Fix Xero Invoice Not Sending - Email Delivery Failed

10-minute fixVerified for Xero 2025Medium difficulty

Critical Business Issue:

Xero invoice email delivery has significant issues in 2025. Emails show as "sent" but clients never receive them. This is a known systemic issue affecting businesses worldwide, with no built-in tracking to verify delivery.

What is the Invoice Not Sending Issue?

Xero invoices fail to reach customers despite appearing as "sent" in your system. This critical issue affects cash flow and client relationships. The new invoicing system in 2025 has compounded problems with email deliverability, tracking, and overdue reminder failures.

Error Invoice Not Sending: Invoices not being received by customers

Xero shows invoice as sent, but customers never receive the email.

Symptoms:
  • •Xero shows invoice sent but customer never received it
  • •No way to track or verify actual delivery
  • •Overdue reminders not sending if no contact email on file
  • •Emails blocked by ISP before reaching recipient
  • •Certain email providers (like Xtra) consistently failing
  • •Branding template issues causing delivery failures
Resolution Steps:
  1. 1.
    Verify contact email addresses are correct
  2. 2.
    Check Xero service status for known issues
  3. 3.
    Ask clients to whitelist Xero domains
  4. 4.
    Use PDF export as temporary workaround
  5. 5.
    Contact Xero support for account investigation
  6. 6.
    Consider alternative invoice delivery methods

Quick Fix for Invoice Not Sending (10 Minutes)

Immediate Workaround

  1. Open the invoice in Xero
  2. Click "Print" or "Download PDF"
  3. Save invoice as PDF to your computer
  4. Email directly from your own email client (Outlook, Gmail)
  5. This ensures delivery and provides tracking
  6. Keep record that invoice was sent manually

Detailed Solution Steps

  • 1
    Verify Contact Information

    Ensure customer email addresses are correct:

    1. Go to Contacts → Select the customer
    2. Check the email address is spelled correctly
    3. Verify no extra spaces or special characters
    4. Confirm email address is active (not bouncing)
    5. Add alternative email addresses if available
    6. Update contact record if changes needed

    New invoicing system: Overdue reminders won't send if no email is on the contact, even if the original invoice was successfully emailed. This is a change from the old system.

  • 2
    Request Client to Whitelist Xero

    Ask customers to add Xero to safe senders:

    Domains to Whitelist
    @xero.com
    @e.xero.com
    noreply@xero.com
    invoices@xero.com
     
    Instructions for clients:
    1. Add these domains to email safe sender list
    2. Check spam/junk folders for Xero emails
    3. Mark any Xero emails as "Not Spam"
    4. Create email filter to always allow Xero

    Note: Whitelisting only works if email reaches the client's mailbox. ISPs may drop emails before delivery, making whitelisting ineffective.

  • 3
    Check Branding Template

    Invoice template issues can cause delivery failures:

    1. Go to Settings → Invoice Settings → Branding themes
    2. Review your custom branding template
    3. Test with Xero's default template temporarily
    4. Remove any problematic images or formatting
    5. Ensure template meets email client standards
    6. Send test invoice to yourself to verify
  • 4
    Verify Xero Service Status

    Check if Xero has known email delivery issues:

    1. Visit status.xero.com for service status
    2. Check for reported incidents with email delivery
    3. Review Xero Community forums for similar reports
    4. If widespread issue, wait for Xero to resolve
    5. Use manual PDF email workaround in meantime
  • 5
    Contact Xero Support

    Get Xero to investigate account-specific issues:

    1. Gather specific invoice numbers that failed to send
    2. Document customer email addresses and dates attempted
    3. Note error messages if any appeared
    4. Contact Xero support through your account
    5. Request investigation of email delivery logs
    6. Ask for escalation if issue is ongoing
  • 6
    Implement Manual Delivery Process

    Create reliable backup invoice delivery:

    1. Export invoice as PDF from Xero
    2. Email from your company email address
    3. Use "Request Read Receipt" to verify delivery
    4. CC yourself for records
    5. Add note to invoice in Xero that it was manually sent
    6. Track manually sent invoices in a spreadsheet if needed

    Many businesses have permanently switched to this method due to unreliable Xero delivery. It takes more time but ensures invoices actually reach customers.

    • Why Does This Issue Occur?

    Common Causes

    • Xero Email Server Issues: Systemic problems with Xero's email delivery infrastructure affecting deliverability rates
    • ISP Email Filtering: Recipient's ISP blocking or dropping Xero emails before they reach the inbox
    • New Invoicing System Bugs: 2025 invoicing update introduced delivery and tracking issues
    • Lack of Delivery Tracking: Xero provides no way to verify if email was actually delivered vs just sent
    • Email Provider Incompatibility: Certain providers (Xtra, etc.) have known issues with Xero emails
    • Branding Template Problems: Custom templates with formatting that email clients reject

    How to Prevent Invoice Delivery Failures

    Best Practices:

    • Always follow up with customers to confirm invoice receipt within 24 hours
    • Maintain list of customers with known email delivery issues and email them manually
    • Use simple, clean branding templates without complex formatting
    • Keep multiple email addresses for each contact as backup delivery options
    • Consider manual PDF email for high-value or critical invoices
    • Document all manual sends in Xero notes field for audit trail

    Frequently Asked Questions

    How can I tell if an invoice was actually delivered?

    Unfortunately, Xero provides no delivery confirmation or tracking. The only way to verify is to contact the customer directly and ask if they received it. This is a major limitation of the system.

    Will Xero fix this email delivery issue?

    This has been an ongoing issue for years with no complete resolution. Xero acknowledges issues with certain email providers and advises clients to whitelist, but systematic problems persist. Consider manual delivery as a permanent backup solution.

    Can I use a third-party service to send invoices?

    Yes, some businesses use integration apps that pull invoice data from Xero and send via alternative email services with better deliverability and tracking. However, manually emailing PDFs from your own email client is simpler and free.

    What if overdue reminders aren't sending?

    Ensure the contact has an email address on file. The new invoicing system won't send overdue reminders if there's no email, even if the original invoice was sent successfully. This is different from the old system behavior.

    Related Resources

    Xero Integration Sync Failure

    Fix app integration sync issues

    Xero Bank Feed Duplicates

    Fix duplicate transaction issues

    Need Professional Help?

    If invoice delivery failures are affecting your cash flow and client relationships, our Xero experts can help implement reliable delivery workflows and investigate systemic issues with your account.

    Get Expert Support