SWITCH TO PLAIN
Moving from Xero
Most small businesses can move from Xero to Plain in an afternoon of preparation and a short cutover. Here's what moves, what you re-create, and how to check the figures agree.
What moves, and how
| Moves with a file import | Customers and suppliers, opening balances (trial balance), employees, bank statements (CSV, OFX, QIF). |
|---|---|
| Enter or re-create in Plain | Unpaid invoices and bills at the conversion date, recurring invoice templates, users and their permissions. |
| Stays in your old system | Transaction history before the conversion date. Keep access, or export reports, for your records. |
The checklist
Pick a conversion date
Choose the day Plain takes over, usually the start of a month or quarter. Everything before it stays in Xero; everything after it happens in Plain.
Bring your contacts
Export customers and suppliers from Xero as a CSV file and import them in Plain's guided setup. Plain shows a preview and any rows it can't read before anything is saved.
Bring your opening balances
Run a trial balance in Xero at the day before your conversion date and import it as opening balances. Plain won't post them unless debits equal credits.
Bring your employees (if you run payroll)
Import employees from a CSV file, then check each person's tax and super details before the first pay run.
Import bank statements
Import statements from the conversion date as CSV, OFX or QIF files and reconcile them in Plain.
Check the cutover
Compare Plain with your old figures month by month: income, expenses, money owed to you and the bank balance. Fix differences before you stop using the old system.
Checking the cutover
Plain has a cutover check built for Xero: it compares income, expenses, money owed to you and the bank balance with the figures from Xero's Profit and Loss and Balance Sheet, month by month.
Worth knowing
Plain doesn't import directly from Xero's systems; you export files and import them. Plain isn't affiliated with Xero, and Xero is a trademark of its owner.