If your customers already exist in Access PaySuite DDCMS, they must be linked to the corresponding Xero contact through the middleware before Direct Debit payments can be collected.
If this link is not in place, invoices will not be associated with the correct Direct Debit contract and payments will not be taken.
If you are experiencing issues with linking, see Fix payer linking issues for troubleshooting guidance.
Link existing customers
To view and link your Xero contacts:
Log in to the Middleware.
Go to Manage Contracts.
Select Import.
This will display a list of your Xero contacts.
The middleware will automatically look for potential matches based on email address and company name.
Link suggested matches
If suggested links are found:
You can select Link x Suggested Contracts to automatically link all customers where the system has identified a match. This is useful if you have multiple customers to link and are confident the suggested matches are correct.
If you prefer to review each match before linking, locate the customer in the list and click View Suggested Links. This allows you to check the customer details and confirm the correct contract is selected before creating the link.
To link individually:
Click View Suggested Links.
Review the details shown and click Create Link.
On the next page, select a Direct Debit contract (must be ad hoc).
Click Link.
📌Note: If any suggested matches are incorrect, you should disable them using the green toggle under View/Unlink before using bulk linking.
Link customers manually
If no suggested link appears or the suggestion is not correct:
Locate the customer and click Choose From List.
This will display all available Access PaySuite DDCMS customers.
Search using the Access PaySuite DDCMS Customer Reference if required.
Select the correct customer record and click Create Link.
Select a Direct Debit contract (this must be an ad hoc contract).
Click Link.
If an ad hoc contract does not exist, you will need to create a new contract before linking.
📌Note: If no suggested links appear, this usually means the email address or company name does not match between Xero and the Direct Debit record.
After link
If you link a customer after their invoice has already been authorised in Xero:
Make a small amendment to the invoice
Save the invoice again
This ensures the invoice is pulled through to Access PaySuite DDCMS after the link has been created.
📌Note: Invoices will not be processed against the newly linked contract unless they are updated and re-saved.
Remove contract link
If a customer has been linked in error, you can remove the link before any invoice payments have been scheduled.
To unlink a customer:
Go to Manage Contracts.
Select Import.
Locate and select the required record.
Click View/Unlink.
Click Unlink.
📌Note: Customers cannot be unlinked if payments have already been scheduled against the contract.
Additional information
If the customer is not already set up in Access PaySuite DDCMS:
You can add them manually, or
The customer can use the Pay by Direct Debit option on their invoice
Using the invoice payment option will automatically create and link the contract, meaning these manual linking steps are not required.