Import your invoices into Xero
QuoteForte makes one file in Xero's own format. You upload it in Xero, and each invoice arrives as a draft with the lines, GST and total already in place.
Part 1: Export from QuoteForte
- Send your invoices as usual. Every invoice you email or save as PDF is added to the Xero queue automatically.
- Scroll to "Export to Xero" on the job screen. The button shows how many invoices are waiting, for example "Export 4 invoices to Xero".
- Tap the button. One file downloads to your phone or computer. Those invoices leave the queue, so the next export only has new ones.
To export only the invoice on screen, use "Export just this invoice". Quotes are never exported, only invoices.
Part 2: Import into Xero
- In Xero, go to Sales, then Invoices, and click Import.
- Leave "What system are you importing from?" on Xero. Skip steps 1 and 2 on that page, because the file is already in Xero's format.
- Under step 3, click Browse and choose the file you just downloaded.
- Leave the other two answers as they are: No, ignore all address details and Tax Exclusive.
- Click Import. Each invoice arrives as a draft.
- Open a draft, check the total matches QuoteForte, then approve it.
What arrives in Xero
| In Xero | Comes from |
|---|---|
| Contact and email | The client name and, if it's an email address, the client contact. A new contact is created if Xero doesn't have one with that exact name. |
| Invoice number, date, due date | The same as on your QuoteForte invoice. |
| Reference | Your PO or job reference. |
| Each line | Description, quantity and price, with any markup or margin already included in the price. |
| Discount | The discount percentage, applied to every line. |
| Account | 200, Xero's standard Sales account, unless you change it in Settings. |
| Tax rate | Xero's standard GST rate for your country, or no GST if you're not registered. |
What does not go to Xero
- Your PDF, logo and payment QR code. The file carries the invoice figures only. If you print or send the invoice from Xero, it uses Xero's own layout and Xero's own "view online" code.
- Whether it's been paid. Mark payments in Xero when you reconcile your bank.
- Quotes.
If something doesn't match
The discount is a cent or two different
Xero rounds the discount on each line, while QuoteForte rounds it once on the subtotal. The invoice total is what matters, and it should be the same in both.
Xero says the account code or tax rate doesn't exist
Your Xero uses a different sales account, or the GST rate has been renamed. In QuoteForte, open Settings, then Xero, and enter the account code and the tax rate name exactly as they appear in Xero. Then export again.
I need to export the same invoices again
Straight after an export, QuoteForte shows "Import didn't work? Put these back in the queue". Tap it and the last batch returns to the queue.
Xero's email to the client starts "Hi ,"
The import creates the contact with a name but no separate first name, and Xero's email greeting uses the first name. This only matters if you send from Xero. To fix it, open the contact in Xero and add a first name.