If your Xero payments are not being collected, it is most likely because the customer is not linked correctly or is linked to the wrong contract.
This means the system cannot match the Xero contact to a Direct Debit contract, so it does not know which bank details or mandate to use for payment collection. Without this link, payments cannot be taken, even if everything else appears correct.
Identify the issue
If payments are not collecting, check which of the below applies:
The customer is not linked
The wrong contract is linked
There is no contract available to link
You cannot update or remove the link
Identify which applies and follow the relevant steps below.
Customer not linked
If the customer is not linked, no Direct Debit contract is connected.
Log in to the Middleware.
Go to Manage Contracts.
Select Import.
Find the customer in the list.
📌Note: Use the Search field to find a contact by name. Select Company or Customer from the Search By dropdown and click the green Filter button. Contacts that are already linked will show Contract Exists, with the linked contract reference displayed alongside.
Click View Suggested Links.
Review and confirm the bank reference matches Access PaySuite DDCMS.
Click Create Link.
No suitable match shown
If no suitable match is available after reviewing suggested links, you will need to manually link the contract.
Click Choose From List.
Select the correct customer.
Click Create Link.
Select an ad hoc Direct Debit contract and click Link.
You can also use Link x Suggested Contracts to automatically link all suggested matches at once. If any suggested matches are incorrect, disable them before bulk 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. If suggested links do appear, they should always be checked before confirming, as incorrect matches will link the wrong contract.
The system matches using email address and company name, so these must match exactly between Xero and the Direct Debit record.
Wrong contract linked
If the wrong contract is linked, payments may fail or be taken from the wrong mandate.
Go to Manage Contracts.
Select Import.
Locate the customer and click View/Unlink.
Click Unlink.
Link the correct contract.
📌Note: Customers cannot be unlinked if there are pending payments on the contract. You must wait until payments have completed before making changes.
No contract available to link
If no contract is available, there is no Direct Debit mandate for the customer.
📌Note: A contract is only created once the customer completes the full sign‑up and payment process. Until this happens, there will be nothing available to link and payments cannot be collected.
If you expect a contract to exist but cannot see one:
Check the email address in Xero matches the one used during sign-up
Check there are no duplicate email addresses
Confirm the customer has completed Direct Debit setup
Still not collecting after linking
If the customer is linked and payments are still not being collected, the invoice may need to be refreshed.
Make a small change to the invoice (for example, update wording) and save it again so it is picked up after the link is created.
Also check the following:
The correct contract is linked to the correct customer
The email used in Xero matches the Direct Debit record
📌Note: If the invoice was already authorised before linking, it will not be collected until it is updated.
Common causes
Most linking issues are caused by:
Duplicate email addresses in Xero
No Direct Debit contract existing
Incorrect contract being linked
Email mismatch between systems
Fixing these will resolve the majority of issues.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my customer not linked?
This usually happens when the system cannot match the Xero contact to a Direct Debit contract. The most common reasons are email mismatch, duplicate email addresses, or no contract existing for the customer.
Why is the wrong contract linked?
This can happen if an incorrect match is selected or multiple similar records exist. If the wrong contract is linked, payments may fail or be taken from the wrong mandate and the link will need to be corrected.
Why can’t I unlink a customer?
Customers cannot be unlinked if there are pending payments on the contract. You will need to wait until those payments have completed before making any changes.
Why can’t I see a contract to link?
This means there is no Direct Debit contract available for that customer. This usually happens when the customer has not completed setup or the details do not match the Xero record.
Why are payments still not collecting after linking?
If the customer is linked correctly, the invoice may need to be refreshed. Make a small change to the invoice and save it again so it is picked up after linking.
What should I check before contacting support?
Check that:
The correct contract is linked to the correct customer
A Direct Debit contract exists
Email details match across systems
Duplicate email addresses have been removed
If the issue still persists, contact us via the Access Digital Assistant and request to speak with a member of the support team.