Guide · Xero
Getting supplier bills into Xero.
There are three common ways to get a supplier's PDF into Xero as a bill. Here's where each one spends your time.
1. Typing them in
Open the PDF, create a bill, copy the supplier, dates, lines and GST across. It works for a handful of bills a month. Past that, it's slow, and the errors — a transposed number, GST on the wrong line, a bill entered twice — tend to surface at reconciliation or BAS time.
2. Forwarding them to an inbox
Many firms set up a shared address for bills. It solves collection but not entry: someone still has to open each email, work out which client it belongs to and key it in. With many clients, one shared inbox becomes its own sorting job.
3. Reading and checking before export
This is the approach FinAiQ takes. Each client has their own folder and email address. Bills are read line by line, totals and GST are checked, possible duplicates are held back, and tax rates are matched against the client's Xero organisation. You review the exceptions and export the rest in one click.
Whichever way you choose
A few habits save time at month-end:
- Keep the original PDF attached to every bill.
- Check line totals against the bill total before you approve it.
- Use one place per client for incoming bills, not one shared inbox for everyone.
- Agree what counts as a duplicate — supplier and invoice number at least.
Try the third way.
Connect a Xero organisation and send through a few bills.