Xero makes business payments as easy as sending an email

Outlook.com users will now be able to pay invoices from their inbox using Microsoft Pay

SEATTLE, May 07, 2018 -- Xero, the global small business platform today announced a new way for customers to pay invoices straight from Outlook using Microsoft Pay.

Payments in Outlook provides a secure and frictionless payment experience without having to leave Outlook. This capability will be enabled for Xero customers sending digital invoices with Stripe as the payment service and will begin rolling out to a limited number of Outlook customers in the US over the next few weeks with a broader release in coming months.

This new functionality builds on Xero’s existing relationships with Microsoft and Stripe. It will offer a seamless, in-context payment experience allowing customers to pay, and merchants to get paid, quickly and easily.

Xero’s integration with Stripe already makes it easy for a small business to get paid. With a click of a button a small business can send an online invoice with a “Pay Now” button. Their customers can then easily pay the invoice using their preferred credit or debit card. Stripe enabled invoices are paid on average up to 19 days faster than other invoices.

By integrating invoice payments directly into Outlook, Xero is helping bring down the time it takes businesses to pay an invoice by making it easier than ever. Outlook users can pay a Xero invoice via email with just a few clicks, using credit or debit cards saved to their Microsoft account.

Because payments are handled through Stripe, businesses can also gain all the normal benefits of the payment portal, including the ability to pass on processing fees and automatic accounting for those fees. And because Stripe payments are automatically reconciled in Xero, payments made in Outlook will instantly be matched to the right account code in Xero, and the invoice marked as paid, cutting administration and reconciliation time for business owners and their advisors.

“This integration is all about helping small businesses get paid faster so that they can better manage their cash flow. The ability to pay an invoice from within Outlook is a win-win -- it’s easier for the customer, and it makes the process of receiving and reconciling invoices more seamless for a small business and their accountant,” said Craig Walker, Xero’s Chief Technology Officer.

“We are excited to collaborate with Xero to create a frictionless payments experience within Outlook using Microsoft Pay,” said Mike Ammerlaan, Director, Product Marketing Ecosystem at Microsoft Corp. “This deep product integration with Xero is a great example of how Xero is working to deliver a seamless experience for our customers.”

About Xero

Xero is a beautiful, easy-to-use global online platform for small businesses and their advisors. The company has 1.2 million subscribers in more than 180 countries. Xero seamlessly integrates with more than 600 apps. It was ranked No. 1 by Forbes as the World's Most Innovative Growth Company for two years running, won Product of the Year at the British Accountancy Awards 2017 in the UK, and was rated by Canstar Blue as Australia’s best accounting software three consecutive years from 2015-2017.

Media Contact
Steve Sharpe
650 224 2362
[email protected]