Contacts - Auto generate Account Number for a New Contact
When adding a new contact if you use account numbers (which is important to use as a primary key for records) it would be really good if a autogenerated number was assigned as a default (like it does with an invoice number etc.). Currently you have to remember/check what the last account number you've used was.
 Harriet Wakinshaw
    
 shared this idea
Harriet Wakinshaw
    
 shared this idea
      
    Hi everyone, there’s been a lot of thoughtful input shared on this idea, and we understand the efficiency and value this could bring for teams working with large or fast-changing contact lists.
While this request is not in the pipeline, that does not mean the need has gone unnoticed.
Your feedback continues to shape how we look at these gaps, and we appreciate you taking the time to explain what this would mean for your workflows.
We know this might not be the outcome many of you were hoping for. This idea will remain open for votes so we can continue to capture support, and we'll make sure to post here if the status changes in future.
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       Lucy Heaton
    
 commented Lucy Heaton
    
 commentedThis is such a basic function of accounts, and it just shows that Xero have absolutely no clue what they're doing. Your customers are literally telling you how to make your program less **** and you stubbornly sit there and refuse to implement any improvements. 
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       Tanya Vokins
    
 commented Tanya Vokins
    
 commentedWe have mulitple users on Xero adding new customers each day so trying to find the latest account number is a bit of a pain. This function would really help to improove the time spent adding new customers to our systems. 
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       Dave Clarkson
    
 commented Dave Clarkson
    
 commentedI use a computer to make work easier, why am I having to keep a post it note with the latest account number for Xero? Due to this, we do not expect "function desired by many for over 2 yrs" to be delivered in the coming short-term. I wonder if we can expect it in the linger term? 
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       John Zito
    
 commented John Zito
    
 commentedGreat idea. Various times & types of clients, I use a combo of lot numbers and their address to create the effect of differing account numbers for the residents of HOAs (Home Owner Associations). Helps when you are searching for a specific customer record. 
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       PAULA TEASDALE
    
 commented PAULA TEASDALE
    
 commentedThis is something that most others offer - I have had to export all of my contacts to sort by account number to see what I up to, to then input about 30 that had no account numbers - this is time concuming and frustrating! Please sort this as soon as possible. 
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       Sara Foster
    
 commented Sara Foster
    
 commentedWe also used to be able to sort by Account number, so at least we could figure out what the next number was. This was removed so that now the only way to sort by Account number is to export all contacts, a time consuming and fiddly process. 
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       Mark Guest
    
 commented Mark Guest
    
 commentedCome on Xero this should be a standard feature that we can utilise. You keep putting prices up so please add something that people want. 
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       Celia McKenzie
    
 commented Celia McKenzie
    
 commentedThis is super important in this day and age, please implement asap 
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       Laurel Rieping
    
 commented Laurel Rieping
    
 commentedPlease add this so our new clients can have a database number. Kind regards! 
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       Bronwen Boulton
    
 commented Bronwen Boulton
    
 commentedWe are currently looking for an new accounting software system and I must say this is the one thing that I would want to add to Xero, it would be FANTASTIC if this could be done 
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       Antony Futter
    
 commented Antony Futter
    
 commentedHi Hannah G, 
 As a developer myself - the excuse you have for not being able to provide this basic function is pathetic!
 This function is something that can be done on the database layer - not even the UI or programing level.
 A single call to a DB Stored Procedure will resolve this.
 It has been asked for for nearly 2 years and nothing? Every other accounting software has it but Xero doesn't - it really is becoming a deal breaker in our business - not to mention that you cant auto match on the field in the bank recon!Looknig forward to the standard reply... it's not in the development road map because.. Regards, 
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       Trung G
    
 commented Trung G
    
 commentedOther Accounting Systems have an auto generated ID field for creation of new contacts. Xero needs to catch up with the times and get this implemented ASAP 
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       James Marsh
    
 commented James Marsh
    
 commentedAuto Generated Numbers when creating an account is a great reference point for businesses to reference customers - this would be a great feature :) 
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       Neil Mistry
    
 commented Neil Mistry
    
 commentedPlease do this as soon as possible, it would be great help to everyone. 
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       Ros Pollock
    
 commented Ros Pollock
    
 commentedWe run two Xero companies and this is a very important update, which is often standard with the competition. Strongly recommend Xero does this sooner rather than later. Understand that this was not part of the original product design, but in the end, maybe bite the bullet and do it. Spending some redesign money now may save customer loyalty in the medium term. 
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       Vanessa Bertrand
    
 commented Vanessa Bertrand
    
 commentedWould be a really helpful feature 
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       Marcus Dodsworth
    
 commented Marcus Dodsworth
    
 commentedI agree Kirsten - same with us. 
 Hey Xero . . . . .this request has been on here for over a year now!
 Surely it's not true what Gavin Smith says below is it? ("Xero doesn't monitor these requests or listen to their customers feedback anyway")?
 Please get this feature added !
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       Kirsten Thomas
    
 commented Kirsten Thomas
    
 commentedThis is much needed feature! We have to maintain a separate spreadsheet just to generate a new number each time we add a contact!! 
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       Gavin Smith
    
 commented Gavin Smith
    
 commentedDon't know why I actually bothered voting, Xero doesn't monitor these requests or listen to their customers feedback anyway. 
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       Fiona Stokes
    
 commented Fiona Stokes
    
 commentedThis would be great - especially if you could identify at the time which ones are paid by Direct Debit to make it easier to run reports excluding Direct Debit suppliers as this is not currently possible without a work-around. 

