Get a weekly list of unpaid and overdue Xero invoices by email

Someone in your business chases late payers, and that person needs a current list of what's unpaid, ideally on Monday morning. Xero has the data, but it won't send it to them. Here's the manual routine and how to automate it.

The manual way in Xero

Go to Accounting, then Reports, and open one of the receivables reports, such as Aged Receivables Detail. Alternatively, go to Sales, then Invoices, and filter to Awaiting Payment.
Set the date and click Update.
Click Export and choose PDF or Excel.
Attach the file to an email and send it to whoever does the chasing.

This works, but it depends on someone remembering every week. The version people actually need, with days overdue and the amount still due, often takes some tidying in Excel first.

Summary versus list

The Aged Receivables Summary shows one line per customer with columns for how long the money has been outstanding. It's good for directors. The person chasing needs invoice-level detail: which invoice, which customer, how late. That's what the Unpaid Invoices list is for.

What the Unpaid Invoices list contains

In Reportpost, the Unpaid Invoices report has one row per open invoice with these columns:

Invoice number
Customer
Invoice date
Due date
Status, including how many days overdue it is
Total
Amount due

That's enough to start a call or write a reminder without opening Xero. The list is built from your invoices, so its layout differs a little from Xero's own reports.

Setting up the weekly email

Connect your Xero organisation. Access is read-only.
Create a schedule and choose Unpaid Invoices. Add the Aged Receivables Summary if a director also wants the overview.
Set it to weekly, pick the day (Monday morning suits most people), the hour and the timezone.
Choose the format. Excel or CSV is handy for the person chasing, since they can sort and filter, and PDF is easier to read on a phone. You can also send PDF with Excel or CSV.
Add the recipient. A schedule can have up to 20, so the credit controller and the finance director can both get it.
Write a short subject and message. Replies go to you.

Use Send test to see the first one straight away.

Do the totals match Xero?

Yes. The aged summaries and invoice lists are built from invoices, and the totals match Xero because credit notes, overpayments and prepayments are netted off. If a customer has an unallocated credit note, the amount due reflects it.

Why weekly works better than monthly

A month is a long time for an invoice to slip past its due date unnoticed. A weekly list means a 7-day-late invoice gets a friendly nudge, not a firm letter at 40 days. We cover the thinking behind this in emailing the aged receivables report every week.

Cost

US$12 a month for one organisation, US$39 for 10 and US$99 for 40, excluding VAT. The trial is 14 days and doesn't need a card.

See how Reportpost works