Choosing the Right Contact Matching Method for Your Business

What is Contact Matching?

Contact matching is how EasyBiz decides which contact in Xero should receive the synced invoice. For example, if a customer named "John" places an order in EasyBiz, the system needs to find or create a matching contact in Xero to attach the invoice to. The method you choose determines how the system identifies that contact — by the name of your shop, online store or agent, by the agent's billing name, by phone number, by customer ID, or by a contact you select.

You choose the method in the To Contact list when you add a row under Auto Syncing (Settings › Integrations › Xero card › Manage), and again when you add a Manual Sync request. Auto Sync shows the steps.

Method 1: Auto Match Using the Sales Channel's Name

This is the first option in the To Contact list. It syncs all invoices from one shop, online store or B2B agent under a single Xero contact with that name. If the contact does not exist in Xero, it will be created automatically.

This is best for businesses that want to group all sales from one place under one contact. For example, if your shop is called "CLEM-HQ," all invoices from that shop will appear under a single Xero contact named "CLEM-HQ" — regardless of which individual customer placed the order. For an online store, the contact carries the online store's name, and for a B2B agent, the agent's name.

When to use this: You run one or more shops or online stores and want a simple, location-based view of your revenue in Xero. You do not need to track individual customers in your accounting.

Method 2: Auto Match Using Agent Billing Name (B2B only)

This option only appears when the sales channel is B2B. It syncs all invoices for an agent under a single Xero contact with the agent's billing name. If the contact does not exist in Xero, it will be created automatically.

When to use this: Your agents' billing names (for example, their registered company names) differ from the names you use for them day to day, and your accountant wants the invoices under the billing name.

Method 3: By Name with Phone

This method creates a separate Xero contact for each customer using a "Name (Phone)" format. For example, a customer named John with phone number +65 8888 8888 will appear in Xero as "John (+65 8888 8888)". If the contact does not exist in Xero, it will be created automatically.

This means two customers with the same name but different phone numbers will become separate contacts in Xero, giving you a more detailed, customer-level view of your invoices.

When to use this: Your customers are registered in EasyBiz with their phone numbers and you want to track invoices per individual customer. This is especially useful if your customers share common names and you need a reliable way to tell them apart.

Method 4: By Name with ID

This method creates a separate Xero contact for each customer using a "Name (ID)" format. For example, a customer named John with ID 10001 will appear in Xero as "John (10001)". If the contact does not exist in Xero, it will be created automatically.

When to use this: Your business uses a customer index system where each customer is assigned a unique ID number. This is common in B2C businesses such as laundry shops or repair services where customers are registered with a membership or account number.

Method 5: Manual Select Xero Contact

This method lets you choose one specific Xero contact, and all invoices from that sales channel will be synced under that single contact. There is no automatic matching — you decide exactly where the invoices go.

This is the simplest option and best for consolidating all POS sales under a single customer in Xero. For example, you can create a contact in Xero called "POS Sales" and map all your transactions to it. Every invoice will appear under that one contact regardless of who the actual customer was.

When to use this: You want to consolidate all sales under one contact in Xero for simple bookkeeping. You do not need customer-level tracking in your accounting system.

Which Method Should I Choose?

What's Next?

Now that customer matching is set, continue to Auto Sync to turn on automatic syncing so every sale lands in Xero without manual work.