How Do I Connect Xero Accounting Software to Abacus?

To connect your Xero account to Abacus, the first step is to log in to your Abacus account and click on the Accounting Sync tab of your Company Settings.

Step 1: Connect to Xero

On the Accounting Sync tab in Abacus, click the Connect to Xero button.

Enter in your Xero credentials, and then click Allow Access.

Step 2: Select a Default Expense Account

Select a default expense account on the Accounting Sync settings page in Abacus. This will be used in the rare case that an expense does not have a Category selected, or if the Category selected is not mapped to an expense account. 

After you map your Categories, each expense will be routed to the correct expense account from Xero.

Step 3: Choose Your Sync Option for Corporate Card Transactions 

Toggle Accounting Sync Settings off if you want corporate card transactions to sync automatically to Xero once they are in a "completed" state.

• In this mode, corporate card transactions will sync automatically to Xero after an admin approves the transaction and it is marked as complete. 

Toggle Accounting Sync Settings on if you prefer a manual, pre-reviewed sync. 

• This setting requires an additional review of corporate card transactions prior to syncing them to Xero. Approved corporate card transactions will appear on the Accounting page in the Admin menu bar. Admins can view and edit transaction details before syncing them to Xero. Learn more about the manual accounting sync feature here. 

Step 4: Select a Source Bank Account

Select Cash or Accrual Method, and then choose the bank account from Xero where you want Bills and Bill Payments synched.

Cash Method

Abacus will create a Bill and corresponding Bill Payment in this account each time we debit this bank account for reimbursements (no more than once a day for the sum of all expenses approved that day). Each expense in that batch will be represented as a line item in that Bill. The Bill Payment amount will match the debit you see in your bank account for easy reconciliation.

Accrual Method

Abacus will create a new Purchase Transaction for each expense against an Abacus Clearing account. Expenses sync based on the date the expense was incurred, rather than the date it was reimbursed. When the expense is reimbursed, we will create a transfer in the amount of the associated debit from your bank register to the Clearing account so everything zeroes out.

You can read more about these options here. 

Step 5: Map Your Corporate Credit Cards (Optional) 

If you are using Abacus to manage your corporate credit cards, this is where you will sync your credit card data into your accounting software. Select the account in your books that is managing your corporate card activity. 

Each time a corporate card expense is approved in Abacus, we will push a corresponding transaction into this account.

You can map to a single feed or you can map each individual card to its own feed. This is helpful if you are managing several card programs in Abacus or if you manage each card in its own feed in Xero. 

Single Card Feed Setup

If you have one card feed in Xero, select the second option to sync to one card feed. Select the card feed from the drop down menu, and click Save.

Multiple Card Feeds Setup

If you have multiple card feeds in Xero, select the last option to sync to multiple card feeds. You will need to map each card or card program to the correct feed. Click None to view a drop-down menu of available card feeds, then click Save.

Step 6: Map your Categories to Your Chart of Accounts

The final step is to map Abacus categories to your Xero categories, sometimes referred to as your "chart of accounts."

Click on the Categories tab. You will now see a new column called Xero Chart of Accounts. You can add and remove categories in the Category column on the left (this is what everyone on your team will see in Abacus) and then map them to the corresponding category/account in Xero on the right. 

Sync Custom Fields to Xero 

You can create custom Team or Expense Fields in Abacus and sync them to custom fields in Xero. Click the links below to learn how to create each field type.

• Team Fields are customizable fields that you can add to a member's profile, like Department or Team. This data will be attached to employees expenses automatically. 
• Expense Fields are customizable fields that you can add to the expense submission form. You can create a custom drop-down menu on the expense form for your employees to fill out while submitting their expenses.