The two Xero export types
When you export a purchase document from Datamolino, it lands in Xero in one of two places:
Bills - the document is created in Xero's Accounts Payable. You select a ledger account and a tax code, and the bill sits in Xero waiting to be paid (or already marked as paid, depending on the status you choose).
Bank Transactions - the document is created directly in a Xero bank account as a Spend Money transaction. There is no Accounts Payable step. This is useful for receipts that have already been paid by cash, credit card, or another method.
The export type is set per document. By default a folder is configured for one of the two, and individual documents or suppliers can override that default.
When to use Bank Transactions
Bank Transactions are a good fit when the document has already been paid and you do not need it to flow through Accounts Payable first. Common cases are paid card receipts, cash receipts, and one-off expenses you want to post directly against a bank or credit card account in Xero.
👉 What is needed before I can choose Bank Transactions?
You need at least one bank account set up in your connected Xero organisation. The bank account list comes from Xero, so if you do not see the account you want, add it in Xero first and then refresh the connection.
For each Bank Transaction export you also pick:
The Bank account - which Xero bank account the transaction lands in.
The Bank transaction type - Spend Money or Receive Money. For purchase documents this is Spend Money; for sales documents it is Receive Money.
The Xero invoice status (Draft, Awaiting Approval, Awaiting Payment) does not apply to Bank Transactions. Status is only used when the export type is Bills. Learn more about Xero export statuses.
Switch the export type for one document
You can override the export type on a single document from the document detail view. This is useful when most documents from a supplier go to Bills, but a specific one was paid on the spot.
👉 Where do I change the export type on a document?
Open the document and look at the Supplier section. The export destination dropdown shows the current type (Bills or Bank Transactions). Change it to the type you want.
If you switch to Bank Transactions, two new fields appear - Bank account and Bank transaction type. Both must be filled before the document can be exported.
👉 Does this change apply to future documents from the same supplier?
No. Changing the export type on the document only affects that document. To change the default for every document from the same supplier, use the supplier automation settings (see the next section).
Switch the export type for one supplier
If a supplier should always export to Bank Transactions (for example, a regular card-paid expense), set this once on the supplier and Datamolino will pre-select Bank Transactions for every future document from that supplier.
👉 How to change the export type for a supplier?
Open a document from the supplier and go to Automation from the supplier section.
In the automation settings, change the Export endpoint to Bank Transactions, choose the Bank account and Bank transaction type, and click Save. From that point on, every new document from this supplier will be pre-set to export as a Bank Transaction.
Switch the export type for the whole folder
You can also set the entire folder to export as Bank Transactions. Changing the folder default takes two steps - one for new suppliers added later, one for the suppliers already in the folder.
👉 How to change the folder default for new suppliers?
Open the folder and go to Folder Menu > Accounting & Automation > Integration. Change the export destination to Bank Transactions, pick the bank account and transaction type, and click Save. This applies to every new supplier added to the folder from now on.
👉 How to update suppliers already in the folder?
The folder default only affects new suppliers, so existing suppliers keep their current setting until you update them. Go to Folder Menu > Accounting & Automation > Automation contacts > Mass Edit Supplier Automation Settings, change the Export endpoint to Bank Transactions, and click Save. This updates every existing supplier in the folder in one go.
What sales documents export as
The same two export types apply to sales documents, with one difference - sales documents do not become Bills.
From the Sales subfolder, documents export to Xero as either:
Invoices - the document is created in Xero's Accounts Receivable.
Bank Transactions (Receive Money) - the document is created directly in a bank account as a Receive Money transaction.
Switching the export type works the same way for sales documents - on the document, on the supplier (customer), or on the folder. The only difference is that the Bank transaction type for sales is Receive Money rather than Spend Money. Learn more about working with Sales invoices.