FAQ: BPAY BATCHING & PAYMENTS FOR ALL XERO USERS

We have outlined the most common FAQs we received from Xero users & community members interested in exporting BPAY batches or automating BPAY payments out of Xero. We hope you find this useful.


Frequently Asked Questions


What is Parakeet and what is your role in this?

We are an application that is integrated with Xero. We help Xero users automate the making of BPAY (& Non-BPAY) Payments as well as export of BPAY batches. 

You can find us here in the Xero App store.  

With Parakeet, Xero users now have 2 options for BPAY.


Option A - Full BPAY Automation:

Automate the task of scheduling, paying and reconciling all BPAY bills.

Option B - BPAY batch export

Automate the export of BPAY batches via email, for you to upload to your banking platform.  


During our trials, we received some common questions from our users and community members so we wanted to share the top questions we received with you. 

We hope you find this FAQ helpful. 

PS - Thanks to all the community members & trial users who has contributed to this.



Scheduling BPAY


Option A - Can your app make BPAY payments out of Xero? 

Yes. We can automate the complete scheduling, payment and reconciliation process to save you time and errors.


Option B - Does your app create BPAY batches? 

Yes. 

If you select option B, we will create and email you the BPAY batch (suitable for your banking platform) either 1 day before the due date, or on the due date. 

Once we email it to you, we will automatically mark the bill as PAID in Xero and we take care of all the reconciliation for you. 

Option B - Which bank will your BPAY batch support? 

Our BPAY batch formats supports NAB, Westpac, CBA, Macquarie & Bankwest. 

If you need other formats, please let us know when you sign up here.  


Can you pay the same BPAY biller BUT with different reference numbers each time?  Can you automate this?

Yes we can. 

We use our inbuilt OCR (optical character recognition) that will take the reference number off the bill and apply it to that payment. 

This relies on a clear PDF being attached to the bill in Xero and some upfront configuration (which we will manage for you as an added service). 


How about reconciliation? Do you apply the payment to the bill?

Yes we do. 

Every bill that we pay (or BPAY batch file emailed to you), we will automatically apply that payment to the bill. 

When it comes to do your bank reconciliation, you simply do a 'transfer' to a Clearing Account (which we set this up for you too).   


How does it work?

In 3 steps.

1) Update biller details into Xero Contacts

2) Configure your Parakeet account & Connect to Xero

3) Approve your bills in Xero

From this point onwards, our platform automates the rest. 

We schedule the bill, then on due date, we use the accounts set up in your Parakeet wallet and pay the bill or email you the BPAY batch (option B) for processing. 

Once paid, we post the entries back into Xero. That's it. 


How does it work? Can we see a demo?

Yes. You can see it here.

Where do I provide the BPAY details?

You update BPAY details into the 'batch payments' section in your Xero contacts.  You can watch it here. 


What do I need to prepare?

As long as your Chart of Accounts, Contacts (in Xero) & Awaiting payments queue (in Xero) are updated with accurate information, then that is all you need to do.  

You will receive simple video instructions to follow once you sign up


Paying BPAY bills 


Can I pay my BPAY bills via Credit Cards and/or Bank Accounts?

Option A 

Yes. 

You load your Bank Accounts and Credit Cards into your Parakeet Wallet and rank your payment methods in order or preference. 

We will pay your BPAY bills using your prioritised payment method.


Option B

Yes.  You manage this when you upload the BPAY batch to your internet banking platform. 


When do you pay my BPAY billers?

Option A

We use the 'Due Date' you set in Xero. We do recommend you take into account the Clearing time (next question) required based on different payment methods. 

Option B 

We generate the BPAY batch file and email it to you either 1 day before the 'Due Date' you set in Xero or on the due date itself (You can tell us what you prefer when you sign up). 


How long does it take for the funds to reach the billers?

Option A - 

If you are paying via Bank Accounts, it is +3 business days for Clearing by the Banks.  Otherwise if you are paying via Credit Cards, it is +1 Business days for Clearing by the Card network. 

Option B -

Usually the next business day. 


What volumes can you handle?

Any. Whether you are doing 5 or 500 bills per week, our platform and processes will scale with you.  


What about non-BPAY suppliers/vendors?

Yes, we manage those too in exactly the same way.  The only change is the different information we need in your Xero contacts (refer to videos below).


Cost & Offer


How much does your service cost?

It depends on the size of your business but it starts from $1.16 a day. Refer to questions below. 


Small businesses - We only manage 4-10 BPAY per month - are we too small?

No. We can still help.  

You can process/batch up to 10 transactions per month for free under our Casual plan and only pay for any excess usage above 10 for that month.  

Refer to the latest offer here.


Established businesses - We process large volumes of transactions every month. Can you offer fixed monthly pricing?

Yes.   We now have monthly membership plans giving you significant discount off our retail rate.  

Please refer to our latest offer here.


If I try it and don't like it, can I switch it off?

Yes, you can.  It's a simple toggle to switch it off.  

You are also backed by our 100% guarantee.  


Others 


How long does it take to get set up?

We can do this in a matter of hours, but it also depends on what pace you like to go at. 


Hi, I'm an accountant / book keeper and I like to put some of my clients on. Is that possible?

Yes definitely.  You can read more about partnering with Parakeet here.


Are you certified to work with Xero?

Yes, we have been approved by Xero.  We are here in Xero's app marketplace.   


Why should I use Parakeet instead of just doing it ourselves?

Automation 24/7, 365. It's all about giving you back time.


Who is Parakeet?

We are Melbourne based, Australian owned company on a mission to solve late payments for businesses.

We combine bills automation, with automating the brokering and introduction of early payment discounting into invoices and bills to achieve this mission.


Next steps?


We like to speak to someone about this how do I do this?

Sure.

Find a time here, or you can email us at xeroparakeet@helloparakeet.com. 


We like to learn more before we proceed?

Click the learn more button to visit our home page or visit our Xero app store listing below. 

See it in action

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