Connect Xero or QuickBooks Online to Relay Invoices to reuse your accounting contacts, tax rates, and income accounts, and to keep paid status in sync. Setup typically takes about five minutes.
What you need before you start
Invoices and Integrations permission on your Relay account
Your QuickBooks Online or Xero login credentials
Admin or equivalent permission in your accounting tool so you can authorize the connection
How do I connect Xero or QuickBooks Online to Relay Invoices?
Start the connection from the Invoices tab in Relay, then authorize Relay inside your accounting tool.
Sign in to your Relay account
Open the Invoices tab
Select Sync Accounting Tool
Choose QuickBooks Online (QBO) or Xero
Click Connect and follow the authorization prompts in your accounting tool
Once the authorization completes, Relay pulls in your existing contacts, tax rates, and income or revenue accounts so you can use them on invoices right away.
What syncs between Relay Invoices and your accounting tool?
Four things sync between Relay Invoices and QuickBooks Online or Xero: contacts, tax rates, income accounts, and invoices you create in Relay.
Contacts and customers. Existing customers in QuickBooks Online or Xero appear in Relay so you don't have to re-enter names, emails, or billing details. New contacts created in Relay sync back to your accounting tool after you create their first invoice.
Tax rates. Tax rates from your accounting tool import into Relay so you can apply the same rates you already use. Tax rates created in Relay sync immediately to QuickBooks Online and Xero.
Income and revenue accounts. You can categorize invoice line items against the same accounts you use in your books, so reporting stays consistent.
Invoice status. Invoices you create in Relay appear in your accounting tool, and paid status updates flow back automatically.
The Xero connection is simpler than QuickBooks Online because Xero doesn't require tax agencies. Relay automatically links matching contacts by display name across both tools.
How do I import customers from Xero or QuickBooks Online?
After you connect your accounting tool, import your existing customers so you don't create duplicate contact records in Relay.
Existing customers appear in your Relay contact list as soon as the connection is authorized. When you send an invoice, select the imported contact instead of typing a new one. New contacts created directly in Relay sync back to your accounting tool once you send their first invoice.
How do I use income and revenue accounts on invoices?
Associate each invoice, or each line item on an invoice, with a specific income or revenue account from your accounting tool. That keeps your reporting clean without manual recategorization later.
If you can't see an expected account when creating an invoice:
Confirm you're connected to the correct QuickBooks Online company or Xero organization
Verify the account exists and is active in your accounting tool
Disconnect and reconnect the integration if the list still looks wrong
How do I import tax rates from my accounting tool?
Tax rates from QuickBooks Online and Xero import into Relay when you connect, so you don't need to rebuild your tax structure. Any tax rate you create in Relay syncs immediately back to your accounting tool, and Xero always accepts Relay-created taxes.
Where do Relay invoices show up in Xero or QuickBooks Online?
Invoices you create in Relay appear in your connected accounting tool, matching what your customer receives. Paid status updates sync back automatically once the invoice is settled, so both systems stay aligned.
Payments settle into your Relay Invoice Payout account. From there, the payment details and paid status sync back to QuickBooks Online or Xero so your books reflect the same activity.
How do I send a QuickBooks Online invoice draft from Relay?
When your QuickBooks Online connection is active, invoices you create in QuickBooks sync to Relay as drafts. You can then finalize and send them through Relay, and receive payment on Relay's rails.
Create and save the invoice in QuickBooks Online
Open the Invoices tab in Relay, where the invoice appears as a draft
Select Edit invoice under Actions
Verify the invoice details are correct
Click Share to send the invoice to your customer
What syncs from QuickBooks Online to Relay:
Invoice number
Line items
Taxes and discounts
Customer memo
Attachments
What does not sync from QuickBooks Online to Relay:
Payment options, which are configured in Relay Invoice settings
Edits to existing invoices
The internal memo field
Sending actions or paid status originating in QuickBooks Online
After your customer pays, the payment settles into your Relay Invoice Payout account, and the paid status plus payment details sync back to QuickBooks Online.
Common issues and how to fix them
Most connection issues fall into four buckets. Here's what to try first.
Connect button doesn't respond. Refresh the page, open Relay in an incognito or private window, and disable any pop-up-blocking browser extensions.
Contacts, tax rates, or accounts are missing. Confirm you're connected to the correct QuickBooks Online company or Xero organization, manually trigger a sync from the integration settings, and check that your permission level in the accounting tool is high enough. If the list is still wrong, disconnect and reconnect the integration.
A Relay invoice didn't appear in your accounting tool. Wait a few minutes and refresh your accounting tool, confirm the integration is still connected, manually trigger a sync, and create a test invoice to verify new invoices are flowing through.
Contacts are duplicated or linked to the wrong customer. Manually trigger a sync from the integration settings page. If duplicates persist, contact Relay Support with the affected contact names and screenshots.
Frequently asked questions
Do invoices created in Relay sync to QuickBooks Online and Xero? Yes. Invoices you create in Relay appear in your connected accounting tool once the connection is active.
When do Relay-created contacts sync to QuickBooks Online or Xero? A new contact syncs to your accounting tool once you create an invoice for that contact in Relay.
Do tax rates created in Relay sync to QuickBooks Online and Xero? Yes, immediately. Xero always accepts Relay-created taxes.
Why can't I see my tax rates or income accounts in Relay? This usually happens if the wrong QuickBooks Online company or Xero organization is connected, the item is inactive in your accounting tool, or the integration needs a manual sync from settings.
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