Can my Xero invoices be chased automatically?
Yes, and you can do most of it yourself. Xero has built-in reminders that email customers about overdue invoices for you. If you want more than that, tools like Zapier or a ready-made chasing app may cover it. Something built for you only makes sense when you want the chasing itself to change with the customer and the amount, not just switch off for some.
What Xero does on its own
Xero's help page on how invoice reminders work says it sets up three default reminders when you switch them on, and you can have up to five. You can edit or delete any of them, add one that goes out before the due date, and stop reminders for certain customers or invoices, for example "one you've already spoken to a customer about".
That page does not say which Xero plans include reminders, so check your own plan before relying on them.
What I have seen go wrong
One small business owner I've worked with told me he means to chase invoices more often but forgets. Raising invoices had been someone else's job, but in practice they were not going out and nobody chased payment. Xero was set up and working: the gap was that nobody was doing the job. Quotes are the same: once sent, they are not followed up. In his words, "I don't chase", and he estimates he wins about 1 in 10.
So before switching anything on:
- Check invoices are actually being raised. A reminder can only chase an invoice that exists.
- Check every customer has an email address in Xero. Xero sends reminders to the main person on the customer's record.
- Read the reminder wording. If you would not be happy to receive it, change it.
The middle options
- Zapier, a tool that links apps together, has a Xero trigger that "triggers when a sales invoice is overdue by a specified number of days". From there it can pass the invoice on to the other apps you use.
- Ready-made chasing apps plug into Xero. On their own pricing pages, checked on 12 October 2026, Satago starts at £45 a month and Chaser from £179 a month on a yearly plan.
I have not used either app for a client, so I can't vouch for them.
Where something built for you helps
My view is that chasing should depend on the invoice and the customer. A small one-off debt may not be worth anyone's time. A good long-standing customer should not get the same treatment as a stranger. Those rules can be written down once, in advance, rather than decided invoice by invoice.
Things I could build on that:
- A message each morning listing what is overdue, by how long, and which rule applies.
- Different chasing for different groups of customers.
- A flag when an overdue invoice is big enough, or the customer important enough, that you should ring them yourself.
Xero's published description of its API (the way other software talks to Xero) lets other software read whether reminders are switched on, but not change or send them. A custom chaser finds overdue invoices itself and sends its own emails.
I have not built this for a client yet. I would test it against Xero's free demo company first, never your live accounts.
What to know before you ask
- Cost. Xero's Custom Connections page says connecting software built for one business requires "an additional monthly subscription", paid by you. I check the current price before quoting.
- AI. Xero's developer FAQ says its terms prohibit using data obtained through its APIs to train AI or machine learning models. I check the current terms before building anything.
- Disputes. Automatic chasing will not settle a disputed invoice. That is still you.
If you want help with it
I'm Will Darbey, and Practical Automation is my one-person AI and IT consultancy for small businesses in south west London, and anywhere in the UK remotely. I do this alongside a day job, so I work evenings and weekends and will agree a date with you rather than promise a quick turnaround.
If you would like someone to look at how overdue invoices are chased now and whether anything needs building, start with a free 30 minute call. If the built-in reminders are all you need, I will say so. Really no pressure.