Summary
Xero invoice reminders go to spam because Xero sends them from its own shared domain, not your business domain, so your customers' spam filters can't verify you as the sender. Xero has no setting to change the sending domain, so the fix is to send invoices and reminders from your own authenticated domain through a connected app.
- The cause: Every Xero invoice and reminder comes from a Xero address, and scammers have abused that shared sending domain for phishing.
- The fix: Send from a custom domain you authenticate with DNS records, so each email passes the receiving server's checks as your business.
- One-time setup: In Paidnice you verify your domain once, then any address on it, such as accounts@ or a named credit controller, sends with no further DNS work.
An invoice in the spam folder is an invoice your customer never sees, and Xero still shows it as sent, so a reminder schedule can fail for weeks without any error on your side.
Why do Xero invoice reminders go to spam?
Xero sends every invoice and reminder from its own shared domain, not your business domain, so your customers' spam filters can't verify you as the sender. The display name says your business, but the sending server belongs to Xero, and filters flag that mismatch when SPF, DKIM and DMARC don't line up with your domain.
The shared domain carries a second problem. Every Xero customer sends from the same infrastructure, and scammers have used it for phishing, so its reputation is out of your control. Xero lets you edit the text of the email, but not the domain it sends from.
Why are Xero invoices going to junk, not spam, in some inboxes?
Junk and spam are the same folder under different names: Outlook and Microsoft 365 call it Junk Email, and Gmail and most other providers call it Spam. Xero invoices land there for the same reason whatever the label: the email arrives from Xero's shared sending domain, so the receiving mail server can't confirm your business as the sender. The fix is also the same. Authenticate a custom domain so your invoices and reminders send as you, not as Xero.
How do I know if an invoice has been sent in Xero?
Xero's invoice status only confirms the email left Xero's servers, not that it reached your customer's inbox. A "sent" invoice can still land in spam or get blocked by the customer's email provider, so if a customer says they never got it, ask them to check junk and spam before you resend.
How do you stop Xero invoices going to spam?
Send your invoices and reminders from an authenticated custom domain instead of Xero's shared one. Paidnice sets this up as a connected app that integrates with Xero, and on the Pro plan it sends every invoice email from your own domain with your own template.
You verify your top level domain once (for example yourdomain.com). After that, any address on it can send with no further verification, so accounts@ can send on the due date, a named credit controller at 7 to 14 days, and a director at 21 days and beyond, all from the same verified domain. Replies go wherever you set the Reply-To.
The same setup covers your Xero invoice reminders, follow-up email reminders and SMS reminders, each on its own schedule.
How to send Xero invoices from your own domain
You connect and verify your domain in Paidnice, then create an invoice email that sends on the issue date of each approved Xero invoice.
Step 1: connect and verify your custom domain
1. Sign up for a Paidnice account. Signing up is free and needs no credit card. Custom domains are on the Pro plan.
2. Inside your account, go to Organization Settings and select Email Preferences.
3. Set up your Custom Domain (for example myurltosendinvoices.com), add the records Paidnice gives you at your domain host, then come back and verify the domain. Our team can help with verification at your host.
Step 2: create the invoice email
1. Go to Emails and create a New Email.
2. Set 'Send this email' to '0 days' 'On The' 'Issue Date', so Paidnice sends each invoice it picks up from Xero on the day you created it.
3. Select an Email Template from the dropdown. You can change all of it, including your logo and text.
4. Tick the attachments you want to include: the PDF, invoice attachments, or a calendar invite for the due date.
5. Go to Groups and check that 'Send invoice email' is on for the Default Group, so it always sends to your Xero contacts.
From now on, mark invoices as 'Approved' in Xero and Paidnice picks them up and sends them from your domain with your template.
What the invoice email looks like
Frequently asked questions
- Can I try Paidnice before committing to a paid plan? Yes. Signing up is free, needs no credit card, and your first actions are free with no time limit.
- What if I need help setting up my custom domain? Our support team can guide you through setting up your custom domain and verifying it with your domain host.
- Can I customize my invoice emails to match my brand? Yes, you can change your invoice emails completely, including your logo, colors and text.
- Will Paidnice work with my existing Xero setup? Yes. Once you connect your Xero organisation, Paidnice detects approved invoices and sends them based on your settings.
Sign up for Paidnice and send your next Xero invoice from your own domain.
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