New Invoicing - Reduce number of steps and clicks – Share and support customer ideas for Xero

New Invoicing - Reduce number of steps and clicks

New invoicing has introduced more clicks, taps, steps at almost every level.
Please remove the added friction as it increases processing time.

The "new invoicing" messages are full of comments regarding where these pressure points have been added.
We are paid subscribers, and beta testing/seeking feedback is wonderful, but being forced onto an inferior model is.. suboptimal.

837 votes

Damon O'Keefe shared this idea · 05 February, 2024 · Report… · Admin →

working on it ·

AdminKelly Munro (Community Manager, Xero) responded · 25 February, 2025

Hi community, we value there are many different aspects within new invoicing where our invoicing users can see small changes to flows and actions could make a big difference to your workflow and experience.

I can assure you we’re engaged, we’re listening and we’re taking all your feedback into consideration as we keep building on new invoicing.

While we’ll continue to keep you updated on specific releases that relate to things that’ve been mentioned in this idea, our teams have also begun some research to get a deepened sense of our invoicing users for future improvements. We’d like to connect with you all in this idea, and invite you to share further feedback through our survey. Your insights will be invaluable to the team as they continue to plan and prioritise in this space.

Show previous admin responses (7)

working on it ·

AdminKelly Munro (Community Manager, Xero) responded · 31 January, 2025

Hi team, now in 2025 and many here will have received our recent communication leading up to the retirement of classic invoicing on 27 Feb this year.

We’re continuing to work hard on delivering more features within new invoicing that’ll help most in your workflow.

Thanks for staying engaged with us on changes that’ll help you through the idea here.

To give an update on recent deliveries that positively impact some of you that have shared on the idea here. Late last year we released improvements to the issue and due date fields so you can now use all the date entry shortcuts that were available in classic, and we made it simpler to access the date picker. We also updated the Files attachment modal so you can now drag & drop files anywhere on the page, and when you use tracked inventory you can see the number of items you have on hand to sell.

This year we’ve made updates to bring more actions into the body of the invoice, so you can now add tracking options on the fly, or set or edit the exchange rate on foreign currency invoices. And, as of this week we’ve released a whole set of new shortcuts to save clicks and help you quickly perform common actions like being able to Approve an invoice which we know is valuable to our customers! While you get used to the combinations of shortcuts our product team have added small prompts to highlight these in the product, and if you’d like to view the full list of options you can see them all on Xero Central ( https://central.xero.com/s/article/Tips-and-shortcuts#Invoicingshortcuts ).

We have more updates in store like changes to the Contact ‘To’ field that I mentioned in my last update and improvements to the line item grid within the body of your invoice. You can read more of what’s to come on Xero Central ( https://central.xero.com/s/article/Xero-new-invoicing-releases#Featuresandenhancementswereworkingon ).

working on it ·

AdminKelly Munro (Community Manager, Xero) responded · 14 October, 2024

Hi everyone, some time on since my last update I wanted to give you more of an idea of the work we have going on to help reduce the number of steps and actions in new invoicing. Along with the changes mentioned in my last update, we’ve since released a change to the view of an invoice to shift details back into their own columns (similar to classic), while a small change we know it’s improved visibility for some of our customers.

We also have other work in development atm that’ll further help here like a new line item grid when editing your invoice – wrapped up in this we’ll be introducing changes you’ve been asking for like the ability to create a new tracking option or account code without having to navigate away from the invoice, we’re increasing the number of items that you can view from the drop down, and we’ll be bringing back the ability to view the number of stock on hand.

As mentioned in my last post, our team is developing shortcuts for the drop down actions like Approve and Save so you have more ease of selecting the option that’s best for you.

We also have some updates coming to;

The Contact card, so you’ll be able to add more details without having to go to the contact record, like more address lines, ability to look up addresses, and entering an Attention to all items we’ve heard lots of feedback on
Issue and Due date picking where we’ll make it quicker to simply select a calendar date and we’ll be adding more keyboard shortcuts such as the ability to enter +0 for today’s date
Ability to drag & drop files that we’re enhancing so you’ll be able to do this anywhere on the invoice rather than a specific area

Again, thank you all for sharing and continuing to let us know the improvements that make a difference for you when working with new invoicing. We’ll update you as items I’ve mentioned above are released.

working on it ·

AdminKelly Munro (Community Manager, Xero) responded · 11 July, 2024

Hi team, thank you to those that engaged our team through the research of the new invoicing layout. With help and input from you all we have released improvements to the layout of new invoicing that involves shifting the placement of some fields and buttons which has also helped to reduce white space and condense the view.
Hearing about the differing flows and how many customers enter data when invoicing has helped inform where fields and buttons are now placed, and in many cases helps speed up the entry of your invoicing data.
We’re continuing to explore improvements such as default options, keyboard entry of fields and pathways when adding additional options within the invoicing grid (such as Tracking, or Accounts), and we have individual ideas for these elements that we’d encourage you to join and support, which I’ve listed below.

New Invoicing – Remember default settings ( https://productideas.xero.com/forums/939198/suggestions/47702678 )
New Invoicing – Quick find Address ( https://productideas.xero.com/forums/939198/suggestions/47534831 )
New Invoicing – Select default for ‘Approve’ Button e.g not ’Approve & Email ( https://productideas.xero.com/forums/939198/suggestions/45438514 )
New Invoicing – Add new Tracking option ( https://productideas.xero.com/forums/939198/suggestions/47534477 )
New Invoicing – Move Save button to bottom of invoice like classic ( https://productideas.xero.com/forums/939198/suggestions/47767379 )
New Invoicing – Add Payment details on invoice screen ( https://productideas.xero.com/forums/939198/suggestions/47711537 )
New Invoicing | Files – Drag & drop anywhere on the page ( https://productideas.xero.com/forums/939198/suggestions/47785280 )

working on it ·

AdminKelly Munro (Community Manager, Xero) responded · 17 May, 2024

Hi community, thank you for your continued engagement with us on how we can improve new invoicing for you here.

As we keep developing the experience any actions that include steps and clicks are front of mind for the team. Some more updates that help reduce steps since my last post;

You can now tab to select a highlighted contact and move through to the next field – related idea ( https://productideas.xero.com/forums/939198/suggestions/45527797 )
Create a new repeating template from a draft invoice – related idea ( https://productideas.xero.com/forums/939198/suggestions/47452973 )

Further to this our team are currently doing some work and have designs for a new layout that they’d like to get feedback on. We’d like to open this to our community and have created a form that you can sign up through ( https://feedback.xero.com/jfe/form/SV_czQpq8MIdCGEeyi ) ✍️- If you’d like to be involved please add your details and the team will be in touch.

Once the team’s work has concluded, and they’ve confirmed next steps I’ll come back to share more with you, here.

working on it ·

AdminKelly Munro (Community Manager, Xero) responded · 15 April, 2024

Hi everyone, we assure you that our leadership and those that can make a difference to the new invoicing experience are aware of your comments and all the feedback of how we can improve this space for all our customers.
Product ideas here have been specifically designed so we can ensure we have a channel and are getting our customers feedback to the teams and people to consider, plan and prioritise change to impact and make a positive difference to our users experience in all our products. For example – every week all the feedback (every one of the comments) goes to the new invoicing team and has been read by leadership including our CPTO.

Individual personal details have been removed from commentary in this thread as it goes against part of our Community Guidelines ( https://www.xero.com/nz/support/community-guidelines/ ).

There are really important reasons why we must go forward with sunsetting classic invoicing and investing in the newer version if we want a product that will continue to serve your needs in the future as classic has too many technological limitations. The leadership from our board, through our c-suite and regional leadership teams know this is the only path forward to give you the features you’ve been asking for. We shared more on this in this blog ( https://blog.xero.com/product-updates/xero-invoicing-smarter-flexible-future/ ).

Since my last post there are other changes that have been made to enhance new invoicing, including;

the ability to attach a file from the files library,
being able to view files in a side by side view so you no longer have to click across to another tab,
automatically opening a new tab to take you to areas to add a new account, tracking category or tax rate, and
being given the option to mark an invoice as sent when printing.

All of which help reduce the number of clicks that you’d have to make for these actions.

We are continuing to explore more ways to reduce the clicks and steps required for other actions in new invoicing and will keep updating you on these here. You can keep up to date with ongoing updates and changes to new invoicing on this Xero Central ( https://central.xero.com/s/article/Xero-new-invoicing-releases ) hub.

working on it ·

AdminKelly Munro (Community Manager, Xero) responded · 02 April, 2024

Hi community, we appreciate the efficiency businesses require in being able to create and enter their invoices. Since we first announced there are a few changes we’ve made to help reduce the steps and clicks involved in some of the actions throughout your invoicing process. This includes;

Adding a ‘bin’ icon to the end of line items so you can now delete a line in one click
Directly downloading an invoice when you click Print PDF, so you don’t have to navigate to another browser tab
Adding the prompt to send receipt to the confirmation note that’s shown once you add a payment to an invoice
Enabling the ability to see branding of an invoice, when viewing an invoice, rather than having to Edit

We know there is more that can be done to enhance this space and there’s more change on the horizon, like improving keyboard navigation and more shortcuts. As this work continues I’ll share more with you here.

submitted ·

AdminPaul Hodges (Admin, Xero) responded · 07 February, 2024

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Mark Catchpole commented · 24 February, 2024 23:13 · Report

Xero, are you listening to all these issues.

Please reply to confirm that these issues will be resolved by September or to simply carry on with the existing version.

We await your reply asap so that we can start to arrrange alternative software

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Bianca Davitt commented · 24 February, 2024 04:48 · Report

Simply put, classic invoicing was fine, new invoicing is NOT FIT FOR PURPOSE!

Classic invoicing was fast to use, all data I needed was clear to see, Never had a problem.

New invoicing is horrendous!

Until all of these issues are fixed, it is IMPOSSIBLE for us to use new invoicing.

1) Copy invoice does not copy over contact details - when I copy, I want to copy EVERYTHING exactly per the original, including the contact!

2) Autosave is NOT a feature that we want. I regularly open an invoice just to check a price or give a customer a quick verbal quote over the phone so that I don't have to do maths in my head. Autosave means I will have at least 20 or 30 false draft invoices saved every day that I do not want, and I will now have to allocate time to separating them from the real drafts i do want, and delete off the false ones.

3) Item Code missing - there is a whole separate threat for just this issue. We physically CANNOT use new invoicing until Item Code has been re-instated as per classic invoicing. We do not use descriptions, our company runs on items codes only.

4) Why is the Tax code hidden? I need to check see this at a glance for every line, just like on classic invoicing.

5) Why is the account code hidden? I need to check see this at a glance for every line, just like on classic invoicing.

6) TOO MUCH WHITE SPACE. I now have to scroll for miles. I need to see everything at a glance on one screen, just like on classic invoicing.

7) I never use xero to email my invoices. I either download the PDFs and email them myself through outlook, OR I have to upload them into various customers online portals. The approve & send must be changed back to approve only.

I have no idea what we will do if these are not fixed before September.....

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David Rose commented · 23 February, 2024 21:47 · Report

The new invoicing really isn't fit for purpose. Some features have been removed from classic invoicing, others are still "under development" and many are much more long winded than they are with Classic.
I think it's time for the product manager to realise that they've made a big mistake with this redesign. Read the room and go back to the drawing board. We're all for change, but only when it makes our businesses more efficient, not when it adds stumbling blocks.

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Tara Broderick commented · 22 February, 2024 16:52 · Report

This is a whole new product than what we signed on for. If I was searching for a new system RIGHT NOW, and came across these threads, I'd be choosing anything but this product.
If everyone adds a "Do not recommend Xero" to all of your comments, any searches on the internet for Xero will show them and let prospective customers choose a more suitable alternative.
If Xero wont listen to us, then they may figure it out when they stop getting new customers.

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Rachel White commented · 21 February, 2024 06:29 · Report

I agree with Custom Stickers Accounts - asking every single time we send an invoice - have we forgotten the include the link - is slowing our invoicing process down. We don't need a link in the email because there are already 2 link options via the 'review and pay' buttons.

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Nikki Ballard commented · 21 February, 2024 00:39 · Report

Bottom line I'm sad to say is, that XERO SIMPLY DONT CARE! They are going to force this change, they don't care that it will take us more time, they don't care that it will cost us financially, they don't care that their product is being degraded by these changes - they just DONT CARE. We have now changed one of our businesses to an alternative platform and I am doing separate research into a 3rd option which is likely what we'll move the other business to in the autumn. XERO are banking on few enough people leaving that it won't affect them too adversely in a financial sense. Incredibly disappointing.

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Custom Stickers Accounts commented · 13 February, 2024 15:45 · Report

Adding more steps is an absolute killer -as users we need less steps, not more, and more intuitiveness - eg copying an invoice and having to re enter the contact details (FML) searching a customer and the invoices are displayed in the search bar with no apparent order (as opposed to chronologically) - invoice link when sending email seemingly has a life of its own, warning there is no link in there (just add the link in there and leave it!!) - I LOVE CHANGE, but not changes that slow processes down. .. ugh!

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Kathy Skinner commented · 11 February, 2024 21:03 · Report

The new invoicing is horrible and takes up way too much screen. I hate it and I use "tracking" categories for two of my clients and now that is also no longer visible and all I've been able to find out on that is that it's now behind the scenes somewhere. Doing invoicing on the new version is totally frustrating. I also use inventory items for sales and that no longer shows. When you're sending out over 200 invoices and have groups set up for certain items doing one drat invoice for the group is so much easier.
Whoever comes up with these ideas needs to spend time doing accounts like some of their subscribers who have to issue multiple invoices then maybe they'd stop bringing in useless time consuming changes that don't work.
Actually sick of Xero and their updates, unfortunately they've made it quite difficult to switch over to another option when some of the Chartered Accounts and also Auditors who I work with use Xero and like the fact that they can access my clients files without having to export stuff then import into a different system
You are becoming overpriced for your packages, considering you started out as another option for users over other packages. Seems now you have a good market share world wide all you want is better profit for shareholders and no longer care what your customers want or need. You will end up out pricing yourself and loosing customers and I'm no longer recommending Xero to anyone.

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Belinda Johnson commented · 11 February, 2024 20:08 · Report

Bookkeepers don't want "beautiful" with promises of bells and whistles (which all listed are currently available in classic, so unsure how exactly they are new and wonderful?).
We want FUNCTIONAL. We want the BARE MINIMUM.
We want to AVOID RSI. We want PLAIN AND BORING.
We want to be able to SEE EVERYTHING AT A GLANCE without having to look across the giant monitor in glaring white at giant letters to try and hunt out information.

This is actually the worst. The worst ever and whoever made these decisions should be fired.

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Belinda Johnson commented · 11 February, 2024 20:04 · Report

Xero have removed so much functionality it's genuinely absurd. To no longer be able to send all receipts and POs to Xero Files to generate Bills and Invoices to is a massive oversight.
It's literally how I generate EVERY SINGLE BILL and INVOICE in our system.
EVERY. SINGLE. ONE.

Absolutely absurd and unable to function.
If the new invoicing is not fixed (aka able to do everything the old version is capable of doing) then I will have no choice but to switch to QuickBooks or MYOB.

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Chrissy Friend commented · 11 February, 2024 19:49 · Report

I totally agree with all of the comments in this discussion - new invoicing system does not measure up to the classic version and until customers are satisfied with the new version then Xero should NOT be considering retiring the classic version.

Xero need to start listening to their customers. It seems quite arrogant when a Company just makes these changes without consulting the actual people who use the program.

If it aint broke - don't fix it -

Please consider your customers needs and keep the existing Classic Invoicing version - the new version just doesn't cut it.

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Averil Dobson commented · 11 February, 2024 07:36 · Report

No email address shown in the history and notes is crazy. We rely on this feature for chasing money.

Files can no longer be copied to an invoice and remain attached to the invoice. We used this feature to copy information from an invoice and add it in the description a really useful feature. You can no longer send a file into the inbox that you can then add to an invoice or bill. only way to add now is to upload to the bill or invoice which takes loads longer. We use the attachement as a look up to ensure the details we are invoicing for is correct.

Not having that there is not an improvement.

I personally like the bigger boxes and ease of moving items up and down the screen.

Files attached from the file inbox - not able to create bill or invoice from them anymore
not having the same level of information in the history is a big issue. Especially emails.

If we send to the wrong email address we know we have done this by looking at these notes.

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Fiona Davidson commented · 10 February, 2024 15:04 · Report

Petition for Xero Executives Regarding Alleged "Improvements"

https://central.xero.com/s/question/0D53m00009n36b9CAA/petition-for-xero-executives-regarding-alleged-improvements

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Jim Woolgar commented · 10 February, 2024 05:34 · Report

Absolutely agree - every area seems a regression

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Jacqui Rood | Girl Friday Ltd commented · 09 February, 2024 16:07 · Report

In classic invoicing if you want to delete a line, it's one click. Now it's two clicks. If there are 25 lines... that increases to 50 clicks!!!!!

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Peter Goddard commented · 09 February, 2024 10:15 · Report

Obviously whoever has designed new invoicing doesn't use it daily, like Damon has commented almost every level has additional clicks or steps, it is completely non-logical and many great features of classis like inventory level not even shown, please don not turn off classic invoicing, think the ONLY benefit is the possibility to put amount or percentage in discount, but you can't do calcs in that liine now like you could in classic either, I'm refusing to use it.

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Kathy Corbett commented · 08 February, 2024 17:38 · Report

I'm going back to Classic as the new invoicing isn't very user friendly. I have lost the ability to add my tracking categories - how do i track my income against my projects now??

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Kathy Marshman commented · 08 February, 2024 15:30 · Report

Please rectify all the problems with "new invoicing" that users have advised in this Xero community thread before forcing it upon everyone.

OR...

Just maintain the current invoicing for those who prefer its functionality.

https://central.xero.com/s/question/0D53m00009Ot6y8CAB/do-not-do-away-with-classic-invoicing?fromEmail=1&s1oid=00Do0000000biwC&s1nid=0DB1N0000008Yml&s1uid=0051N000006ySrN&s1ext=0&emkind=chatterCommentNotification&emtm=1707297936031

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Heather McDonald commented · 08 February, 2024 12:44 · Report

New invoicing doesn't just look ugly, it lacks functionality which already exists in classic invoicing. Fix the issues first, then come up with a timeframe for the transition. Not vice versa.

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Anastasiia Dorodnaia commented · 08 February, 2024 11:28 · Report

I absolutely agree that the new invoicing is a step backwards! I've just started to use it – never bothered to do it before – and I find the new invoicing ugly and clumsy. It seems obviously designed and created by someone who never used it :(

Additional issues include:

1. Too many clicks to email. It is better to have the "Email" button available first than "Add payment". We email every invoice, but only a few invoices require added payments manually. Most invoice payments are reconciled from the bank account. It is waste of our time and space on window.
2. Downloading PDFs: Why does it need to be opened in a browser first? I want to download it, not look at it.
3. Adding a contact when copying the invoice: Why is it not copying?
4. Attaching a file: Why do I have to save the invoice before attaching the file?
5. No Xero-to-Xero sending available.
6. No "Unicorn" fun available :(

Please do not retire the "Old invoicing". It is very rude to do to Xero users.

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