The Xero integration for Perk automates spend-management data flow between Perk and Xero. It imports master data (accounts, tracking categories, tax rates, contacts) from Xero into Perk, and exports approved expenses and credit notes from Perk into Xero. The expense approval flow stays entirely inside Perk.

Role: Account admins can perform setup tasks.

To configure the integration, see Set up the Xero integration for Perk expenses. For failed exports and import errors, see Troubleshoot the Xero integration for Perk expenses.

What the integration does

The Xero integration for Perk keeps your expense data in sync between the two systems so your finance team works from one source of truth. Perk pulls reference data out of Xero and pushes finished expenses back in, while the expense approval flow stays entirely inside Perk.

• Import (Xero to Perk): chart of accounts, tracking categories, tax rates, and contacts.
• Export (Perk to Xero): approved expenses and credit notes. The Xero record depends on how the expense was paid:
  • Privately paid (reimbursable) expenses: approved Bills.
  • Privately paid credit notes: approved Vendor Credits.
  • Company card and travel expenses: Spend Money Bank Transactions.
  • Company card and travel credit notes: Receive Money Bank Transactions.

You can link only one Xero tenant per Perk company (legal entity). Connections are made per company, so an account (top-level entity) with several companies runs a separate setup for each.

How Perk and Xero data map

An expense category is where an expense is coded in Perk. A cost object is a value employees pick when coding an expense; it drives cost allocation and approval routing. A custom field stores a secondary classification on the expense.

The integration needs these permissions in Xero:

• Read: Accounts, Company information, Contacts, Items, Attachments, Tracking categories, Tax rates.
• Write: Invoices, Accounts, Attachments, Expenses, Vendor credits.

If you want full technical details of how each field is mapped in Perk, see "Data exchange (technical field mapping)" at the end of this article.

How sync works

After the first import, Xero and Perk stay in sync in near real time. Changes in Xero reach Perk through webhooks, usually within seconds. A nightly reconciliation at 00:00 UTC catches anything the webhooks missed. Each sync is a delta sync: it only looks at records that changed in Xero. Expenses are exported to Xero in real time, on a manual or automatic trigger.

Because syncs are delta-based, a change that doesn't register on the Xero side isn't picked up. Example: adding a Perk user whose Xero contact already exists won't match them, because nothing changed on the contact. See "Adding new employees after setup" in the set-up article.

Good to know

• Deleted or archived Xero data isn't detected. Deleting or archiving an account or tracking category in Xero doesn't deactivate the matching expense category, cost object, or custom field in Perk. Deactivate it manually. An expense posted to an account deleted in Xero fails to export. Tax rate deletions are detected.
• Manually created records have no Xero link. Expense categories, cost objects, and custom fields created manually in Perk aren't reverse-matched. Exports using a manual category or cost object fail; a manual custom field's value is left off the export.
• Card and travel expenses post as unreconciled. Xero always creates Spend Money Bank Transactions as unreconciled, and only apps in its "conversion" (one-time migration) API category can set IsReconciled. Xero also doesn't expose unreconciled bank statement data through its public API. Reconcile these transactions manually in Xero. This is expected Xero behavior, not an integration gap.
• Supplier invoices. Exporting Perk supplier invoices to Xero isn't supported.

Data exchange (technical field mapping)

Master data (Xero to Perk)

Users

Perk users sync with Xero Contacts. The user must exist in Perk first. Email is the unique identifier and must be identical in both systems. If a Xero contact's email changes, update it in Perk too.

Tax rates

Perk tax rates sync with Xero Tax Rates. For selected (auto-synced) rates, the sync updates name, rate, and status on the next run.

Company cards

Perk company cards sync with Xero Accounts of Type Bank and Account Type Credit Card. The card must exist in Perk first. After setup, only status changes on the Xero Credit Card Account update in Perk.

Cost objects (tracking categories)

A tracking category mapped as a cost object syncs to a Perk cost object. Active categories import as active, archived ones as inactive. Each option imports as a cost object value; new options under a mapped category import on the next sync.

Custom fields (tracking categories)

A tracking category mapped as a custom field creates a new Perk custom field named after it. Each option imports as a value.

Expense categories (accounts)

Xero accounts map to Perk expense categories. You choose which accounts to import during setup. Only active accounts import on the initial sync. A renamed account updates on the next sync. Export uses an internal ID, not the ERP code.

Export (Perk to Xero)

Privately paid expenses

Reimbursable expenses export as approved Bills. Credit notes export as approved Vendor Credits.

Card transactions

Company card transactions export as Spend Money bank transactions. Card credit notes export as Receive Money.

Travel expenses

Travel expenses export as Spend Money bank transactions. Travel credit notes export as Receive Money. Same fields as card transactions, except the account:

Currency and tax

Depending on the posting strategy in company settings, Perk exports each expense in company currency, original receipt currency, or user currency. Perk sends the selected tax rate and Xero calculates the tax.