Why did my Xero export fail?
Swift Checkin sends a whole pay period's timesheets to Xero as one pay run. The export fails if that pay period was already sent, if an employee or pay item isn't linked properly, or if your Xero payroll setup doesn't match.
If a pay run fails, it shows Failed, and so does every timesheet in it.
Error messages from Xero
Timesheet already exists or submitted
You see: Timesheet already submitted, Timesheet for this period has been submitted, or a message that the timesheet already exists for this pay period.
Why: Xero only allows one draft timesheet for each employee in each pay period. If Xero already has a draft or approved timesheet for that period (for example, because this pay run was sent before), it won't take a new one.
Fix: In Xero, delete the existing draft timesheet, or revert an approved one to draft and delete it. Then send the pay run again.
Employee not found or not linked
You see: Person not linked to a Xero Employee.
Why: The worker in Swift Checkin isn't linked to an employee record in Xero Payroll.
Fix: Click your name at the bottom of the left menu, then Account > Settings > Timesheet Settings > Map Employees. Link the worker to the correct Xero employee, then send again.
Pay item not linked
You see: Work group not linked to a Xero Pay Item, or a similar message about a pay item.
Why: A pay item in Swift Checkin isn't matched to a valid Xero pay item.
Fix: Open Setup PayItems on the Timesheet Settings tab and choose the matching Xero Pay Item for each one. Click Sync PayItems from Xero first if a Xero pay item is missing from the list.
Earnings rate or pay element not found
You see: Pay Element not found or Earnings rate not found.
Why: The pay item or earnings rate in Xero is missing, archived, or doesn't match the timesheet.
Fix: In Xero Payroll, make sure each employee has a valid Ordinary and Overtime earnings rate. Then click Sync PayItems from Xero, check Setup PayItems, and send again.
Timesheet deleted or changed in Xero
You see: a message about changes to a Xero Payroll timesheet.
Why: A timesheet that was sent to Xero was later deleted or changed in Xero.
Fix: Check the timesheet in Xero is still correct. Then send the pay run again from the Pay Run tab.
Other common causes
- No payroll calendar in Xero. Xero needs a payroll calendar for the pay period. Set one up in Xero Payroll.
- Pay periods don't match. The pay period in Swift Checkin must have the same dates as the Xero payroll calendar.
- Email doesn't match. The worker's email in Swift Checkin must be the same as in Xero.
- Daylight saving. A pay period that crosses a daylight saving change can make times not line up. Check the start and end times on the affected timesheets.
- Too many requests. Xero limits how many requests it accepts in a short time. Wait a few minutes, then try again.
Messages in Swift Checkin
| What you see | Why | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Failed to send PayRun. | One of the Xero problems above. | Check the employee and pay item links, then send again. |
| Something is missing window when creating the pay run | Some workers or pay items aren't linked to Xero. | Click Go to Settings, finish Map Employees and Setup PayItems, then try again. |
| You can't connect Xero | MYOB is already connected. Only one payroll program can be connected at a time. | Use the program that's connected, or ask your account admin which one your business uses. |
| Sync failed. | Swift Checkin couldn't get the latest status from Xero. | Try Sync from Xero again later. |
Example
You send the 12–18 October pay run and see Failed to send PayRun.
- Xero says Person not linked to a Xero Employee. Mia started this week, so you link Mia in Map Employees.
- You check Ravi's email. Swift Checkin has ravi.k@mail.com, but Xero has ravi.kumar@mail.com. You make them the same.
- You send the pay run again. You see PayRun sent to Xero successfully.
- Later, a colleague clicks Send to Xero on the same pay run. Xero says the timesheet for this period has been submitted. Nothing is wrong: the hours are already in Xero, so there's nothing more to send.