Configure the Emburse Xero Connector
After you connect Emburse Spend to Xero, configure the Emburse Xero Connector to control which Xero records import into Emburse Spend. These settings determine accounting dimensions, users, customers, expense categories, taxes, and currencies available in Emburse Spend before you customize export behavior.
For an overview of the full connector workflow, see Get Started with the Emburse Xero Connector.
This article applies to accounts that use the Emburse Connector on the Accounting Integration page. To confirm which integration you use, go to the Accounting Integration page. If the Connect action displays Connect via Emburse Connector, or your connected accounting integration description states that your account is syncing via Emburse Connector, use this article.
If the Emburse Connector path does not apply to your account, see Connect Xero to Emburse Spend for the native Xero integration.
This article is intended for administrators who manage accounting integrations and system configuration in Emburse Spend. Familiarity with your organization's Xero chart of accounts, tracking categories, and contact records is recommended.
Access the Xero Accounting Integration Settings
To configure import settings for the Emburse Xero Connector:
- In Emburse Spend, go to Company Settings.
- Select Accounting Integration and then, CONFIGURE SETTINGS.
General Settings
Use the General tab to control which core Xero records and options import into Emburse Spend, including dimensions, tracking categories, taxes, and currencies.
General Xero Synchronization Settings
The table below describes import settings on the General tab and how they map into Emburse Spend.
| Setting | Optional? | What It Does | Notes / Behavior |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Vendors (Dimensions) |
Yes | Imports Xero vendor contacts as dimension values in Emburse Spend. | Supports vendor bills without synchronizing a user, and populates the To field on credit card account transactions. |
|
Sync Custom Tracking Categories (Tracking Categories) |
Yes | Imports selected Xero tracking categories into Emburse Spend as custom coding fields. |
Lets you select:
Xero permits two active tracking fields at a time in the Xero user interface. Organizations can use tracking categories in place of class, department, or location when those native dimensions are not available. |
|
Sync Taxes (Taxes) |
Yes | Imports Xero tax codes for use on expenses in Emburse Spend. | Makes imported Xero tax codes available during expense entry and export. |
|
Sync Currencies (Multi-Currency) |
Yes | Imports currency options for organizations that use multiple currencies in Xero. | Enable for multi-currency Xero organizations. |
Manual Journals support only your organization's base currency in Xero, even when Sync Currencies is enabled.
Manage Team Field Visibility
Imported dimensions often map to Team fields that are fixed by default and are not visible to users. Emburse Spend can apply mapped Team field values automatically when a user submits an expense.
Administrators can make a Team field visible and editable during expense submission when users must select a different value for a specific expense.
- Go to Company Settings > Team Fields, then select Edit next to the field.
- Select Yes (User Editable) on the Edit Team Field pane, then select SAVE.
Users Settings
The Users tab controls whether qualifying Xero supplier contacts import as users in Emburse Spend.
Supplier User Synchronization Settings
| Setting | What It Does | Notes / Behavior |
|---|---|---|
|
Sync Suppliers as Users (Users) |
Imports qualifying Xero supplier contacts into Emburse Spend as users. |
A contact must meet all of the following criteria:
Contacts that do not meet these criteria are not imported as users. |
Customers Settings
The Customers tab controls whether Xero customer contacts import into Emburse Spend for billable expense workflows.
Customer Synchronization Settings
| Setting | What It Does | Notes / Behavior |
|---|---|---|
|
Sync Customers (Customers) |
Imports customer contacts from the Xero contact list into Emburse Spend. | When you code a billable expense line to a synced customer, export marks the related Xero bill line items as billable and creates a linked invoice transaction assigned to that customer. |
Expenses Settings
The Expenses tab includes export settings for the connector. It also contains import options for expense categories sourced from your Xero chart of accounts.
Expense Category Import Settings
When expense category sync is enabled, Emburse Spend creates expense categories from eligible chart of accounts records. Eligible Xero account types include:
- CURRENT
- DIRECTCOSTS
- EQUITY
- EXPENSE
- FIXED
- LIABILITY
- NONCURRENT
- OVERHEADS
- TERMLIAB
| Setting | What It Does | Notes / Behavior |
|---|---|---|
| Synchronize Expense Categories | Imports expense categories filtered from the Xero chart of accounts into Emburse Spend. | Only accounts with the eligible types listed above are used as expense category sources. |
| Chart of accounts (background sync) | Synchronizes the full chart of accounts during every import sync. | There is no separate setting to enable chart of accounts sync. The connector always synchronizes the full chart of accounts in the background so export workflows have the accounts required to post data back to Xero. |
| Account and expense category on the same expense | Determines which value is sent when both an account and an expense category are supplied. | If expense category sync is disabled, the connector can still set an account ID on a form when the expense reports API supplies one. When both an account and an expense category are provided and the values differ, the expense category takes priority. |
Export settings on the Expenses tab are documented in Customize the Emburse Xero Connector.
Validate Your Emburse Xero Connector
You can select the Review tab to validate your configuration and activate the Emburse Xero Connector.
From this page, you can run a test sync using your current configuration to validate your setup and confirm that your Xero connection is working as expected.
- Select Check Your Configuration to run a validation test.
- If the test is successful, your configuration is activated and data is available to sync to Emburse Spend.
- If the test fails, no data is synced. Update your configuration or make required changes in Xero, then run the test again.
A confirmation message displays after your configuration is validated successfully.
Next Step
After you validate import settings, customize how approved expense data exports from Emburse Spend to Xero. For step-by-step guidance, see Customize the Emburse Xero Connector.