Invoice Reminders - Auto email Statements to customers
Ability to send an automatic statement to customer
Purpose: To prevent late payment from customer

Thanks for your support on the idea, everyone. We thoroughly appreciate your participation, and letting us know where you'd like to see change across Xero.
Customer statements, is an area of Xero that needs upgrades to it's technology in order to make ideas like this one here possible.
Currently, while we have plans for modernising this space soon we cannot commit to any new developments for Statements until this work has been complete. Once this has been done I'll round back to the idea here when we can reset the objectives.
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Marc Banyard commented
I have pushed the code to a public repo for anyone that would like to use it.
https://github.com/MarcBanyard/XeroMailerWebThe compiled code is available here
https://github.com/MarcBanyard/XeroMailerWeb/releases/download/v1.0.0/XeroMailerWeb.v1.0.0.zipI'm happy to help get Google Workspace or Google Enterprise working with it, I didn't implement it as I didn't have an account to test with and don't use it personally.
If you are able to, please contribute to the code on GitHub.
If anyone would like to *********** test the code, it would be amazing if you could share the results with the community as this will help us all which is why I released the code to the public for free.
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Marc Banyard commented
@David, I’m happy to work with you to get this working on the google workspace platform.
Feel free to reach out on LinkedIn and we can swap contact details and talk more.
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David Bernstein commented
@Marc: I was already aware of your web app, but as a small business, I do not have, need, or want a Microsoft 365 business account. I do have a Google Workspace account.
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Marc Banyard commented
If you look on the thread you have listed you will see I've written a web app that solves this issue along with the emailing invoices issue.
The solution I've written is FREE and sends the invoices out and invoice reminders from your domain using an App Registration in your Microsoft 365 tenant.
If anyone has a Google Enterprise account I would be more than happy to look at integrating that into the app as well so it will work with both.
Please reach out if you would like to use it or test it out.
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David Bernstein commented
This seems like such a core service for an accounting package that I can’t believe we are still waiting for Xero to implement it. Meanwhile, according to an email from Xero a few days ago, I’ll soon be paying more than 2x my 2022 subscription fee. Exactly what are we paying so much money for other than avoiding what seems like an eventual yet reluctant return to QB?
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Edward Kay commented
Hi Xero,
Before any work on this, please address https://productideas.xero.com/forums/939198-for-small-businesses/suggestions/44960536-xero-mail-send-as-company-name-com-not-message first.
Email sending features in Xero are useless until this is resolved.
(If you are following this issue, please upvote the linked email issue.)
Thanks
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Marc Banyard commented
It's surprising that Xero hasn't integrated this feature into their core code, especially since their message-service@post.xero.com email is currently being exploited to send spam with malicious payloads. The code I developed interacts with Xero's API when invoices are authorised. It requests the PDF, attaches it, and includes a link in the email with text that closely resembles the standard Xero template. The email is then sent using an App Registration in your Microsoft 365 tenant.
The process is straightforward. Anyone interested in using it will need to have Microsoft 365 (business, not personal). While I still need to write the web server setup guide, the setup for Xero and M365 is already complete. The setup is simple, and I've reviewed the AI-generated code thoroughly; everything looks fine (I have extensive experience with open-source projects).
I used AI to create the software to test its feasibility and effectiveness. As with all software, there are no guarantees it will be bug-free (please refer to any software's terms and conditions). However, after extensive testing, I am confident enough to release it to the community.
I've already reached out to Robert. If anyone else is interested in trying it out, I recommend setting up a Xero trial to evaluate the system. Once you're satisfied, you can transition to your main system.
Alternatively, you can integrate it with your Demo Company and, once you're confident, reauthenticate with your main Xero company.
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Andy Parker commented
I just find it amazing that Xero completely ignore comments made here for features (actually...it doesn't surprise me if you think about it).
All Xero and most other SaaS companies are now focused on seemingly locking in users and then gradually increasing the subscription over time to see where they can get to. All the while, the actual services offered and support go down in real terms.
I completely agree with the AI bot JAX...anything we seem to ask it to do, it cannot manage, then the things it can do aren't really any quicker than looking it up.
We have seen the same thing happen with our inventory system, prices have rocketed and yet the actual offering gets less and less.
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Layla Starsmore commented
Chris - we ae accountants and have raised how important this feature is, and yet they still don't listen! This should have been one of the first things Xero offered, it baffles me. They can soon implement price increases though!
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Alison Chaffey commented
A word of caution using the kindly offered app - AI generated code is notorious for glaring security holes and by using it you could unwittingly open yourself up to vulnerabilities/data breaches. Can you offer any reassurances Marc?
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Chris Rogan commented
Hi Marc, Xero just dont give a sh1t anymore about users who aren't accountants their own AI bot in the product directs you here when you ask why it can't do anything! Can you share your GitHub repository? Would be a good place to put your code if you havent already you can also put a note that it addresses this long standing request and how hopeless Xero are. Really good of you to offer it out!
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Robert White commented
Hi Marc,
Its amazing how deaf Xero are to this and many other simple, but essential improvements that we are all asking for.
Amazing that you've created this program. I would be interested in trying it out. Can we discuss on email? robert.white@armstrongbell.co.uk
Kind regards,
Rob -
Marc Banyard commented
Xero, please listen to your users and implement requests that they ask for.
This has been requested for years and you are ignoring these requests, A couple of companies have jumped in and are offering a paid for service that does what users have been asking the core system to do for years.
I wrote a very simple web app that solves the issue simply using AI, I have tested and I'm offering this to the community at no charge.
Xero please feel free to let me know if you would like to implement the code into your core system, its written in ASP.NET Core 8 C#.
For any other Xero users please feel free to reach out with your contact details and I will be more than happy to share the compiled code and install instructions. You will need a hosting package that supports ASP.NET Core 8 (most providers do), I'm happy to assist with the hosting if needed otherwise you can use your own provider.
For the time being I have only written this to send emails via an App Registration in Microsoft 365, If anyone wants this for Google Enterprise please let me know as it should be a simple change or addition in the code.
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Andy Parker commented
Last update was 2 years ago to say 'we have plans for modernising this space soon we cannot commit to any new developments for Statements until this work has been complete. Once this has been done I'll round back to the idea here when we can reset the objectives.'
Where is the real progress?
This is a basic accounting function for most business and should be integrated within the system.
Come on, this should be sorted by now...maybe less time on cosmetic changes and more time on real functional changes!
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Jason Kendall commented
100% facts, this is the one thing that would make a serious difference, I’m sick of seeing updates from people just like me saying this would be cool, XERO stop fobbing the clients off, make it happen, before we choose with our feet and walk.
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Chris Rogan commented
@Emma Roberts - what's worse is I've just had a customer survey where it looks like they're evaluating whether they should start a CRM tool or Project Management tool (they just sold WorkflowMax after wrecking it - in a Sage-ACT! style f'up)... they literally don't care about these forums anymore - they're just a means to fob customers off - they have no bearing on product development whatsoever - I dare say Kelly was sacked a while ago - the ticket has been open since 2015... so to have an update from Kelly in 2023 is a joke.
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Emma Roberts commented
Please can you let me know why, as an accounting software, atomically sending statements is not already possible. I would have thought that this would have been one of the first things you made. 1. Invoices and sending them out automatically. 2. Statements and sending them out automatically.
As Kelly told us it was being worked on 2 years ago I am quite worried about all the other critical things that I am still waiting for. Colours for the top to differentiate between companies and the most important thing is an unapproved button or release for payment function.
Absolute joke
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Mark Stone commented
*****************Xero, please listen to your customers***************************
Globally, how much time could be re-claimed by businesses being able to automate repetitive tasks! As a cloud platform you are supposed to be agile. If you don't value passing time savings over to your customers but charge them more for the same old service, perhaps we should be looking to work with vendors that do.
Does Xero have a published roadmap of technology upgrades? Its all very well talking about it, but businesses need solid timescales to work with. This holistic approach does not cut the mustard!
To everyone else, sorry for having to post on multiple threads.
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Claire Wilkinson commented
Sadly lack of progress (or comment) on seemingly easy fix ideas appears to be path of the course for Xero ...!
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Mike Walentek commented
Still no progress after 2 years then !