Sync Bank Details from Xero into Payment Details
Deep Space can take each subcontractor's bank account straight from Xero, so Xero is the single source of truth for the account an RCTI or BCTI is paid into. When the account changes in Xero, Deep Space updates the company's Payment Details, emails your accounts contact, and shows a Mark as verified banner until someone has confirmed the change with the subcontractor. This guide covers turning the setting on, reading the preview, what the alert and banner mean, and why a company might not update.
1The 60-second brief
Payment Details is the bank account your workspace pays a subcontractor into. It prints on every RCTI and BCTI raised on the company's behalf, so a wrong account means money paid to the wrong place. With Sync bank details from Xero on, you keep that account in Xero only.
Payment-redirection scams usually start with an email asking a supplier's bank details to be updated. The banner and alert are there so someone confirms the new account with the subcontractor, using contact details you already have on file, before the next payment run.
2Before you start
| You need | Why | Where to check |
|---|---|---|
| Xero connected | Bank details are read from your connected Xero organisation. Australian and New Zealand organisations are supported. | Admin → Finance → Finance Integrations → Xero tab → Organisation Configuration |
| Contacts sync on | Bank details arrive with the Contacts sync, so the bank details switch sits under Contacts and only works while Contacts is Enabled. | Finance Integrations → Sync Configuration → Contacts |
| Companies linked to Xero contacts | Deep Space only takes bank details for a company that is linked to exactly one Xero contact. The Contacts sync creates those links. | Run Contacts Sync Now first; the preview counts companies that are not linked. |
| Admin edit permission | Turning the setting on and pressing Mark as verified both need Admin edit. Without it you see “Admin edit permission is required to sync bank details”. | Admin → Roles |
| A remittance email | Bank-change alerts go to the workspace's Remittance Email. When that is blank, they go to every user with Admin edit. | Admin → Company Settings → Remittance Email |
3Turning on Sync bank details from Xero
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Deep SpaceOpen Sync ConfigurationGo to Admin→Finance→Finance Integrations, Xero tab, and scroll to the Sync Configuration card.
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Deep SpaceSwitch on Sync bank details from XeroThe switch sits directly under Contacts. Turning it on does not save anything yet: it opens the Sync bank details from Xero preview window (see section 4).
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Deep SpaceApplyCheck the counts, then press Apply (N updates). Deep Space writes the bank details, turns the setting on and shows “Bank details sync is on”. Press Cancel instead to leave everything as it was; the switch goes back to Off.
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AutomaticEvery Contacts sync keeps them currentFrom now on, each Contacts sync (the daily sync, or Contacts Sync Now) refreshes bank details from Xero. A bank details problem never fails the Contacts sync itself.
The switch shows On, and a linked company's Payment Details tab shows the Managed by Xero badge.
4Reading the preview before you apply
The preview reads every Xero contact once and compares it with what Deep Space holds. It changes nothing. Each row counts companies:
| Preview row | What it means | What happens on Apply |
|---|---|---|
| Will be updated | Xero has a valid account that differs from Deep Space, or Deep Space has none yet. | Payment Details are written from Xero. The Change history shows “Xero sync”. |
| Already up to date | Xero and Deep Space already match. | Nothing; the company becomes Managed by Xero. |
| Invalid in Xero (skipped) | The Xero value is not a valid account for your country. The reason is listed under Invalid bank details in Xero, for example “Account number must be 4 to 9 digits”. | Skipped. Fix the contact in Xero; it is picked up on the next sync. |
| No bank details in Xero | The Xero contact has no bank account. | Nothing. A blank in Xero never removes an account from Deep Space. |
| Not linked to a Xero contact | A Xero contact has bank details but no Deep Space company is linked to it. | Skipped. |
| Ambiguous match (skipped) | The company is linked to more than one Xero contact, or one Xero contact is linked to more than one company. They are listed under Matches more than one Xero contact. | Skipped, so Deep Space never guesses which account is right. Merge or unlink the duplicates, then sync again. |
The format rules
Deep Space reads the bank account from the Xero contact's Financial details (Bank account name, and the account number). Spaces and dashes are ignored.
- Australia: the first 6 digits are the BSB, and the rest is the account number, which must be 4 to 9 digits.
- New Zealand: the full number must be 15 or 16 digits (bank, branch, account, suffix).
- Account name: taken from Xero's Bank account name. If that is blank, Deep Space keeps the name it already has; with no name at all, the company is skipped as invalid.
- Bank name and SWIFT/BIC are never changed by the sync.
5Payment Details once Xero manages them
Open a company from Directory→Company Directory and choose the Payment Details tab. A company linked to one Xero contact shows the Managed by Xero badge and the note “Bank details for this company are managed in Xero. Changes made in Xero appear here after the next Contacts sync.”
- Edit, Remove and Add bank details are hidden. To change an account, edit the contact in Xero (Contacts → the contact → Edit → Financial details), then run Contacts Sync Now or wait for the daily sync.
- If Xero has no valid account for the company yet, the tab says “Xero has no valid bank details for this company yet.”
- The Change history lists every change, newest first. Changes from Xero read “Updated by Xero sync”, with the account number masked to its last three digits (for example •••900 → •••011).
- Users without Admin edit see the account number masked.
A company stays Managed by Xero even if its Xero contact is later archived; the sync just stops refreshing it. Restore or fix the contact in Xero, or turn the setting off, to change the account.
6The bank-change alert email
After the first Apply, every Contacts sync that changes an account Deep Space already held sends an email. It goes to the Remittance Email in Company Settings (several addresses can be separated by commas). When that is blank, it goes to every user with Admin edit.
The payee bank details for Example Plumbing Pty Ltd were changed in Xero and synced into Deep Space for Your Company.
By: Xero sync
When: 26 Oct 2026, 9:39 am
| Field | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Account number | •••900 | •••011 |
Before paying Example Plumbing Pty Ltd into this account, confirm the change with them using contact details you already have on file, not details from a recent email or invoice.
| Situation | Email? | Banner? |
|---|---|---|
| First Apply when you turn the setting on | No | No |
| A company gets bank details for the first time from a later sync | No | No |
| Xero changes an account Deep Space already held | Yes, one per change | Yes |
| Xero is changed back to the account Deep Space already shows | No (nothing changed) | No |
| Two changes in Xero before anyone verifies | Yes, two emails | One banner, showing the latest date |
| Someone edits bank details by hand in Deep Space (setting off) | Yes, the existing manual-change alert | No |
Account numbers in the email are always masked.
7Checking a change and marking it as verified
When a sync changes an existing account, the company's Payment Details tab shows an amber banner: “Bank details changed in Xero on {date}. Confirm with the subcontractor before the next payment run.”
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Confirm with the subcontractorCall the subcontractor on a number you already have on file and read back the new BSB and account. Do not use contact details from the email or invoice that asked for the change.
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Deep SpacePress Mark as verifiedOn the Payment Details tab, press Mark as verified. The banner clears, “Bank details marked as verified” appears, and the Change history records “Verified by your email” with the time.
If another change arrives from Xero after you opened the page, Mark as verified is refused with “Bank details changed again; review before verifying”, and the page reloads with the newer change. Check the new account, then verify again.
Only users with Admin edit see the Mark as verified button. Everyone else still sees the banner.
8Turning bank details sync off
Switch Sync bank details from Xero to Off in Sync Configuration and press Save Changes. Turning Contacts off turns bank details off with it.
- The bank details already in Deep Space stay as they are; nothing is deleted.
- The Managed by Xero badge disappears and administrators can edit Payment Details by hand again. A manual save also clears any pending Xero change banner.
- Turning it back on runs the preview again, and applying it again sends no alerts.
9Why a company's bank details did not update
The account in Xero is invalid
The value does not fit the Australian or New Zealand format (see section 4). Xero accepts some numbers Deep Space cannot pay into, such as a New Zealand number that is too short. Correct the contact's Financial details in Xero and sync again.
The company matches more than one Xero contact
Duplicate Xero contacts, or two Deep Space companies linked to one contact, are skipped so Deep Space never picks an account by guesswork. Merge or archive the duplicate in Xero, then sync.
The company is not linked to a Xero contact
Run Contacts Sync Now so the Contacts sync links it. A company that is not linked is not Managed by Xero and can still be edited by hand.
Xero has no bank details for the contact
A blank value in Xero never clears an account in Deep Space. Add the account in Xero.
The setting is off, or Contacts is off
Both Contacts and Sync bank details from Xero must be on, and a Contacts sync must have run since the change in Xero.
10Questions people ask
Does turning it on overwrite the bank details we typed into Deep Space?
Yes, for linked companies where Xero holds a different, valid account. The preview's Will be updated count tells you how many before you apply, and every overwrite is recorded in Change history.
Why did I not get an email after the first Apply?
The first import is a deliberate one-off copy from Xero, so it sends no alerts and shows no banners. Alerts start with the next sync that changes an account Deep Space already held.
Who receives the alert?
The Remittance Email in Admin → Company Settings. When it is blank, every user with Admin edit.
Does an unverified change stop RCTIs or payment runs?
No. The banner is a warning. Confirm the change before you pay.
How often does Deep Space check Xero?
With every Contacts sync: daily if Sync Frequency is Daily, or whenever someone presses Contacts Sync Now.
Does Deep Space ever change bank details in Xero?
No. The sync only reads from Xero.