How to Connect Relay to Xero for Expense Management

Connect Relay to Xero to sync transactions, categories, receipts, and memos in one direction, so expense coding happens once in Relay and lands in Xero automatically.

What you need before you start

• Owner, Administrator, or Super Administrator role on your Relay Account

• Access to the Xero organization you want to sync to

• A desktop browser (the Xero connection flow is not available in the Relay mobile app)

• Relay bank feeds already connected to Xero (recommended, so transactions match cleanly)

What does the Xero integration for Expense Management do?

Once connected, Relay syncs coded transactions from your Relay Account to Xero, including categories, vendors, memos, and receipt attachments. You code each transaction once in Relay, then send it to Xero without re-entering data.

How do I connect Relay to Xero for Expense Management?

Follow these six steps in a desktop browser:

1. Sign in to your Relay Account on desktop.

2. Open the Expenses tab from the left navigation.

3. Click Set up Expense Management. If Expense Management is already set up, go to Settings > Integrations and click the Xero tile instead.

4. Choose Xero as your accounting platform.

5. You will be redirected to Xero. Log in, authorize Relay, and grant access to the Xero organization you want to sync to.

6. Once Xero redirects you back to Relay, your Chart of Accounts and Vendor list will be pulled in automatically.

Which fields sync between Relay and Xero?

Relay syncs the transaction amount, date, category, vendor, memo, and any attached receipt to Xero. Categories and vendors are required fields on each transaction. Xero tax rates are optional.

How do I map categories and vendors from Xero?

Relay pulls your Chart of Accounts and Vendor list directly from Xero, so no manual mapping is required. When you code a transaction in Relay, your Xero categories and vendors appear in the dropdowns. If you edit a category or vendor in Xero, refresh the connection in Relay to pick up the change.

How do I sync transactions from Relay to Xero?

Once transactions are coded, send them to Xero in three steps:

1. Go to the Expenses tab.

2. Filter or select the transactions you want to sync.

3. Click Sync.

Each synced transaction lands in Xero with its amount, date, category, vendor, memo, and receipt attachment.

Common issues

• The connection fails at the Xero authorization step. Confirm you are logged in to the correct Xero organization in another browser tab, then retry the connection.

• A category or vendor is missing from the Relay dropdown. Refresh the Xero connection in Settings > Integrations. New Xero entries appear in Relay after a re-sync.

• A transaction will not sync. Check that the transaction has both a category and a vendor assigned, that the Xero connection is still active, and that the account is mapped in Settings > Integrations.

• You do not see the Set up Expense Management option. Confirm your Relay role is Owner, Administrator, or Super Administrator. Other roles do not have permission to connect an accounting integration.

Related articles

• Getting Started with Expense Management in Relay

• Connecting Relay to QBO for Expense Management

• Integrating with Xero for Bank Feeds

• Automating Expense Categorization with Accounting Rules

• Assigning Roles and Permissions in Expense Management

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