Are you still manually uploading costs into XPM?

Most accounting firms aren’t tracking software costs properly in Xero Practice Manager.

Some try, but it means exporting invoices, cleaning spreadsheets, figuring out the right job, and hoping the import doesn’t fail. Others don’t even start, because it’s too time-consuming.

That’s how disbursements get missed. That’s how jobs look more profitable than they really are. One firm found they had missed over $40,000 in software charges by relying on guesswork and memory!

Practice Connect from Rechargly solves this. It sends software costs straight into the correct XPM job automatically. No admin. No uploading. No gaps.

Why most firms struggle to track software costs in Xero Practice Manager
If you’ve ever tried uploading costs from tools like Xero, Dext or Employment Hero into XPM, you know the process is painful. First, someone needs to locate and download each invoice. Then clean it up. Then match it to the correct client. Then find the open job. Then upload it into XPM using their strict template. And cross your fingers.

Jobs get closed without warning. Clients are mapped inconsistently. The import fails, or worse, it works but drops the cost in the wrong place. So most firms give up. Or do it once a year. Or hand it off to admin who can’t tell if something’s already been billed. That’s how software charges go unrecorded. And how job profit reports stop reflecting reality.

What happens when software costs aren’t tracked properly?
When costs don’t get into XPM, you lose visibility. You can’t tell if a job is actually profitable. WIP is overstated. Partner reporting is off. It’s not about overbilling, it’s about accuracy.

In one firm’s case, it was $40,000 in charges they assumed had been recovered. They hadn’t.

Without clean software cost tracking, you risk missing recoveries or absorbing expenses that should have been charged. It quietly hits your bottom line.

What Rechargly’s Practice Connect does to automate cost tracking in XPM
Practice Connect makes sure software costs land in the right job, every time, without you lifting a finger. 

Once invoices flow into Rechargly from your vendors, Practice Connect checks your existing client mapping and pushes the charges into the correct XPM job. If the job is open and clearly named, the cost is assigned automatically. If something’s off (like a closed job or missing code) it flags it so you can fix it before anything syncs.

You can also choose to have Practice Connect create standardised software jobs for each client. Use whatever naming convention you like. For example, “Subscriptions FY25”. It can pull in the right manager and partner from XPM, and apply tags or categories you already use.

Everything is reviewable. You’ll see the full list of pending charges, approve or adjust them, then sync. Once approved, Rechargly sends the costs into XPM at one per second. No spreadsheet required.

If you’re only using Xero, this entire flow can run automatically. If you’re using other tools, all you need to do is upload a single CSV to Rechargly.

How to set up Practice Connect with Xero Practice Manager
​Setting up Practice Connect is simple. You start by connecting your XPM account to Rechargly. 

Next, you confirm your forwarding rules for vendor invoices.

​Then you map vendors to clients and set your naming conventions for jobs.

​Once you enable Practice Connect, it will create any new jobs needed and start populating cost data. From that point, all your monthly software charges appear in Rechargly, mapped and ready to sync.

​You can review them, make changes if needed, then click to push them into XPM. Everything lands inside the correct job, in the correct cost section, ready to show in WIP and ready for billing. It’s clean, consistent, and repeatable.

Which firms benefit most from automating software cost tracking
Practice Connect is built for firms using XPM who want more accurate reporting, better job profitability, and less admin chasing spreadsheets.

It’s ideal if you already oncharge software. But even if you don’t, tracking the cost still matters. It gives you visibility over what each job is costing your firm to deliver, and helps you price services more confidently.

It also works best if you run one job per client or follow a consistent job structure. Practice Connect is built to fit inside existing systems, not disrupt them.

What features are coming next to Practice Connect
Practice Connect already saves firms hours every month, but there’s more to come.

Rechargly is currently working on top-level reporting that shows software cost outlay versus recovery across all clients. You’ll be able to identify unrecovered spend instantly.

You’ll also get more advanced controls, like the ability to exclude certain clients or vendors, bulk-match jobs more easily, and schedule syncs.

All of this builds towards one goal: complete visibility and control over software spend inside your practice.

Stop chasing costs, start tracking profit
If your team is still cleaning CSVs or avoiding cost tracking entirely, Practice Connect can take that off your plate.

It gives you a consistent, automated way to get software charges into XPM. It saves time. It protects margin. And it gives you confidence that your job data is actually telling the truth.

A huge thanks to our friends at Rechargly for providing us with this article and sharing their insights. Want to learn more? Don't hesitate to reach out to us or directly to the team at Rechargly.

© Clarity Street 2025