How Does The Sync Process work?

  1. Review this entire article as well as any linked articles.
  2. Complete the setup steps.
  3. Let support know that the setup has been completed.
  4. A support agent will review your system.
  5. Once your system is ready a support agent will send a link to schedule a web meeting.
  6. A support agent will join you on a web meeting to perform your 1st sync.

Overview


This article will guide you through the process of setting up Xero and CoreBridge to prepare for a data sync.

  • If you have not Gone Live! with CoreBridge you can still perform these setup steps, however, the actual sync will not occur until you are Live and the sync requirements have been met.
  • A CoreBridge support agent will perform the first sync with you on a web meeting. We don't recommend performing the first sync on your own.
  • If you are entering orders or payments in a program other than CoreBridge, we recommend not entering that data again in CoreBridge so that you don't get duplicate data in Xero.
  • If you are entering payments in a program other than CoreBridge, we recommend keeping those bank deposits separate from your CoreBridge deposits.
  • If your CoreBridge system has more than one Location, data from all locations will sync to the same Xero company. The sync does not provide a way to separate location data in Xero.
  • The sync and the reconciliation are 2 distinct processes. Reconciliations should be performed once your system is Live. The sync will happen after that.

  • The sync is one-direction only, from CoreBridge to Xero.
  • Once you've gone through your 1st Sync, you should not edit/update/modify/delete any records that sync from CoreBridge to Xero. Xero effectively becomes "look but don't touch" for any records that have synced from CoreBridge. The only exceptions would be manually performing what the sync cannot perform.


Table of Contents

Sync Requirements

Before the sync can happen the following requirements must be met.

  • Xero subscription. LINK: Accounting Export Options
  • The Detail Sync export method is being used.
  • Your system must be Live.
  • One or more Completed orders.
  • One or more payments.
  • One or more Reconciliations that contain payments.


Related Articles

Please take a few minutes to review these articles. They provide details about the sync process.

There are specific transactions that need to be handled manually in Xero that you should be familiar with. If the sync is not handled properly, data in Xero will not match data in CoreBridge.

3rd Party Integrations

If you are using any of the following 3rd party integrations, you should not use the Detail Sync export option. Summary Sync must be used.

  • Pressero
  • XMPie
  • TaxJar
  • Avalara


  • The sales tax amount on the CoreBridge order may be a different amount in Xero when the invoice syncs which will cause the sales tax liability in Xero to not match the actual liability from CoreBridge.
  • Summary Sync must be used.


Bank Feed

If you are using the Xero bank feed, CoreBridge payments that import via the bank feed need to be handled properly. Please refer to the Related Article noted above: Xero Detail Sync: FAQ

STEP 1 – Perform a CoreBridge Reconciliation

Is this step optional or required? Required

If your system is live and you have already been performing daily reconciliations, please review READ ME then proceed to Step 2. 


READ ME

Each Reconciliation contains the payments that will export to Xero. Without Reconciliations, payments will not export.


A Reconciliation should be performed at the end of each business day to capture that day's payments and to catch any payment entry errors. If wrong payment amounts are captured on the Reconciliation the wrong amounts will sync to Xero.


INSTRUCTIONS

Please refer to these articles for instructions:

STEP 2 – Invoice Prefix & Numbering Format

Is this step optional or required? Optional if Xero does not have existing invoices. 


READ ME

If your Xero has customer invoices this step must be completed so that CoreBridge invoices will have different numbers than Xero. If invoice numbers are the same between CoreBridge and Xero the CoreBridge invoices will fail to sync.


INSTRUCTIONS

Confirm that the CoreBridge invoice numbers won't be the same as invoice numbers that exist in Xero.

  1. In Xero, run the "Customer Invoice Report" or any report that displays Invoice Numbers.
  2. Select a date range that will show your most recent invoices. 
  3. In CoreBridge view your Invoice Prefixsetting: 
    • Management Module > Locations > (select a location) > Location & Company
  4. Make any needed change then click Save Changes.  
  5. In CoreBridge view your invoice numbering: 
    • Management Module > Global Settings > Pricing Settings
  6. Make any needed change then click Save Settings.

STEP 3 - Match Income Accounts

Is this step optional or required? Required  


READ ME

The only accounts needed for the sync are the accounts in CoreBridge. Be sure not to add your entire Chart of Accounts to CoreBridge.


If there is an account in CoreBridge that does not exist in Xero, it will be created automatically in Xero during your 1st sync so there is no need to add it manually. The new account in Xero will be created exactly as displayed in CoreBridge (account number, account name). Xero does not have child accounts so if there is a child account in CoreBridge the sync will ignore the hierarchy and the child account will be created in Xero as a parent account. If you prefer to add an account manually to Xero, be sure it matches exactly to CoreBridge. 


ACCOUNT NAMING AND STRUCTURE

  • Special characters may cause sync errors. Some examples are $, &, and quote symbols. Please use only letters and numbers for account names. If a special character causes a sync error, the account name will need to be changed in both CoreBridge and Xero for the sync to be successful.

  • Each account must have a unique account number and a unique name. If you want the sync to create an account for you during the 1st sync, be sure that an account doesn't already exist in Xero with the number or name of the account that will be created.

  • Xero requires account numbers. If there is an account in CoreBridge without an account number the sync will fail when attempting to create or match to the account in Xero. If there is an inactive account in CoreBridge without a number, the sync will fail if the account was used on an order before the account was made inactive.


INSTRUCTIONS

ACCOUNT MATCHING

  • Match Income accounts between CoreBridge and Xero. 
  • Account number, account name, and account type must match exactly.
  • The Xero Account Type needs to be "Revenue" or "Sales". Using type "Other Income" will create sync errors causing data to not export.
  • In CoreBridge, navigate to Accounting Module > Manage Accounts > Income Accounts tab.

WORKING WITH ACCOUNTS 


  • The column headings can be used to sort accounts. Try clicking GL Code once or twice to put the accounts in number order.

  • Once sorted, start with the first account in CoreBridge. Compare it to Xero. Account number and account name must match between CoreBridge and Xero. If the CoreBridge account matches exactly to Xero move on to the next account in CoreBridge. (You don't want to start with the first account in Xero because all of your accounts in Xero don't need to be in CoreBridge)

  • If the CoreBridge account represents an account in Xero but it doesn't match exactly, change the account in either CoreBridge or Xero to get them to match. 
    • If you are a Franchisee, CoreBridge is populated with the Franchisor master Chart of Accounts so any change may need to be made in Xero.
    • The goal is to get the account to match perfectly between CoreBridge and Xero. Account number and account name must match.

  • If a CoreBridge account needs to be changed, click edit, make any needed changes, then click save before moving to the next account.

  • To create a new account use this section of the page.
    • If you are a Franchisee, your accounts may be locked preventing new accounts from being created.

STEP 4 - Sales Tax

Is this step optional or required? Required 


4-A: Sales Tax account number


Xero calculates it's own sales tax when a CoreBridge order syncs. The sync doesn't send the sales tax from CoreBridge over to Xero.

When the CoreBridge sales tax calculation gives a different value than the Xero sales tax calculation, the sync adds a line to the Xero invoice to adjust for the rounding difference. The adjustment is posted to a Sales Tax account. In order for this to work, the sync will look for a specific account number in Xero associated with a Sales Tax account. If the account number in Xero is different from the account number the sync is looking for, the sync will fail. 


The account number the sync will check for is based on the specific currency used in Xero. Please refer to the chart below.

  • For example, if you are using Xero in Australia, the sync will look for a Sales Tax account with account number 820.

If your Xero currency isn't listed please let us know.


Option 1

  • Assign the appropriate account number from the chart to your existing Sales Tax account

Option 2

  • Create a new Sales Tax account in Xero using the specific number from the chart. The account name doesn't matter.

CURRENCY/ACCOUNT NUMBER CHART

  • If your Xero currency isn't listed, please let us know.

    CURRENCY ABBREVIATION
    CURRENCY NAME
    ACCOUNT NUMBER
    USD
    US Dollar
    2200
    AUD
    Australian Dollar
    820
    GBP
    British Pound
    820
    NZD
    New Zealand Dollar
    820
    IDR
    Indonesian Rupiah
    2200
    SGD
    Singapore Dollar
    2200
    MYRMalaysian Ringgit820



4-B: Sales Tax Groups (for noted countries only)

If your Xero is one of these country versions, this step must be completed.

If your Xero Is Not one of these country versions, skip this step and proceed to Step 5.

  • Singapore
  • Indonesia
  • South Africa
  • Malaysia


Read Me

  • The sync attempts to create a Tax Rate in Xero for each Tax Group in CoreBridge. The Xero API for the noted countries prevents new rates from being created which causes sync errors. 
  • Tax Rates must be manually added to Xero for the sync to be successful.
  • Sales tax from CoreBridge does not sync directly to Xero. When an invoice syncs, Xero will calculate its own tax using the Tax Rates in Xero.

  • Each Tax Group in CoreBridge must exist as a Tax Rate in Xero.
  • The Tax Rate name in Xero must match the Tax Group name from CoreBridge.
  • The Tax Rate percentage in Xero must match the Tax Rate percentage from CoreBridge.

  • If the tax percentage changes, the change must be made both in CoreBridge and in Xero because the sync can't update Xero.
  • If a new Tax Group is created in CoreBridge, the corresponding Tax Rate must be created manually in Xero.
  • Not all Tax Groups are visible in CoreBridge. You will use a report to enter all Tax Rates in Xero.
  • When a Tax Group name is changed in CoreBridge, a new record is created to maintain tax integrity. The new Tax Group record is assigned automatically to historical transactions but it isn't visible in CoreBridge. If the new record needs to sync to Xero a sync error will occur if the new record doesn't exist in Xero. Reach out to CoreBridge support for a listing of tax records that will help you add any missing Tax Rates to Xero.


    Instructions

  1. Contact CoreBridge support and request a "Xero Tax Report".
  2. Use the report to create a Tax Rate in Xero for each Tax Group in CoreBridge
    • The sync will check the name only. Tax Group name must match Tax Rate name.
    • The sync doesn't check that the rate matches between CoreBridge and Xero.
    • The sync doesn't check for agencies or for agency spelling (Tax Components in Xero).

STEP 5 – Select an Accounting Export Option in CoreBridge

Is this step optional or required? Required only if a support agent has not already saved the setting for you.

If an agent has already saved the setting for you, skip this step and proceed to Step 6. 


IF YOU HAVE ALREADY SYNCED

If you have already synced with a different accounting application than Xero or a with a different export method, stop here and contact CoreBridge support. Changing this option after data has been synced will create erroneous data in Xero if a sync is performed with the new setting.


INSTRUCTIONS

If you have been in contact with a support agent this step will probably have been done for you.

  1. In CoreBridge, navigate to Accounting Module > Accounting Export.
  2. Select the following options:
    • Select Export Type: Sync with Online Application
    • Application Name: Xero Sync
    • Sync Type: Full Data Sync

    • Full Sync and Detail Sync are the same things.
  3. Click the Save button. A warning dialogue may appear. Since you have never synced you can safely click OK.

STEP 6 – Authorize CoreBridge with Xero

Is this step optional or required? Required
CoreBridge must be authorized with Xero to perform Step 7. 


READ ME

You must be logged in to CoreBridge using the default URL assigned to your CoreBridge system. It is in this format: xxx.corebridge.net

Using any other URL will result in an error.


INSTRUCTIONS

  1. In CoreBridge, navigate to Accounting Module > Accounting Export > Setup tab
  2. Click Connect to Xero
  3. A new window will appear. You may need to log in to Xero. Select your Xero company then click Allow access for 30 mins.
  4. When "Successfully connected to Xero" is displayed, close that browser window and return to CoreBridge.

  5. The authorization is available for 30 minutes. Once 30 minutes expires, you must authorize CoreBridge with Xero again in order complete Step 7.

STEP 7 – Account Setup

7-A: Select Accounts in CoreBridge

Is this step optional or required? Required 

This step can only be completed when CoreBridge is authorized. (See Step 6)


READ ME

The following accounts need to be set in CoreBridge. If an account does not already exist in Xero, it must be created prior to proceeding.

  • Default Bank Account:  This is where payments will post. (choose a Bank account)
  • Default Income account when none is assigned:  This is a fallback account if the sync can't find an account. (choose a Revenue or Sales account)
  • Default COGS account when none is assigned: (choose a Direct Costs account). COGS accounts do not sync to Xero. This option will be deprecated on a future version.

INSTRUCTIONS

In CoreBridge, navigate to Accounting Module > Accounting Export > Account Setup tab.

  1. Click on the Refresh button. This process fetches existing accounts from Xero and may take a minute or longer.
  2. Use the dropdowns to select the desired Xero accounts.
  3. If Refresh doesn't pull in a required account, the missing account must be created in Xero. Once the missing account is created click Refresh. You can also use the "circle with arrows" icon to pull in individual accounts.
  4. Leave the Sync Start Date field empty. It will be set on your 1st Sync Meeting. 
  5. When all accounts have been selected, click Save Account Setup.


7-B: Sync payments

Is this step optional or required? Optional

  • By default, your CoreBridge payments will sync to Xero. 
  • If you prefer that your payments not sync because they are being recorded in Xero in a different way, they can be stopped from syncing.
    INSTRUCTIONS
  • 1) Uncheck the box to prevent payments from syncing OR check the box to allow payments to sync.

  • 2) Click Save Account Setup.


STEP 8 – Disable Master Accounts

Is this step optional or required? Optional


READ ME

This step is not required. You can still use master accounts in CoreBridge and do not have to disable the feature for the sync to work.

Since Xero does not have a Master Account feature, the Master Account association in CoreBridge will have no affect on the sync. Master accounts in CoreBridge do not sync to Xero. If a CoreBridge customer is associated with a Master account there will be no similar association in Xero.


INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Review any master account associations by running the Customers by Master Account report found in Report Module > Customer/Receivables.
  2. Using the report, update any customers that are associated with a Master Account.  Review the Customer Settingsarticle for additional information.
    • You can safely ignore records displaying "None" or "No Master Account Association"
  3. Disable the Master Account feature on your system by navigating to Management Module > Customers > Tracking > Master Account.
  4. Uncheck the Enable Master Account Settings box and click Save Settings.

STEP 9 – Create In-Store Credit inventory item in Xero

Is this step optional or required? Required   


READ ME

When In-Store Credit is manually added to a customer account, the sync will use the item created in this step to create a Credit Note in Xero. The Credit Note balance will be updated as the In-Store Credit is used in CoreBridge.


INSTRUCTIONS

  1. In Xero navigate to Accounts > Inventory. (or Business > Products and services)
  2. Click + New Item to create a new Inventory Item.
  3. Set the following values EXACTLY as indicated:
    • Item Code:  In-Store Credit
    • Item Name:  In-Store Credit
    • I purchase this item:  Should be selected
    • Purchases Account:  Choose an EXPENSES account

The account selected is where In-Store Credit given to a customer in CoreBridge will post to. We recommend creating a new In-Store Credit expense account to keep it separate from other accounts in Xero.

The Purchases Account account number and account name in the screenshot below are examples. Your chart of accounts does not have to match the example.

  • When the Credit Note is created you may want to create a manual journal to offset the expense to a different account. 


STEP 10 – Prepayment configuration

Is this step optional or required? Required

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Open this support article: LINK: Detail Sync - Payments
  • Read through the article to understand how payments work.
  • Follow the instructions in these sections:
    • B. HOW THE LIABILITY ACCOUNT WORKS
    • D. HOW THE PAYMENT NUMBERING WORKS



STEP 11 – Review Customer Names

Is this step optional or required? Optional if Xero does not have customers.  

If your customers were imported into CoreBridge from Xero or another POS system you can usually skip this step. If any customer names were changed after the import happened you may get duplicate customers in Xero which can be merged later if needed.


READ ME

If your Xero has customers we highly recommend completing this step. If a customer exists in both Xero and CoreBridge but the names do not match each other exactly, the sync will create a new customer in Xero from the customer record in CoreBridge. All new transactions will sync to the new customer record. That will leave Xero with duplicate customers:

  1. The original customer with the transactions that were recorded in Xero
  2. The new customer with only the transactions from CoreBridge


INSTRUCTIONS

Compare all customers between CoreBridge and Xero to be sure that the name is the same in both systems. (This includes spaces, dashes, and any other character)

STEP 12 – Notify Support That All Setup Steps Have Been Completed


Once the entire setup has been completed, notify support by replying back to your "sync setup" ticket. 


"The sync setup has been completed and I would like to proceed to the next step."  


The agent assigned to your ticket will review your system to ensure that you have a successful First Sync. If any issues are found during the review that will cause the sync to fail, the agent will let you know what the issues are so that they can be fixed. Once the review is successful the agent will send a scheduling link that you will use to arrange your First Sync meeting. 


The 1st Sync to Xero will be performed with a CoreBridge Support specialist on the scheduled meeting.


We do not recommend performing a first sync on your own.