Using Xero Online Payments on Hiro Invoices

Article Contents

1. Introduction
2. How It Works
3. Before You Start
4. Set Up Payment Services in Xero
5. Set Up the Hiro Invoice Layout
6. Sending Invoices

Introduction

Hiro can include a Pay now link on invoice PDFs when your invoices are connected to Xero’s online invoice payment services.

This relies on Xero. Hiro does not process the payment itself, hold card details, or manage the payment provider. Xero and the connected payment service control the online payment experience.

Payment provider fees and payment options are managed through Xero and the payment provider, not Hiro.

How It Works

When an invoice is approved in Hiro, Hiro can save the invoice into Xero.

If Xero has an online invoice link available, Hiro can use that link in your invoice PDF so the customer can click Pay now and pay through the payment service configured in Xero.

The payment service provider is responsible for processing the payment and depositing funds into your bank account. Xero then records the payment activity according to your Xero payment service setup.

Before You Start

You will need:

• Hiro connected to Xero

• A payment service set up in Xero

• The payment service applied to the relevant Xero invoices or invoice templates

• A Hiro invoice layout based on the standard/default layout, or a custom layout that includes the Pay Now placeholder (see setup below)

In Xero, users generally need the appropriate Xero role, such as adviser or standard user, to manage payment services.

Learn more about how to connect Hiro to Xero.

Set Up Payment Services in Xero

In Xero, go to:

Sales > Online payments

From there, add and connect the payment service you want to use. Xero supports different payment service options depending on your region and Xero setup.

Once connected, apply the payment service to the invoice template or invoices you want customers to pay online.

For Xero’s full setup instructions, see:  
Set Up Payment Services in Xero

Set Up the Hiro Invoice Layout

Hiro’s standard invoice layout already includes the Pay now link in the correct position, so the easiest starting point is to use the standard layout or copy your organisation’s default layout.

In Hiro, go to:

Settings > Invoices > Invoice Layouts

From here, you can:

• Use the existing Default Layout

• Add a new layout and copy your organisation’s default layout

• Upload your own Microsoft Word .docx invoice layout

If you customise an invoice layout and still want online payments to appear, make sure the layout keeps the Pay Now placeholder in place:

~xeroPayNowButton~

This placeholder is where Hiro inserts the Xero online invoice payment link when one is available. It needs to sit on its own in a table cell, which is already handled correctly in Hiro’s standard layout.

If you are creating a custom layout, we recommend starting from the standard/default layout and adjusting branding, wording and formatting around it, rather than building the layout from scratch.

Sending Invoices

Once the setup is complete:

1. Prepare the invoice in Hiro.

2. Approve the invoice.

3. Hiro saves the approved invoice to Xero.

4. Hiro generates the invoice PDF.

5. If Xero provides an online invoice link, the PDF includes a Pay now link.

6. Send the invoice to the customer from Hiro.

The customer does not need a Xero login to pay through the online invoice link.

Approval and payment are separate steps. Approving an invoice makes it ready for sending, but it does not mean the customer has paid.

Learn more about approving invoices.