What is Xero?
Xero is a cloud-based financial management platform created in 2006 to help small organizations handle core bookkeeping tasks. The platform brings together administrative functions such as invoicing, basic payroll record management, payment handling, expense tracking, and reporting into a unified system. Through real-time online collaboration, business owners and advisors can view current balances, track spending, and maintain accurate ledger entries without relying on manual paperwork or spreadsheets.
At the center of the software is automated bank reconciliation. Xero connects with more than 21,000 global financial institutions to automatically fetch daily bank feeds. The software pairs statement lines against recorded sales and expense items, enabling prompt account reconciliation. Beyond banking workflows, Xero handles accounts payable by allowing users to draft digital purchase orders, monitor vendor bills, and track fixed assets. It also calculates sales tax automatically on transactions to aid in filing returns.
To lessen routine administrative work, Xero includes an artificial intelligence tool named JAX, currently available in beta. JAX answers business questions, simplifies financial data, and automates repetitive tasks. Users can leverage JAX to send estimates and invoices directly to clients across communication channels such as email, SMS, and WhatsApp. This feature lets business operators communicate billing details without leaving the primary application interface.
To expand standard functions, Xero links to external applications through the Xero App Store, which features over 1,000 integrations. Information flows bi-directionally between Xero and connected software, keeping transaction entries aligned across tools. In addition to third-party integrations, the vendor provides connected products including Planday for employee scheduling, Hubdoc for document capture, Syft for analytics, Melio for payment workflows, TaxCycle for Canadian tax preparation, and Tickstar for Peppol e-invoicing. Xero serves clients in over 180 countries.
A mobile companion application allows business owners to manage financial activities outside the office. Users can generate quotes, issue invoices, photograph receipts, approve expense submissions, and monitor cash flow from mobile devices. Xero caters to multiple commercial sectors, offering specific capabilities for construction, trades, real estate, retail, and hospitality. By centralizing daily operational tools, Xero helps small businesses maintain clear financial visibility and manage cash flow effectively.
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Xero integrations
Xero integrates with external tools through the Xero App Store, which includes over 1,000 certified integrations. Connected applications feature bi-directional data flow, ensuring updates in third-party tools sync back to Xero and vice versa. Applications are categorized by industry sectors, such as retail, construction, and property, as well as functions including CRM, point of sale, payroll, inventory, and payment processing.
- WhatsApp
- SMS
- Planday
- Hubdoc
- Syft
- Melio
- TaxCycle
- Tickstar