You may encounter errors from time to time as data is sent to Xero. Below are a few examples and instructions for fixing them. 

Common errors

The contact name [Name] is already assigned to another contact. The contact name must be unique across all active contacts.

Reason: There is duplicate contact information in either the Name or Contact Name in Xero.

Solution: Change both the first and last name of the customer in Xero (since these fields are separate), or add the first and last name to the Name or Contact Name in inFlow (since first and last name share a field, the change will apply).

A validation exception occurred: Invoice not of valid status for modification.

Reason: Changes are being made in inFlow to an order/bill in Xero that has been voided or deleted.
Solution: Change the order number in inFlow, save, and then click the Retry button on the integration page.
Note: Before voiding or deleting an order in Xero, add “inactive” or some identifier so that it isn’t impacting the order with the same number in inFlow in case you want to make any edits.

Please enter a SKU for the following products.

Reason: All products must have an SKU to push purchase or sales orders.
Solution: Add SKUs to your products, then click the Retry button on the integration page.

A validation exception occurred: Payment amount exceeds the amount outstanding on this document.

Reason: An overpayment is applied to the Sales Order.
Solution: Click the Paid button in your sales order to check the payments. Change the lines to ensure the payments don’t exceed the order total, then click the Retry button on the integration page.

A validation exception occurred: You must specify an Account code or Account ID for the payment.

Reason: A payment method hasn’t been added to the order, or there is no credit card account.
Solution: If no payment method is specified on the purchase order, inFlow defaults to the credit card account. If you’re paying using other methods, please specify it in the order. Otherwise, if you want to keep a blank payment method, then you’ll need to add the credit card bank account in Xero.

Your home currency must match in inFlow and Xero.

Reason: The main currency in inFlow and Xero doesn’t match.
Solution: Check both programs for currency, and correct whichever one needs it.

Xero doesn’t allow you to change your base currency once it’s set, so you may need to change your inFlow currency settings to have them match. Before changing currency settings in inFlow contact inFlow support so we can make sure everything is set up correctly.

A validation exception occurred: The SalesAccountId account is invalid.

Reason: Select a sales-type account (called a revenue account in Xero) in the integration settings.
Solution: Change the account to a revenue account. 

A validation exception occurred: Account must be valid: Tax rate must be valid.

Reason: Xero and inFlow handle rounding differently, causing a discrepancy. inFlow uses the standard unit-of-measure price, and Xero rounds by the unit price rather than the subtotal.

Solution: If the unit price requires more than two decimal places, change the standard unit of measure in inFlow so that the price is two decimal places.

A validation exception occurred: Item code “[SKU Number]” is not valid.

Reason: The SKU number likely contains a hidden space, e.g., “XXXX” instead of “XXXX”.
Solution: Check for and remove any spaces in the SKU number in inFlow.

The quantity value ‘-1.0000’ is invalid. Quantity must not be less than zero.

Reason: The order contains a negative quantity. Xero doesn’t support negative line items—this applies to both products and freight. Since freight is sent to Xero as a separate line item, a negative freight amount could also be causing the issue.
Solution: Please review the order for any line items with negative quantities, including freight. Adjust any negative values as needed.

Email address must be valid.

Reason: Xero does not support having multiple email addresses in one field. This can prevent the order from syncing properly. An incorrect email format can also cause issues.
Solution: Please check the email field on the order:

Option 1: If there are multiple email addresses, remove one of them and try pushing the order again.

Option 2: If there’s only one email, make sure it’s in the correct format (e.g., name@example.com). Fix it if needed.

Price List Item with Code “[SKU Number]” already exists.

Reason: It looks like an item with the SKU “[SKU Number]” already exists in Xero. Having duplicate SKUs prevents the order from being pushed.
Solution: Please go to Products and Services in Xero and check if another item has the same SKU. If so, update the SKU to something unique, then try pushing the order again if needed.

Price List Item Code must not be more than 30 characters long.

Reason: Some SKUs in this order are longer than Xero’s 30-character limit.
Solution: Please check all SKUs in the order and ensure they are 30 characters or fewer. Update any long SKUs in inFlow.

An existing Invoice with the specified Type and InvoiceID could not be found.

Reason: The sales order can’t be pushed because there’s already a purchase order in Xero with the same number (or vice versa).
Solution: You need to change the sales or purchase order number that’s causing the error.

Sorry, the following products already exist in Xero as tracked inventory items. Please change the product Code in Xero and deactivate the products, then try again: [Product].

Reason: With inFlow, all your items in Xero should be set as non-tracked. If an item is tracked in Xero, it can cause sync issues.
Solution: To fix this, go to Xero: Business > Products and Services > find the item > Edit item, then uncheck Track inventory item. Save your changes.

A validation exception occurred: Account type is invalid for making a payment to/from.

Reason: This error happens because the payment account used is invalid or not set as a Bank or Credit Card type in Xero’s Chart of Accounts.
Solution: Please check your inFlow mapping with Xero and select the proper account type, either Bank or Credit Card. After updating, click Retry on the error.

The contact with the specified contact details has been archived. The contact must be un-archived before creating new invoices or credit notes.

Reason: This error means that the contact linked to the invoice in Xero has been archived or merged. Xero doesn’t allow creating new invoices or credit notes for archived contacts.
Solution: Please go to Xero and restore the archived or merged contact. Once the contact is active again, try pushing the invoice or credit note from inFlow.

Organization is not subscribed to currency [Currency].

Reason: The Xero company doesn’t have the currency used in the order added to its list of active currencies. This prevents the order from being pushed.
Solution: Please go to Settings > Currencies in Xero and add the missing currency. Once it’s added, try pushing the order again from inFlow.

You have reached the limit of invoices you can approve.

Reason: This likely means you’ve reached the monthly limit of invoices your current Xero plan allows you to approve.
Solution: Please check your Xero subscription to see if there’s a cap on the number of invoices you can approve each month. If you’ve reached the limit, you may need to wait until the next billing cycle or upgrade your Xero plan to continue approving invoices.