Invoicing - Update contact with email used when sending
Under the old invoicing, when an invoice was emailed to a client for the first time, the email address used for that first invoice automatically populated the Contact card's email address at the time the invoice was sent.
This meant that if the invoice was unpaid, the reminder would be able to go to the same person who received the invoice.
However the new invoicing doesn't automatically populate the Contact's email address.
This means an extra step is needed to ensure the Contact card is updated.
If this step isn't taken, then the automated reminders don't go out.
Automation is the key to productivity. Having this process change with the new-look invoicing will either create a missing step in our debt collection process or create extra work to fix the missing step.
Jo Russell
shared this idea
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and adding your vote to this idea! We totally get how important it is to keep your customer contact info accurate and up to date. An automatic update feature through invoicing sounds like a great way to save you some valuable time.
Right now, if you send an invoice to an email that’s not already linked to a contact, you’ll need to add that email manually in Xero. The current setup is designed to be flexible so you can send invoices to multiple emails without changing the contact record. But we can definitely see how this feature would speed things up for you.
This idea is now in the “Gaining Support” phase, which means it’s open for votes and comments. We’re keeping an eye on how much interest it gets from the community. Your vote really helps us understand how much this feature matters to everyone using Xero.
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Annie Thorne
commented
Thing is, this was a change from the original invoicing.
Now, it sounds like a good idea!
Why was it removed?
Why does nobody at Xero ever acknowledge that some of the changes (removal of features) isn't the "feature parity" we were assured of? -
Anna Turner-Major
commented
We noticed this and have added functionality into our credit control add-on so you can automate which contacts get reminders instead of either missing reminders entirely or sending blanket reminders to every contact on the company https://trove.works/
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Annie Thorne
commented
@Kelly, when the final push to new invoicing was being forced on us and there were the consult calls with users and the product team, we were assured there would be "feature parity". How is changing the behaviour like this feature parity?
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Annie Thorne
commented
Yes, I support this. 100%
I have just been caught out as I didn't realise this was a "feature" of new invoicing. Overdue invoice and the reminder didn't get sent as there was no email attached to the contact despite the invoice being emailed out to the client.
I rarely email invoices (which is why I want 'approve' as my default), but when I do I really don't want to have yet more additional steps. -
Jo Russell
commented
@Kelly - perhaps a pop-up question to make the decision at the time would be the solution?
It would have been good to have a pop-up in the new invoicing the first time an invoice was sent where the contact didn't have an email address for user awareness. I only discovered this change in the software's behaviour when I investigated the 'Missing Email' message.