Automatic Xero Receipt Forwarding

Forward receipts to Xero Files automatically

By ilios Galil · Founder, Expensent

Published December 1, 2024 · Updated March 28, 2026

Stop manually forwarding receipts to Xero. Expensent automatically detects invoice emails in your inbox and forwards them to your @xerofiles.com or @app.hubdoc.com address for reconciliation. Set it up once in 5 minutes, and never forward a receipt manually again.

The Manual Forwarding Problem

Xero's Files inbox is powerful, but still requires you to manually forward each receipt:

•Every SaaS subscription, every Amazon order, every business expense
•Invoices get buried in your inbox and forgotten
•Month-end reconciliation becomes a treasure hunt
•Your accountant is missing documentation for expenses

Automatic Xero Email Forwarding with Expensent

Expensent finds every invoice in your inbox and categorizes it — ready to forward, needs a download, or needs review. Forward to your @xerofiles.com address with one click, or set up auto-forwarding so the next time this invoice comes in, it goes straight to Xero.

Intelligent detection: AI-powered detection recognizes invoices from any vendor—not limited to a fixed list
Smart categorization: Invoices are sorted automatically—auto-forward, review first, or download from vendor portal
Historical backfill: Catches up on past invoices from your inbox
You're in control: One click to forward any invoice. One click to set up auto-forwarding — next time that invoice arrives, it’s handled automatically.
Paper receipts too: Use the built-in camera scanner on your phone to capture paper receipts and forward them to Xero alongside your email invoices
Full control: CC your team on forwarded emails, attach notes to rules, filter by attachment type, or skip $0 invoices — customize exactly how your invoices flow to Xero

How Xero Receipt Email Forwarding Works

Every Xero organization has a unique email address for receiving documents: xero.inbox.[code]@xerofiles.com. You can also use Hubdoc (included free with all Xero plans) for full OCR extraction via [prefix]@app.hubdoc.com

•Files Inbox stores documents; Hubdoc extracts supplier, date, amount, and tax data automatically
•Accepted formats via email: PDF, XLS, CSV, JPEG, and PNG (max 25 MB per file)
•Files can be attached to transactions for reconciliation
•Supports bank feeds for automatic transaction matching

To find your address: In Xero, click the Files icon in the top right corner. Your unique email address is displayed in the Files section.

How to Set Up Automatic Xero Receipt Forwarding

Connect your email to Expensent

Link your email inbox. Secure OAuth login—we never see your password.

Enter your Xero Files inbox email

Find your @xerofiles.com address in Xero and add it as your forwarding destination in Expensent.

You're in control

Expensent finds and categorizes your invoices. Forward to Xero with one click, or set up auto-forwarding — next time the invoice arrives, it goes straight there.

For a complete guide including troubleshooting and all submission methods, see our Complete Guide to Emailing Receipts to Xero.

Zero Manual Effort

No more forwarding emails to Xero

Direct Delivery

Documents arrive in real-time

Complete Capture

Every invoice forwarded for reconciliation

Xero Receipt Forwarding FAQ

How do I automatically forward receipts to Xero?

Connect your email to Expensent and set your Xero Files inbox email as your forwarding destination. Expensent finds invoice emails and categorizes them. Forward with one click, or set up auto-forwarding — next time that invoice comes in, it’s handled automatically.

What is the Xero Files inbox email address?

Every Xero organization has a unique email address for receiving documents in the format xero.inbox.[code]@xerofiles.com, where [code] is a long auto-generated string. You can find this address in Xero by clicking the Files icon in the top right corner. For OCR receipt extraction, you can also use Hubdoc (included free with all Xero plans), which provides a customizable [prefix]@app.hubdoc.com address.

How long does Xero receipt automation take to set up?

Just 5 minutes. Connect your email with OAuth (no password needed), enter your Xero Files inbox email as your destination, and you're done. Expensent finds your invoice emails and forwards them to Xero.

What file types does Xero accept via email?

The Xero Files Inbox accepts PDF, XLS, CSV, JPEG, and PNG attachments (max 25 MB each). Hubdoc accepts a wider range including PDF, JPEG, PNG, HEIC, HTML, DOC/DOCX, and ZIP (max 35 MB). Attachments are automatically extracted from forwarded emails and stored for reconciliation.

What types of receipts does Expensent detect for Xero?

Expensent uses AI to detect invoice emails from any vendor including SaaS subscriptions (AWS, GCP, Vercel, Adobe), travel (airlines, hotels), restaurants, office supplies, and more. It forwards the email along with its PDF, JPG, and PNG attachments to Xero.

Is my email data secure when forwarding to Xero?

Absolutely. We use OAuth 2.0 authentication (we never see your password), bank-level encryption. AI prefilters on email metadata only—personal emails are filtered out without their content ever being read. Your invoices are forwarded securely to your Xero account.

Related Integrations

QuickBooks

Send receipts to your custom @qbodocs.com address for automatic categorization.

FreshBooks

Email receipts to your unique FreshBooks address for automatic expense tracking.

Wave

Email receipts to your Wave forwarding address for automatic transaction creation.

Ready to automate your Xero receipts?

Set up takes just 5 minutes. Start forwarding to your Xero forwarding address automatically today.

Get Started

How Automatic Invoice Forwarding Works

Expensent connects to your email inbox and uses AI to detect every invoice and receipt you receive. Each invoice is categorized by status: ready to forward with a PDF attachment, needs a download from the vendor portal, needs your review, or not an invoice. You see all your invoices in one place and decide what happens next.

One-Click Forwarding and Auto-Forwarding Rules

Forward any invoice to your accounting software with one click. Or create an auto-forwarding rule so the next time that invoice arrives, it goes straight to your destination automatically. Rules are created from existing emails with one click — no manual configuration of sender patterns or subject filters required.

Works With Every Major Accounting Platform

Forward receipts to QuickBooks Online, Xero, Expensify, FreshBooks, Ramp, Brex, BILL, Dext, SAP Concur, Wave, Zoho Expense, Hubdoc, Emburse, Pleo, Rydoo, Divvy, Revolut Business, or any custom email address. Each platform has its own forwarding email where receipts are processed, extracted, and matched to transactions.

Privacy and Security

Expensent uses OAuth authentication to connect to your inbox — your password is never shared. AI prefilters on email metadata only, so personal emails are filtered out without their content ever being read. You control which invoices are forwarded and where they go.

The Manual Forwarding Problem

Xero's Files inbox is powerful, but still requires you to manually forward each receipt:

•Every SaaS subscription, every Amazon order, every business expense

•Invoices get buried in your inbox and forgotten

•Month-end reconciliation becomes a treasure hunt

•Your accountant is missing documentation for expenses

Automatic Xero Email Forwarding with Expensent

Intelligent detection: AI-powered detection recognizes invoices from any vendor—not limited to a fixed list

Smart categorization: Invoices are sorted automatically—auto-forward, review first, or download from vendor portal

Historical backfill: Catches up on past invoices from your inbox

You're in control: One click to forward any invoice. One click to set up auto-forwarding — next time that invoice arrives, it’s handled automatically.

Paper receipts too: Use the built-in camera scanner on your phone to capture paper receipts and forward them to Xero alongside your email invoices

Full control: CC your team on forwarded emails, attach notes to rules, filter by attachment type, or skip $0 invoices — customize exactly how your invoices flow to Xero