Table of contents
Why This Integration Matters
About 60% of Australian nonprofits and clubs use Xero for accounting. If your club is one of them, connecting TidyHQ to Xero eliminates the manual data entry that eats your treasurer's evenings.
Invoices created in TidyHQ sync to Xero automatically. Payments recorded in TidyHQ appear in Xero. The treasurer stops entering the same transaction twice. GST is handled correctly. The AGM financial report takes minutes instead of hours.
What You Need
- An active TidyHQ account (any plan)
- An active Xero account (any plan)
- Admin access to both platforms
- 15 minutes
Step-by-Step Setup
Step 1: Connect the accounts. In TidyHQ, go to Settings, then Integrations, then Xero. Click "Connect to Xero." A Xero popup will ask you to authorise the connection. Log in, select your organisation, and click Authorise. Done. Two minutes.
Step 2: Map your income accounts. TidyHQ will show your Xero chart of accounts. Map your TidyHQ income categories - membership fees, event revenue, merchandise - to the corresponding Xero accounts. This tells Xero where to categorise each type of income.
Step 3: Configure invoice sync. Enable automatic invoice sync. When TidyHQ creates a membership invoice, it will appear in Xero as a draft or approved invoice (your choice). Enable payment sync so payments recorded in TidyHQ mark the Xero invoice as paid.
Step 4: Test. Create a test invoice in TidyHQ. Check Xero. It should appear within minutes. Record a payment. Check Xero again. The invoice should be marked as paid.
What Syncs
- Invoices: Every invoice created in TidyHQ (membership, events, manual) syncs to Xero with the correct account mapping and GST treatment.
- Payments: When a member pays via Stripe, PayPal, BPay, or POLi, the payment syncs to Xero and the invoice is reconciled.
- Contacts: Member details sync to Xero contacts, keeping your accounting records aligned with your membership records.
What Does Not Sync
- Bank transactions (Xero handles bank feeds directly)
- Expense claims and bills (managed in Xero)
- Historical data before the integration was connected
The Treasurer's New Workflow
Before integration: Create invoice in TidyHQ. Create same invoice in Xero. Wait for payment. Check bank account. Mark paid in TidyHQ. Mark paid in Xero. Reconcile in Xero. Repeat 100 times per renewal period.
After integration: Create invoice in TidyHQ. It appears in Xero. Payment arrives. Both systems update. Move on.
The typical treasurer saves 5-10 hours per month. During renewal season, more.
GST Handling
TidyHQ applies Australian GST rules to invoices based on your configuration. When invoices sync to Xero, the GST amount is preserved. Your BAS preparation uses accurate data from day one.
Troubleshooting
Invoices not syncing? Check that the connection is still authorised in Settings. Xero tokens expire periodically and may need re-authorisation.
Wrong account mapping? Update the mapping in TidyHQ's integration settings. Future invoices will use the new mapping. Existing invoices in Xero can be recategorised there.
Duplicate contacts? If a member already exists in Xero, TidyHQ will match by email address. If the email differs, a duplicate may be created. Clean these up in Xero.
The Bottom Line
The Xero integration is the single most popular feature among TidyHQ clubs with a treasurer. It removes the double-entry burden, keeps financial records accurate, and gives the committee real-time financial visibility.
Set it up once. Let it run. Get your evenings back.
References
- TidyHQ - Club management platform with native Xero integration for membership organisations
- Xero - Cloud accounting software used by over 60% of Australian nonprofits and clubs
- Stripe - Payment processing platform that works alongside TidyHQ and Xero for online transactions
- Australian Sports Commission - National agency with resources on club financial governance and compliance
Header image: The Reservoir, Horta de Ebro by Pablo Picasso, via WikiArt
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