Setting up Xero Online Accounting

Learn how to activate and authorize the Xero integration, including configuring settings, using discounts, and turning it off.

Are you new to Xero Online Accounting? Start by reading the first article in this series for an introduction to the Xero integration.

Are you a Xero Customer interested in signing up for Checkfront? You can find Checkfront in the Xero app store using the following link: https://apps.xero.com/ca/app/checkfront

Accessing the features mentioned in this article

Where can I find this feature using the top menu?

• Manage > Integrations > Accounting > Xero
   

What more do I need to use this feature?

• Admin permissions to Manage your account and Integrations.
• Your account must have access to items (Inventory > Items), a key feature of our classic version of Checkfront. 
   

Enable Two Factor Authentication Xero requires all Checkfront & Xero users to set up Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) to bring Checkfront into compliance with mandated security protocols. To continue using the Xero integration, you must enable 2FA on your Checkfront accounts by February 14, 2023, or the system will instruct you to set up 2FA upon your next log-in.  You can find instructions for enabling 2FA here. Questions? We're here to help. Contact us.

Which Checkfront version supports this feature - classic items, classic products, or both?

Your account must have access to classic items (Inventory > Items), a key feature of our classic items version of Checkfront. 

This feature is not available for use with classic products (Inventory > Products), a key feature of our classic products version of Checkfront. → Learn more about products

Once logged in to Xero, sign in to Checkfront and navigate to the Integrations area (Manage > Integrations) where a list of available integrations is displayed.

Select the Xero tile from the Accounting category and click the blue Activate button to connect with Xero. 

At that point, you need to authorize the connection between your accounts. Click on the blue Allow access button to continue.

• If you still need to log into Xero (or sign up for an account), Xero prompts you to do so now.
• You can choose the one you want to use if you have multiple organizations.

Once authorized, the system returns you to Checkfront, where you can configure your Xero settings.

Once activated and authorized, the Add-on Setup modal displays the following settings:

This setting determines the Xero Account Code for invoice items or products (for example, 200 Sales). When the system creates a booking in Checkfront, it immediately syncs to this code in Xero.

All items/products on the Xero invoice use the default item account code (unless you have specified a different account on the item's Attributes page/product's Advanced page).

Choose the Xero Payment Account Code to make payments to (620 Prepayments).

List of accounts in Xero You can find a list of your accounts in Xero under Accounting > Advanced > Chart of accounts. Your invoice items account should be a REVENUE account, and your payments account should be a BANK account, most likely 620 Prepayments. Ensure you edit the account details in Xero for both accounts by checking the box labelled Enable payments to this account. Once you do this, the 620 Prepayments account appears in Checkfront with an asterisk next to it.

This read-only message communicates the status of your connection to Xero. If everything you have hooked up is correct, it displays as connected.

Select the status your invoice should be set to in Checkfront for Xero to approve.

Booking information sent to Xero When someone makes a booking, the information, including price, item names, and dates, is sent to Xero. Regardless of the booking status, Xero creates an invoice. It is impossible to prevent a new booking invoice from being created in Xero when connected.

Xero adds discounts to the Xero invoice as an additional line item. Because of this, discounts need to have their item code.

The system pulls Item discount codes from the Xero integration's selected Default Item Account Code. If you do not have this code set up or it is inactive, you first need to configure it within your Xero account.

You can turn off Xero Online Accounting by navigating the Setup modal (Manage > Integrations > Xero) and clicking the Disable button.

When turning off Xero Online Accounting Please note that by turning off Xero Online Accounting: Invoices no longer generate in Xero while turned off, and they do not automatically resync once you re-enable the integration. You may also experience the loss of “per-item” settings, such as overrides to the default account code in Xero and the Xero Tracking Category.

< Introduction to Xero Online Accounting    |     Using the Xero Online Accounting Integration >