Integrating BigCommerce With Xero: A Comprehensive Guide

In this article, we delve into the seamless integration process between BigCommerce and Xero, offering a comprehensive guide to streamline your e-commerce accounting workflows and enhance financial management efficiency.

Benefits Of Integrating Bigcommerce With Xero

BigCommerce integration with Xero brings numerous benefits to your online business:

• Seamless Data Flow: This connection automates sales data synchronization, ensuring precise financial records and saving valuable time.
• Efficient Inventory Management: The integration enables real-time tracking of inventory levels, updating both BigCommerce and Xero simultaneously. This ensures that your stock levels are always accurate, helping to prevent overselling and stockouts.
• Automated Financial Reporting: Automatically sync your sales, expenses, and payment transactions from BigCommerce to Xero. This automation reduces manual data entry, minimizes errors, and ensures that your financial reports are always up-to-date and accurate.
• Streamlined Invoicing and Payments: Create and send invoices directly from Xero for orders placed on BigCommerce. This seamless process helps in faster invoice generation, sending payment reminders, and tracking invoice payments, thereby improving cash flow.
• Time and Cost Savings: Businesses save significant time and resources by reducing the need for manual data entry and automating financial processes. These savings can be redirected towards more strategic tasks like marketing and customer engagement.
• Scalability: As your business grows, the integration scales with you. It supports increasing transaction volumes and complexity, making it an ideal solution for businesses of all sizes and at different stages of growth.

How To Install BigCommerce With Xero

Preparing for Integration

To ensure a smooth integration, it’s essential to prepare adequately. Here’s how you can get started:

1. Review Your Accounts

To get started, make sure you have an active BigCommerce account. If you don’t, sign up on the BigCommerce platform. Ensure your BigCommerce store is operational and you have administrative rights to manage and apply necessary changes. 

For your Xero account, confirm that your Xero account is active. If you’re new to Xero, take some time to explore its features and interface to fully benefit from the integration.

2. Clean your data

Before integration, ensure that your data in both BigCommerce and Xero is accurate and up to date. This includes product details, customer information, inventory levels, and financial records. You can start by checking for and removing any duplicate records in both systems to prevent conflicts during the sync process.

3. Back up your data

Before initiating the integration, back up your data in both BigCommerce and Xero. This precautionary step ensures that you can restore your original data in case of any issues during the integration process.

Integrating Xero And BigCommerce

Integrating BigCommerce with Xero can be done through apps and integration services. Below is a tutorial on connecting BigCommerce and Xero using these two methods.

Using Apps

Apps available in the BigCommerce and Xero app stores can facilitate a seamless connection between the two platforms. We will introduce you to some outstanding apps from the BigCommerce app store.

1. Parex Bridge for Xero

The Parex Bridge for Xero app is a comprehensive integration solution that seamlessly connects your Xero accounting software with the BigCommerce platform. This innovative app ensures that sales, customers, products, and orders are automatically updated automatically.

Features:

• Automated real-time sync
• Complete order data sync
• Easy integration
• Additional features (with additional cost)

Pricing: From $10/month

Rating: 5/5

2. QuickBooks & Xero Sync by Synder

The QuickBooks & Xero Sync by Synder is an essential BigCommerce app that simplifies your e-commerce accounting. This powerful tool automatically records your BigCommerce store sales and associated fees directly into QuickBooks or Xero, effectively putting your monthly bookkeeping on autopilot.

Features:

• Easy set up
• Live sync of your BigCommerce store sales with all details 
• Support for multiple currencies
• Growth reports and inventory adjustment
• Historical data import
• 25+ payment methods

Pricing

• Free trial: 15 days
• Upfront fee: $0
• Recurring fee: $61/month.

Rating: 5/5

3. XERO Integration by MyIntegrator

Introduction:

The XERO Integration by MyIntegrator is an effective tool that effortlessly links your BigCommerce store with Xero. It automates the transfer of orders, invoices, and payments between BigCommerce and Xero and improves customer experience by allowing online invoice payments through Stripe.

Features:

• Automatically sends BigCommerce orders to Xero and creates invoices and payments for each.
• Invoice access for customers
• Settings for your Xero invoice items

Pricing

• Free trial: 14 days
• Upfront fee: $0
• Recurring fee: $49/month

4. QuickBooks and Xero Sync by PayTraQer

Introduction:

This innovative QuickBooks and Xero Sync by PayTraQer app enables you to seamlessly integrate sales, fees, refunds, and payments from popular gateways directly into QuickBooks and Xero, eliminating the need for manual data entry and complex reconciliations. 

Features:

• Automated data extraction and categorization
• Multiple payment gateways
• Hassle-free tax compliance
• Extensive customization workflows, reports, and dashboard options
• One-click bank reconciliation of sales data

Pricing 

• Free Trial: 30 days
• Upfront Fee: $0
• Recurring Fee: $9.99/month

5. Xero All In One by BISAutomate

Xero All In One by BISAutomate is a powerful integration app designed to simplify your e-commerce and accounting workflows by syncing your orders as XERO invoices and updating your BigCommerce inventory directly from XERO.

Features:

• Automatic creation of XERO invoices immediately upon order placement in BigCommerce
• Inventory synchronization between the two platforms
• Over 20+ customization from account codes, payment statuses, shipping-specific details, single customer assignments, and more

Pricing

• Free Trial: 14 days
• Upfront Fee: $0
• Recurring Fee: $39/month.

Here’s how you can use these apps to integrate BigCommerce with Xero: 

Step 1: Click Get this app

Step 2: Log in to your BigCommerce store or sign up for a new account.

Step 3: Click Install and confirm access to your BigCommerce store.

Step 4: Follow the app’s instructions to connect your BigCommerce store with Xero.

Read more: BigCommerce – NetSuite Integration

Using Integrating Services

If you prefer a more customized integration or need features not available in the existing apps, you can use integration services or platforms or a custom API integration developed by a professional.

Here are two of the best BigCommerce Xero integration services:

1. Zapier

Zapier is a widely used automation tool that connects your favorite apps, such as BigCommerce and Xero, to automate repetitive tasks without coding or relying on developers to build the integration. It uses triggers and actions to create workflows, known as Zaps.

To link Xero and BigCommerce via Zapier,  you’ll be prompted to sign in to authenticate the Xero BigCommerce Integration. Next, pick either BigCommerce or Xero as the trigger for your automation. After that, choose the action you want from the opposite app as a response. Finally, decide on the specific data you wish to transfer from the initiating app to the other.

For instance, you could set up an automatic workflow where a new order in BigCommerce prompts Zapier to create a sales invoice in Xero. This way, you can tailor various workflows to suit your operational needs.

Pricing: A free plan and 4 paid plans (starting from $29.99 USD/month)

2. Amaka

Amaka offers a specialized integration service designed to connect BigCommerce and Xero seamlessly, automating data transfer between the two platforms. 

What you can automate:

• Sync each order into a summarised invoice daily.
• Sync each order into its own single invoice
• Syncs your Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) from BigCommerce by summing up all product costs for orders sold.
• Sync BigCommerce refunds to Xero, appearing as a credit note.

Pricing: A free plan available. Premium plans start at $18/month with a 7-day free trial.

How to set up BigCommerce + Xero integration via Amaka

• Step 1: Register or sign in to the Amaka dashboard to get started.
• Step 2: Click the New Integration button and select BigCommerce + Xero from the integrations list to commence the setup.
• Step 3: Sign in to your BigCommerce account by clicking the Connect new account button underneath the BigCommerce logo. Follow the guided authentication process to grant all relevant permissions.
• Step 4: Authenticate your Xero account following the guided authentication process, then click Save + Continue.
• Step 5: Follow the wizard to choose your preferred configuration method, invoice breakdown, invoice format, mapping, and scheduler options to complete the integration setup.
• Step 6: Click Save + Continue to finish and activate the integration.

Post-Integration

Here are some best practices and tips for making the most out of your Bigcommerce – Xero integration:

• Regular Reviews: Make it a habit to review your financial reports in Xero regularly. This includes profit and loss statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements to keep a pulse on your business health.
• Inventory Management: Use Xero’s inventory management features to keep track of your stock levels. The integration with BigCommerce ensures that your inventory is updated in real-time, reducing discrepancies and helping in making informed purchasing decisions.
• Analyze Sales Data: Use the detailed sales data from BigCommerce in Xero to analyze your revenue streams. Look for patterns in customer behavior, seasonal trends, and product popularity to optimize your sales strategy.
• Stay Updated: Keep both your BigCommerce and Xero software up to date to take advantage of the latest features and security enhancements.
• Seek Feedback: Regularly solicit feedback from your accounting team or external accountants on how the integration could be better utilized for financial management and reporting.
• Continuous Learning: Xero offers many resources, including webinars, tutorials, and articles. Leverage these resources to stay informed about best practices and new features.

Bottom Line

By following the detailed guide from start to finish, including preparation steps and post-integration best practices, you’ll be well-prepared to fully leverage the benefits of this powerful integration.