How to Connect Xero to Your AI Receptionist
Xero is the accounting platform of choice for hundreds of thousands of Australian and New Zealand businesses. When you connect it to AnswR, your AI receptionist can answer billing questions, check invoice statuses, and look up customer account details — all from a phone call.
No more "let me check and call you back" on invoice queries. Your AI handles it instantly. Here's how to set it up.
Why Connect Xero to Your AI Receptionist
A surprising number of incoming calls to small businesses are about money. "Has my invoice been sent?" "When is payment due?" "Can I get a copy of my last receipt?" These are simple questions, but they eat up your time.
With Xero connected to your AI receptionist, these calls get answered instantly. The caller gets the information they need, and you stay focused on your actual work.
What the Integration Does
- ✓Invoice status checks — AnswR looks up whether an invoice has been sent, viewed, paid, or is overdue.
- ✓Customer account lookup — Match incoming callers to their Xero contact record using phone number or name.
- ✓Outstanding balance queries — Tell callers their current balance and when payment is due.
- ✓Payment confirmation — Confirm when the last payment was received and the remaining balance.
AnswR has read-only access to your Xero data. It can look up information but cannot create, modify, or delete invoices, payments, or contacts. Your financial data stays safe. More details on the Xero integration page.
Step-by-Step Setup
Step 1: Log in to AnswR
Go to your AnswR dashboard. Need an account? Start your free trial here.
Step 2: Open Settings → Integrations
Find the Xero card in your integrations list and click Connect.
Step 3: Sign in to Xero
A Xero login window will appear. Sign in with your Xero credentials and select the organisation you want to connect. If you manage multiple businesses in Xero, choose the correct one.
Step 4: Approve permissions
Xero shows which permissions AnswR is requesting. As mentioned, this is read-only access to contacts and invoices. Click Allow Access to confirm.
Step 5: Verify the connection
Back in AnswR, you should see a green "Connected" status on the Xero card. Test it by calling your AnswR number and asking about an invoice for an existing customer.
Common Phone Scenarios
"Hi, I'm calling about invoice 1042. Has it been paid?"
AnswR checks Xero, finds the invoice, and confirms it was paid three days ago. Call resolved in 20 seconds.
"Can you tell me how much I owe?"
AnswR matches the caller's phone number to their Xero contact, checks outstanding invoices, and provides the total.
"When is my next payment due?"
AnswR looks up the next unpaid invoice and provides the due date and amount.
Security and Permissions
We take financial data seriously. Here's how we protect your Xero information:
- Read-only access — AnswR cannot create, edit, or delete anything in Xero.
- OAuth 2.0 — The connection uses Xero's official OAuth protocol. We never see or store your Xero password.
- Encrypted at rest and in transit — All data is encrypted using AES-256 and TLS 1.3.
- Revoke anytime — You can disconnect Xero from AnswR at any time, and you can also revoke access from within Xero's own settings.
Tips
Keep Xero contacts up to date
AnswR matches callers by phone number. Make sure your Xero contacts have current phone numbers so the lookup works reliably.
Pair with a job management tool
Xero handles the money side. For scheduling and job creation, connect Jobber, ServiceM8, or Simpro as well for a fully automated front desk.
Use clear invoice references
If your invoices have clear reference numbers, callers can quote them and AnswR will find the exact invoice immediately. This works even if the caller isn't in your contacts yet.
Ready to Connect Xero?
Start your free trial and connect Xero in under five minutes. Let your AI receptionist handle billing calls while you focus on your business.
Start Free Trial →