Xero is accounting software designed for small businesses. The Xero+Elite integration syncs invoices created in Momentus Elite with Xero, and payments allocated in either system sync with the other. Interested in the integration? Visit Momentus Connect, read more about it on the app card, and click Initiate Request. A member of the Momentus team will be in touch.
In this article:
Sync Invoices
To use the integration to sync invoices:
- Create an invoice as usual in Elite.
- Do not allocate any payments; the invoice must be created and synced before allocating payments so that the payment is correctly created and allocated in Xero.
- You may allocate credits. When credits are allocated, a negative Credit line item is created on the synced invoice in Xero, and the credit itself also syncs separately as its own Credit Note (see Credits below).
- To allocate deposits that were invoiced and the payment applied to the deposit invoice, select the deposit invoice in the list of charges. More details are below.
- Send the invoice, either by emailing the invoice or by marking it as sent. Sending the invoice triggers the integration and the invoice will be synced to Xero.
You are able to see the progress of the sync in the Activity Log in Momentus Connect. Navigate to Momentus Connect. On the integration app card, click More Information to open the integration page and go to the Activity Log tab.
Once the invoice is sent:
- A log is created in Momentus Connect noting the Elite invoice number sent and the Xero invoice number created.
- A Xero invoice ID is added to the Invoice slider in Elite. This ID is in the form of a Global Unique Identifier (GUID), not the Xero invoice number.
- The invoice displays in the Invoice list in Xero. Note that this invoice format will not match your Elite invoice template. The invoice in Xero is created as AUTHORISED.
- The Elite billing contact is matched to a Xero contact based on name and email address. If a match is not found, one will be created.
What gets synced to Xero:
Line Items:
- All standard line items with their descriptions, quantities, and prices.
- Service charges appear as separate line items, named using the pattern
itemName_serviceChargeName, so you can identify them in Xero. Note that since Service charges sync as their own line items in Xero, they cannot have more than one tax type applied; and if a service charge has no tax type applied, Xero's default tax type is used for that line. If a service charge should not have tax applied, then it is recommended to associate the 0% Tax Type outlined in the configuration instructions to that service charge in Elite. - Package breakdown items sync for Manual packages only (the main package item itself is not synced; totals are calculated by aggregating the breakdown items). Fixed packages are not supported by the integration at this time; invoices built from Fixed packages, including Fixed Per Person rate packages, will not sync correctly and can produce mismatched totals.
- Tax information based on your tax mapping configuration.
- Discounts. If multiple discounts exist on a line, they are aggregated into a single discount value.
- For time-bound line items, the quantity synced to Xero is the quantity multiplied by the time quantity (for example, a rate billed for multiple hours).
- Line items are excluded if the price is zero or negative or if the quantity is zero or negative.
Credits and Deposits:
- Credit allocations applied during invoice creation appear as a negative line item labeled Credits, in addition to the standalone Credit Note described below.
- Deposit invoices selected from the list of charges appear as a negative line item labeled Advance Deposit, with a quantity of 1.
Tax Handling:
- Elite tax codes are mapped to Xero tax rates based on the integration configuration.
- If an Elite tax code has no mapping configured, the default tax rate you set up during configuration is used.
- If a line item explicitly has a 0% Tax Type in Elite, the no tax rate configured for the integration is applied in Xero.
- If a line has no tax code assigned at all, Xero applies that GL account's own default tax treatment instead, which may not match Elite and can cause totals to differ. Use a 0% Tax Type rather than leaving a line's tax code blank.
- All invoices use tax-exclusive amounts.
GL Codes:
- Elite GL codes are matched to Xero account codes.
- If an Elite GL code does not exist in Xero, the default GL code you configured during setup is used.
Sync Payments
When a payment is allocated to a sent invoice in Elite or to an invoice in Xero, that payment is synced to the other system. Payments can be allocated after invoices are created.
When a payment is allocated in Elite:
- The payment is automatically synced to Xero.
- A payment record is created in Xero using the default bank account configured during setup.
- The payment is applied against the corresponding invoice in Xero.
- A Xero payment ID (GUID) is added to the payment record in Elite.
- The invoice in Elite will be marked as out of date. Click the warning on the invoice details slider to update the invoice document.
- If the payment amount is more than the invoice's remaining balance, see Overpayments below.
When a payment is allocated in Xero:
- The integration detects the payment automatically.
- A payment record is created in Elite.
- The payment is allocated to the corresponding invoice in Elite.
- A Xero payment ID is added to the payment in Elite.
Credits
When a credit is created and allocated in Elite, it syncs to Xero as a standalone Credit Note, which is then allocated to the corresponding Xero invoice. This works whether the credit was applied during invoice creation or added later, and the same credit note in Elite can be allocated to more than one invoice over time; each allocation syncs to Xero as it happens.
On the synced invoice itself, a credit allocated during invoice creation also appears as a negative line item labeled Credits, so the invoice total reflects the credit immediately.
Because credit notes now sync properly, they are also the recommended way to correct a synced invoice: since Elite cannot update an invoice already sent to Xero, issue a credit note in Elite for the difference instead of re-sending the original invoice.
If you instead choose to unsend and Void the invoice in Elite rather than issuing a credit note, voiding does not sync. You will need to manually void the corresponding invoice in Xero as well.
Limitations:
- Credit notes that existed in Elite before the integration was turned on do not have a matching Xero Credit Note. If one of these older credits is later allocated to an invoice, it will not sync. Create a new credit note in Elite and allocate that instead.
- Allocating a credit for more than the invoice's remaining balance is not supported and will not sync, which will cause the invoice due amount to differ between Elite and Xero.
Deposits
Deposit invoices sync to Xero just like other invoices, and when you allocate payments to a deposit invoice those payments will sync as expected.
When creating your final invoice and need to allocate the deposit, select the deposit invoice from the list of charges just as you would when not using the integration. The full amount of the deposit invoice (not the amount paid, if less) will be credited to the final invoice.
If the deposit has not been paid or is not paid in full, see the strategies for handling this in What if a deposit is not paid?.
Only single-tax deposit types are supported at this time. The deposit invoice type in Elite must have only one tax type applied to it for the sync to Xero to work correctly; this is a limitation on the Xero side.
Overpayments
If a payment recorded in Elite is larger than the invoice's remaining balance, the integration:
- Settles the invoice in Xero for the amount owed, marking it fully paid.
- Records the extra amount as a separate transaction in Xero using your default GL account (the same one configured during setup).
You can resolve the excess later from the Elite side, either by issuing a credit note or by issuing a refund against the invoice. Either action automatically removes the corresponding overpayment transaction in Xero, so you do not need to make any changes directly in Xero.
Scope and Limitations
What's covered:
- Elite to Xero: invoice sync
- Elite to Xero: payment sync, including overpayment handling
- Xero to Elite: payment sync
- Elite to Xero: credit note sync, always as a standalone Xero Credit Note allocation, regardless of when the credit was applied
- Elite to Xero: overpayment resolution, via credit note or refund
Limitations:
- If multiple taxes exist on an Elite line item, only one tax will be applied in Xero. This may cause totals to diverge between systems. To avoid issues, use only one tax per line item in Elite.
- Only single-tax deposit types are supported at this time. A deposit invoice type in Elite must have only one tax type applied to it for the sync to Xero to work correctly; this is a limitation on the Xero side.
- Service charges sync as their own line items in Xero, so they cannot have more than one tax type applied. If a service charge has no tax type applied, Xero's default tax type is used for that line. If a service charge should not have tax applied, then it is recommended to associate the 0% Tax Type outlined in the configuration instructions to that service charge in Elite.
- More generally, if anything that syncs as a line item in Xero has no tax type, Xero's default tax type is applied to it automatically. If you legitimately have items without tax, we recommend configuring a "No Tax" or 0% tax type in Xero and setting it as the default, rather than leaving items untaxed.
- Payments added to an invoice before it is sent to Xero will not sync. Add payments only after the invoice has been sent to Xero.
- Discounts cannot exceed the line item total. For example, if a line item total is $1,000, the discount cannot be $1,050.
- Credit notes that existed in Elite before this integration was onboarded will not sync to Xero.
- Allocating a credit for more than the invoice's remaining balance is not supported.
- Once an invoice is synced to Xero, you cannot update it by changing the Elite invoice and re-sending. Use a credit note for corrections. If you void an invoice in either system instead, you will need to manually void it in the other system as well, since voiding does not sync.
- Adjustments are out of scope. An adjustment made in Elite or Xero will need to be applied manually in the other system.
- Fixed packages, including Fixed Per Person rate packages, are not supported at this time. Invoices generated from Fixed packages will result in mismatched totals between Elite and Xero. Only Manual packages are supported for sync.
- Xero calculates tax on a per-line basis and rounds to two decimal places, then sums the tax. If Elite calculates differently, slight variances may occur.
- All invoices use tax-exclusive amounts.
- The integration supports a single currency. Your Elite and Xero currencies must match; the integration does not convert currency or pass currency codes between systems, it syncs amounts only.
- If a Xero GL account that is not Revenue (ACCREC) is used, a ValidationException error will be returned from Xero and the invoice will be rejected. This error is visible in the Momentus Connect Activity Log. For account setup requirements, see Configure the Xero+Elite Integration.