QTRACA connects to Xero so your customers, suppliers, orders and invoices do not have to be typed in twice. Customers and suppliers come in from Xero. Sales invoices either come in from Xero to become dispatches, or go out from QTRACA to Xero. Xero purchase orders come in as expected receipts. This article covers connecting, what each setting does, which way each kind of record flows, and what happens when a connection stops working.
Where to find it: Admin → Setup → Integrations. Connecting and disconnecting need the Admin or Setup Admin role.
What flows where
Each kind of record flows in one direction only. Nothing is edited in both systems, so neither can overwrite the other.
| Record | Direction | When | What happens |
|---|---|---|---|
| Customers | Xero → QTRACA | Daily, or Sync Customers | Xero contacts marked as customers are added or updated as QTRACA customers. |
| Suppliers | Xero → QTRACA | Daily, or Sync Suppliers | Xero contacts marked as suppliers are added or updated as QTRACA suppliers. |
| Sales invoices (when set to From Xero) | Xero → QTRACA | Every 30 minutes, or Sync Invoices | Approved and paid Xero sales invoices become dispatches, ready to pick and post. |
| Sales invoices and credit notes (when set to From QTRACA) | QTRACA → Xero | When you send them | QTRACA invoices and credit notes are created in Xero, and updated there if you send them again. |
| Purchase orders | Xero → QTRACA | Every 30 minutes, or Sync Purchase Orders | Approved and billed Xero purchase orders become expected inwards goods, ready to receive. |
| Bills | QTRACA → Xero | When you send them | QTRACA bills and supplier credits are created in Xero, and updated there if you send them again. |
QTRACA reads your chart of accounts and tax rates from Xero so you can choose from them, but it never changes them.
Connecting to Xero
Already have customers, suppliers or products in QTRACA? Link them to their Xero records first, or the first sync will add them again as new records. See Linking records you already have.
- Go to Admin → Setup → Integrations and click Connect to Xero on the Xero card.
- Sign in to Xero if asked, and choose the organisation to connect. Xero lists exactly what QTRACA is asking to access.
- Click Allow access. Xero sends you back to the Integrations screen.
- If you allowed access to one organisation, it is selected for you. If you allowed several, choose one under Company.
- Set the options described below and click Save.
The top of the integration shows Connected to and the organisation's name, so you can always see which Xero organisation this site is posting to.
Each QTRACA site has its own connection. A business with two sites can connect each to a different Xero organisation, or both to the same one.
Linking records you already have
When a customer, supplier or product comes in from Xero, QTRACA looks for a matching record before creating a new one:
- By External Ref. A QTRACA record whose external reference holds the Xero ID is always the match.
- By name or code. Otherwise a customer or supplier with exactly the same name as the Xero contact matches, and a product, raw material or packaging item with exactly the same code as the Xero item matches.
- Otherwise a new record is created.
So if your QTRACA names and codes already match Xero exactly, there is nothing to do. Where they differ, add the Xero ID to the QTRACA record's external reference before the first sync:
| QTRACA record | Xero ID to use | Where to find it in Xero |
|---|---|---|
| Customer or supplier | ContactID | Open the contact in Xero. The ContactID is the long code at the end of the page address. |
| Product, raw material or packaging | ItemID | Open the item in Xero. The ItemID is the long code at the end of the page address. |
Tip: if you would rather start from Xero, let the first sync create every customer, supplier and product, then switch the sync off and delete the records you do not need in QTRACA. Where a Xero item code differs from the QTRACA product code on invoices, you can also map it on the integration under Bundle and Product Mapping.
The settings
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| Company | The Xero organisation this site syncs with. |
| Sync Customers for Dispatches | Brings Xero customers into QTRACA each day. |
| Sync Suppliers for Inwards Goods | Brings Xero suppliers into QTRACA each day. |
| Sales invoices | Where sales invoices come from. See Sales invoices: one way only. |
| Auto Post Dispatch | Shown when sales invoices come from Xero. Dispatches created from Xero invoices are picked and posted automatically. See Automatic dispatch from integrations. |
| Sync Purchases for Inwards Goods | Brings approved Xero purchase orders in as expected inwards goods. |
| Bundle and Product Mapping | Matches Xero item codes to QTRACA products when they differ, or maps bundles, so a Xero invoice turns into the right dispatch lines. See Sales Invoice to Dispatch Product Mappings. |
| Sales account and Purchase account | The Xero accounts that invoice and bill lines are posted to. See Posting accounts and tax rates. |
The Sync Customers, Sync Suppliers, Sync Invoices and Sync Purchase Orders buttons run a sync straight away rather than waiting for the schedule. The invoice and purchase order buttons take a from date, so you can bring in records from an earlier date, for example when you first connect.
Sales invoices: one way only
Sales invoices can come from Xero or from QTRACA, but never both. If QTRACA brought your Xero invoices in and sent its own invoices back to Xero, every sale would be in Xero twice. The Sales invoices setting decides which way they flow:
| Option | Use it when |
|---|---|
| From Xero: bring invoices in to create dispatches | You invoice in Xero (or in a shop that posts to Xero), and QTRACA handles picking and dispatch. |
| From QTRACA: send QTRACA invoices to Xero | You raise sales orders and invoices in QTRACA, and Xero is where you do your accounts. |
| Not synced | Sales invoices are not exchanged with Xero at all. Customers, suppliers and purchases still sync. |
Which way a new connection starts. If your account has the Orders module, a new Xero connection starts as From QTRACA, because that is where you raise invoices. Without the Orders module it starts as From Xero, so Xero invoices keep becoming dispatches as they always have. You can change it at any time.
Connections that existed before this setting. When the setting was introduced, each existing connection was given the same default. Accounts with the Orders module, and connections that had already sent QTRACA invoices to Xero, were set to From QTRACA. If one of those connections was also bringing invoices in from Xero, that has stopped. Every other connection kept working as before: From Xero if it was bringing invoices in, or Not synced if that was switched off.
If you try to send an invoice while the setting is not From QTRACA, nothing is sent, and the invoice shows why. For example: “Sales invoices for this site come from Xero, so QTRACA invoices are not sent to it (that would post each sale twice). To send QTRACA invoices instead, set Sales invoices to "From QTRACA" on the Integrations screen.”
Purchases do not need this setting. Purchase orders come in from Xero and bills go out to Xero. They are different documents, so neither duplicates the other.
Posting accounts and tax rates
When QTRACA sends an invoice or a bill, Xero needs to know which account each line belongs to and which tax rate applies.
- Sales account and Purchase account are chosen from your Xero organisation's active accounts. Invoices and bills cannot be sent until these are set. If an account is archived in Xero later, the screen marks it “(not an active account in Xero)” so you can choose another.
- Tax rates are mapped under Tax Code Mappings. For each QTRACA tax code, choose the matching Xero tax rate from the list. See Tax setup.
Sending invoices and bills to Xero
On an issued invoice, credit note, bill or supplier credit, use Push to Accounting. You can also send several at once from Accounting Exports. See Accounting export.
- The customer or supplier is matched in Xero. QTRACA looks for an active Xero contact with the same name or email address and uses it. If there is none, it creates one.
- Sending again updates the same Xero document. It never creates a second copy. A credit note sent twice is updated, not duplicated.
- Xero's reason is shown when it refuses a document, for example an invalid account code or a closed period. Fix the cause and send it again.
- Once a document has been sent, it shows Pushed to accounting.
Recent syncs
The bottom of the integration lists the most recent syncs: what ran, when, how many records it brought in, and whether it worked. When Xero refuses a sync, Xero's reason is shown. Click Refresh to see syncs that have finished since you opened the screen.
Xero limits how often any app can call it. If QTRACA reaches that limit, it waits and carries on, so a large first sync can take a few minutes longer but does not fail.
Disconnecting and reconnecting
Click Disconnect on the integration. QTRACA removes its connection in Xero, so it no longer appears under Connected Apps in Xero, and stops syncing. Your settings, mappings and the records already synced are kept, so Connect to Xero picks up where you left off.
A connection can also stop working without anyone clicking Disconnect: QTRACA was disconnected from inside Xero, or Xero's authorisation expired or was withdrawn. QTRACA checks every few hours. When a connection stops working:
- The integration shows Needs reconnecting and the reason, for example “QTRACA was disconnected in Xero (Connected Apps), or Xero no longer accepts this connection. Connect again to resume syncing.”
- Your administrators get one email, Reconnect Xero to QTRACA, with a link to the integration.
- Syncing stops until someone clicks Connect to Xero again. Nothing is lost while it is stopped. Use the from dates to catch up on records from the gap.
If your QTRACA account is cancelled or frozen, or your trial or subscription ends, QTRACA disconnects from Xero for you. The integration then says “Disconnected because this QTRACA account was frozen, cancelled or its trial ended. Connect again once the account is active.”
Sign in and sign up with Xero
The login page has a Sign in with Xero button. If your Xero login uses the same email address as your QTRACA user, you are signed straight in. Signing in this way only shares your name and email address with QTRACA. It does not give QTRACA access to your Xero organisation, and it does not connect Xero for syncing.
- New to QTRACA? Signing in with Xero using an email QTRACA does not know opens the free trial form with your name and email filled in. Xero has already confirmed the email address, so there is no confirmation email to wait for, and personal email addresses are accepted.
- Your QTRACA login must already work. A user who has not yet confirmed their email, has been deactivated, or has not yet accepted an invitation cannot sign in with Xero. They see “Your QTRACA login for that email cannot be used with Xero yet. Sign in with your email and password.”
- Signing in with your email and password works exactly as before.
Availability and permissions
- Integrations are part of the Inventory module.
- Only users with the Admin or Setup Admin role can connect, disconnect or change the settings.
- Sending invoices and bills needs permission to create invoices or bills.
Things to know
- One Xero organisation per site. To post to a different organisation, disconnect and connect again, choosing the other organisation.
- Draft Xero documents are not brought in. Only approved (and, for invoices, paid) sales invoices, and approved or billed purchase orders, are synced.
- Changing the Sales invoices setting affects what happens next. Invoices already brought in or sent are not undone.
- Your Xero connection details are stored encrypted and are never shown in QTRACA or sent to your browser.
- Check product mapping before switching on Auto Post Dispatch. An auto-posted dispatch is posted and locked like any other, so a wrong product or batch has to be corrected afterwards.