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Xero's API is excellent.
Updated April 08, 2015

Xero's API is excellent.

Lonny Byrd | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User

Overall Satisfaction with Xero

Xero is used by our Accounting Dept. to create P & L's, Balance Sheet's, Aging Receivable Reports, to create Credit Memos and other accounting related tasks. Accounting Data is sent from our system to Xero via it's API, which is fully functional and well documented. The API is the reason that I chose to use Xero. Xero has many checks in place that make sure that our Accounting Data is correct when we send it. If something is not right, the API let's me know so that I can take corrective action with the data on our side.
  • Xero has an excellent and well documented API.
  • Xero's dashboard and Executive Summary reports give you a good idea of what is going on.
  • While Xero limits the kinds of Journal Entries that you can make, as well as other transactions, I believe that this helps to maintain the integrity of the data and the reporting.
  • Xero is not as fast as I would like. Looking under the hood, so to speak, it is pre-loading too much each time a page is loaded. It seems this could be improved.
  • Xero's API does not have a good way to attribute Credit Notes to Invoices. The method they have is clunky as it requires a call each time a Credit Note is attributed.
  • When requesting a group of invoices credit notes or similar data, there is no way to get the detail of the invoice or credit note, unless only one is requested.
  • Xero has greatly improved our Accounting Data, and helped in my mission to "Expose Reality" while really helping me keep my sanity.
  • Xero's cost is negligible. Our company spends more on Chat Software.
  • While it has taken much time to implement, in the long run it will probably save more.
Since the time to implement our system with the API was over 1 year, it was not possible to fully evaluate any other solutions.
I doubt that Xero is a good choice for larger companies. They don't recommend it for that themselves. It is excellent where a good API to go along with some other solution you are using is needed, and where QuickBooks is not enough.

Using Xero

I am currently using Xero as it meets my needs.

Xero Implementation

Don't think about it too much ahead of time. You can't get it all done at once. Just try to break it up into stages.
  • Implemented in-house
Yes - We used Xero in conjunction with our existing software, therefore we need data to go in both directions all the time.

1. Completed an initial import via the API. Wrote permaneant Sync programs in order to Sync regularly.
2. Rewrote our internal Schema to match Xero, then rewrote our interface to match the Schema.
3. Wiped out all Payments and re-did everything using Clearing accounts, as Xero does not have the concepts of "Checks" and "Deposits" available via the API.
Change management was a major issue with the implementation
  • Xero has no concepts of "Checks" and "Deposits" available via the API.
  • You cannot alter "Reconciled" transactions via the API. These have to be done manually in the interface.
  • Plagued with 500 errors. But only when sending Payments via the API. Not for anything else. Recommend sending them in batches of 50-100.
  • API Documentation regarding deleting Payments is incorrect. Which was a great help. You don't actually need to Delete them one at a time.
  • LineItems of Credit Notes cannot be fetched via the API. This is strange, as Invoice LineItems are, as long as you using Paging.