This is part of our Invoicing and Getting Paid series (Chapter 2 of the Xero tutorial hub):

• Lesson 1: Creating and Sending Your First Sales Invoice in Xero
• Lesson 2: Customising Your Invoice Branding in Xero
• Lesson 3: Setting Up Automated Invoice Reminders in Xero
• Lesson 4: Using Quotes in Xero to Win and Track Trade Jobs
• Lesson 5: Accepting Online Payments and E-Invoicing in Xero
• Lesson 6: Setting Up Recurring Invoices in Xero for Retainer Clients

Letting clients pay online, rather than by bank transfer they have to remember to do, is one of the simplest ways to get paid faster.

1. Connect a payment service

Xero integrates with payment providers like Stripe and GoCardless. Connecting one through your organisation settings adds a pay now button to your invoices.

2. Understand the fees involved

Payment providers charge a small transaction fee. Worth weighing up against how much faster you get paid and how much time you save not chasing bank transfers.

3. What e-invoicing adds on top

E-invoicing sends your invoice data directly into a client’s accounting system, cutting out manual entry and reducing errors on both sides, where the client’s software supports it.

4. Turning it on

E-invoicing can be enabled through your organisation settings once you have registered for the Peppol e-invoicing network, which Xero supports natively.

Xero’s official YouTube channel has walkthroughs of both online payments and e-invoicing setup: watch the official Xero tutorial. Our registered BAS agents can help you weigh up whether online payments make sense for your business.