and "Department" in Xero
Bills are a 2-way sync, and can be edited in either Xero or Bill.com
Unapplied Vendor Credits are a 2-way sync, but you have to apply credits in Xero and Bill.com manually
Funds Transfers are a 1-way sync from Bill.com to Xero
Bank Account Balance syncs from Xero to Bill.com
Bills in Xero contain a link, which takes you directly to the corresponding bill in Bill.com and opens in a separate tab
AR payments in Bill.com will only sync to Xero if applied to an invoice; overpayments/unapplied payments won't sync to Xero
Fast, single-click reconciliation for all bills paid on the same day
Contacts connected to Bill.com will be a part of a custom group called Sync to Bill.com Vendors and/or Sync to Bill.com Customers
Bills will sync over as Approved
Tax IDs for vendors are a 2-way sync
A Sync Menu icon is available from any page in Bill.com, located at the top of your screen
Creating and updating of locations and departments will sync from Xero to Bill.com and/or Bill.com to Xero. Deletions made to these items, however, won't sync in either direction, they must be deleted manually in both systems.

FAQs

What syncs and what doesn't?

Xero sync image

Why didn’t my Contacts sync to Bill.com?

Contacts may not come over to Bill.com because Xero hasn't categorized the contact yet. This is usually due to the contact not having any transactions. A quick way to resolve this is to add the contact to one or both of the following groups in Xero:

Sync to Bill.com Vendors
Sync to Bill.com Customers

Why didn’t my Contact's address or phone number sync to Bill.com?

In order to sync to Bill.com, the contact address in Xero must be specifically in the "Postal Address" section
The contact phone number must be in the dash format (xxx-xx-xxxx) and should be in the Phone field, not the Mobile field in order to sync to Bill.com

Why didn’t my Tracking Categories show up?

The only Tracking Categories that sync between Bill.com and Xero are Location and Department; any other tracking category won't sync. If the tracking categories are Departments and Locations and they're still not syncing, it's possible that you haven't correctly named the Tracking Categories in Xero. Please make sure that you use the names Department and/or Location (no 's' at the end) to ensure they sync properly. These category names are case-sensitive.

Updates to these items will sync between both systems. Deletions made to these items, however, won't sync in either direction, they must be deleted manually in both systems.

In Xero - To add a Location

Select Settings
Select General Settings
Select Tracking
Select Add Tracking Category
Enter the category name: "Location" (must be 'Location', or it won't sync over)
Add the different location names as category options
Select Save

In Xero - To add a Department

Select Settings
Select General Settings
Select Tracking
Select Add Tracking Category
Name the category name: "Department" (must be 'Department', or it won't sync over)
Add the different department names as category options
Select Save

Why don’t some of my bill/invoices from Xero show up in Bill.com?

There are a few reasons why some bills and/or invoices aren't showing up in Bill.com:

Only unpaid Bills and invoices will sync from Xero to Bill.com. We don't sync historical Paid bills and invoices.
Bills/invoices in Draft status in Xero don't sync to Bill.com
Only USD Currency is supported by Bill.com; bills and invoices in other currencies won't sync to Bill.com
Bill and Invoice Numbers are required in order for bills/invoices to sync from Xero into Bill.com

Why doesn’t my bank account sync over to Xero from Bill.com?

Because of Xero's unique bank account setup, bank accounts can only be created in Xero and then synced over to Bill.com.

How do I reconcile my Bill.com payments?

See our article on Xero: Reconciling the bank account.

How do I track payments made outside of Bill.com?

Locate the bill in Bill.com
Select More actions
Select Mark as paid

On the following screen, there will be the option to either sync this payment into Xero, or mark the payment not to sync.

How do I track credit memo or vendor credit application?

Vendor credits and credit memos must be applied manually in both Bill.com and Xero.

Why do my bill sync as "Awaiting Payment"?

By default, all Bills sync as Authorized into Xero.

How do I stop bills/invoices syncing from Xero?

By default, transactions have a 2-way sync. To enable sync for transactions to ONLY sync from Bill.com to Xero, please contact Customer Support.

How can I view my bill documents from Xero?

Documents don't sync from Bill.com to Xero.

How and where do I sync?

Syncs are initiated from within Bill.com, in one of the following options:

Select the sync icon at the top of your Bill.com account

Select Settings
Select Sync Now under Sync

Do I have to sit and wait for the sync to finish?

You can leave the sync screen at any time and continue to work in Bill.com. The sync icon at the top of any screen in Bill.com will show the current sync's progress.

Do I need to sync manually every time?

While you can sync manually at any time, you can turn on auto-sync and the sync will automatically run. We suggest syncing at least once daily to ensure Xero and Bill.com are up-to-date, and financial reports are accurate.

Why don’t I see my uploaded documents in Xero?

Select the link from a Xero invoice to view the bill and supporting invoice in Bill.com. Documents don't sync between Bill.com and Xero.

How do I resolve sync errors?

Many sync errors can be resolved on your own. Try pasting the error into the search bar in the Support Center, to find an article relating to your sync error. Follow the steps to troubleshoot and clear it. If the errors persist, please contact Customer Support.