How many Invoices can you Sync per day in Xero? A Simple Breakdown

Recently, during an Xero integration consulting call, a client asked an interesting question:

Client’s Query

How many invoices can I sync per day in Xero?

A client wanted to sync a bulk of invoices from their eCommerce order management system.

He asked me,

“How many invoices can I sync per day in Xero?”

I replied, “There is a limit of 5,000 API calls per day, and it depends.”

The client then asked,

“What do you mean by ‘it depends’? At least 5,000 invoices can be pushed, am I right?”

Again, I said, “It depends.”

Let’s understand by taking an example, on what things it depends?

How many API calls will it take to sync one invoice in Xero?

We consider the following general actions required for syncing an invoice:

1. Checking/Creating a Contact: 1 API call.
2. Checking/Creating Items (if required): 1 API call per item.
3. Creating/Updating the Invoice: 1 API call.
4. Applying Payments (optional): 1 API call per payment.

Example Scenario:

• Assumptions: Each invoice involves:
  • 👤 1 contact
  • 🛒 3 line items
  • 📝 1 invoice
  • 💵 1 payment
• Total API Calls per Invoice
  • 1 (Contact) + 3 (Items) + 1 (Invoice) + 1 (Payment) = 6 API calls per invoice

Statistics for Invoice Synchronization

Key Insights of Xero API limit:

1. Invoices Sync Limit: You can sync up to 833 invoices per day without exceeding the 5,000 API call limit, assuming each invoice requires 6 API calls.
   
2. Handling Larger Volumes
   • Batch invoices where possible.
   • Distribute synchronization over multiple days.
   • Use Xero’s Webhooks for real-time updates instead of polling.
3. LimitationsSynchronizing 800 or more invoices in a single day is not possible due to API limits.

How to Overcome the 800 Invoices Limit in Xero?

To create more than 800 invoices per day in Xero while staying within API limits, you can:

• Batch Multiple Invoices in a Single API Call: Use the POST or PUT Invoices endpoint to include up to 50 invoices per request (within the 3.5MB request size limit).For example:
• To sync 800 invoices, you would need only 20 API calls. This approach allows efficient scaling without exceeding daily limits.

Like Xero, would you like to know about API limits for top accounting software? [Read: A SaaS Leader’s Guide to API Rate Limits in Top Accounting Platforms]

Conclusion

Syncing invoices in bulk with Xero requires understanding and managing its API limitations effectively. While the daily Xero API call limit of 5,000 may seem restrictive, strategic approaches like batching invoices (up to 50 per API call), using bulk endpoints, and distributing synchronization over multiple days can help overcome this challenge.

For businesses with larger volumes, optimizing the integration process and leveraging Xero’s advanced features like custom Xero invoice handling and webhooks can significantly streamline operations. With the right strategy and tools, scaling your invoice synchronization in Xero becomes a manageable task.