How to find duplicate invoices and bills in Xero
A CSV imported twice, an app sync that posted the same order again, a bill keyed in by two people: duplicates in Xero make receivables, payables and the tax return wrong. Here is how to find them by hand, how to find them all at once, and what to do with the extra copies.
What a duplicate looks like
Almost every duplicate has the same contact, the same currency and the same total as the original. What differs is how it got there:
- Imported twice: same day, same reference, often the same number with a dropped prefix or leading zeros (INV-0012 and 0012).
- Posted again by a sync: same reference (the order number), dated a day or a few days later.
- Keyed in twice: no reference on either, dated the same day or one or two days apart. Common with bills.
Not every look-alike is a duplicate. A monthly invoice for the same amount and the same reference is a repeat, not a copy: it sits about a month from the last one.
Find them by hand
- In Xero, open the sales invoice list (or the bills list) and export it to a spreadsheet.
- Sort by contact, then by total, then by date.
- Read down the list for rows with the same contact and total dated the same day or a few days apart, and compare their references.
- Open each pair in Xero before you change anything: check payments, credit notes and attachments on both.
This works for a few hundred documents. With thousands, and with several currencies, it takes hours and it is easy to miss a pair.
Find them all at once
Duplicate Finder for Xero reads every sales invoice and bill and lists the possible duplicates with the rules above: same day; the same reference less than 7 days apart (you can widen it); or no reference one or two days apart. Same-reference pairs 25 or more days apart are marked “may repeat monthly” and never suggested for a void. Each group keeps one copy (one with a payment first, then approved over draft, then one with an attachment, then the oldest) and suggests what to do with the others.
The scan only reads. It is free, with the counts, the total and the first 10 rows.
Remove the extra copies
An approved sales invoice or bill cannot be deleted in Xero, only voided. A draft can be deleted. A copy with a payment on it needs the payment removed first, so look at those by hand. Duplicate Finder sends the extra approved sales invoices without payments to a bulk void: a preview, a backup file and a typed confirmation come first, and only the numbers the scan suggested are included.
Questions
How do I find duplicate invoices in Xero?
Export the sales invoice list, sort it by contact, total and date, and look for the same contact and total on the same day or a few days apart. Duplicate Finder for Xero does this for every sales invoice and bill in one free read-only scan.
Does Duplicate Finder find duplicate bills too?
Yes. Bills are scanned and listed like sales invoices. Two copies of a bill usually carry the same supplier invoice number, so you open those from the list (each row links to the document in Xero).
Will a monthly repeating invoice show up as a duplicate?
Not at the default setting: a same-reference pair must be less than 7 days apart. If you widen the window, a same-reference pair 25 or more days apart is marked "may repeat monthly" and never suggested for a void.
What about duplicates with no reference?
Two documents for the same contact and total with no reference on either are listed when they are dated the same day or one or two days apart, marked Check.
Does the scan change anything in Xero?
No. It only reads, and Xero shows read-only access when you connect. A void happens only after you send the list to a bulk void, see a preview and type the confirmation.
Can I delete a duplicate invoice in Xero?
An approved invoice or bill can only be voided; a draft can be deleted. A copy with a payment on it needs the payment removed first, so Duplicate Finder never suggests voiding it.
What does it cost?
The scan, the counts and the first 10 rows are free. The full list, the CSV and the bulk void are $19 a month or $39 for 30 days, per organisation.