Xero for iPad is the mobile companion to the powerful, good looking cloud based accounting system that allows you to manage your business finances wherever you are. This includes everything from invoicing clients to reconciling accounts, creating expense claims and filing receipts digitally.
Xero for iPad allows you to do almost everything you can do in the web version so that you can manage your accounts when you’re away from the office. Like the web app, Xero for iPad is really well designed with a stylish, clear interface that’s easy to use. It allows you to easily see all of your bank accounts, credit card and PayPal balances, outstanding invoices, expense claims, contacts and other essential info at a glance.
Reports in the palm of your hand
Reporting is very well implemented within the Xero app. with easy to read and informative reports to keep give you an overview of what’s going on. Xero for iPad gives you full access to over 40 basic and advanced financial reports which include profit and loss, balance sheet, management reports, tax returns, depreciation schedule, foreign currency gains and losses.
Most of them require a few swipes to compile and display, although it’s not quite as easy to change and filter results to isolate the information you’re looking for on iOS as it is on the web.
Xero for iPad gives you a simplified overview of your cashflow in real time.
Filtering reports
Xero for iPad takes the stress out of reports by taking rules you’ve created and then filtering out transactions. There are report snapshots to let you track changes over time and you can export reports to Excel, Google Docs and PDF whilst keeping the formatting and formulas. This makes it easier to see how specific areas of your business are performing, such as departments, regions, sales people etc. It also helps you quickly prepare a comprehensive budget and compare performance against actual or selected periods.
Bank integration
Like the web version, Xero for iPad supports online banking so that you can link it to your bank account and automatically transfer funds in and out of it. You receive useful alerts in the app when bank transactions have been updated either from incoming or outgoing transactions.
Xero assures that all information stored online with Xero is safe since the software uses the same level of data encryption as internet banking sites. So even if you lose your iPad, your information can’t be accessed by unauthorized users and nothing is stored locally on them. You can increase the security of Xero by creating a PIN code or by using a swipe touch ID on your iPad.
A snappy way to invoice
Invoicing is one of Xero for iPad’s strongest features and you can approve and send invoices directly from your iPad. One of the neatest features is the possibility to take photos of receipts and upload them to Xero, and the same goes for other expenditure and bills. In general, the mobile app makes it just as easy to manage accounts on the move as the web version, especially when it comes to calling customers, suppliers and saving notes.
Xero for iPad allows you to send invoices from your device, including attaching pictures of invoices and bills.
Taking the pain out of accounting
One of the great advantages of Xero is the way it automates much of the tedious work of accounting. There’s not much you have to manually input once online banking and alerts are set up. If you want an expert to make sure that things are running smoothly though, you can invite your accountant or bookkeeper to view your accounts and provide advice. You can also control other users such as each staff member’s level of access.
Although the iPad version is free to download and install, you need a Xero subscription to actually use it. Xero has three different pricing plans starting from $20 per month for the starter package (limited to up-to 5 invoices, 5 bills, and 20 bank transactions) through to $40 per month for the premium package (which includes unlimited invoices, bills, and back transactions, and with multi-currency accounting). Note that subscriptions automatically renew each month unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the current subscription period ends. You can also try a free demo of the web version with limited functionality for 30 days to judge for yourself first and then connect the iPad app to it.
Conclusion
Xero looks just as good on an iPad as it does on the web and if you’re looking for something that manages your accounts on the move with minimal fuss, Xero for iPad is a good choice.
You can find out more about Xero here. We’d love to hear which web-based accounting software you prefer to use and how it helps your day-to-day finances. Leave a comment below and share your insights with the community!
