This guide outlines recommended configuration and payment handling practices when using Pinch Payments with OnboardMe.
Before you start
Complete your Pinch account setup in OnboardMe (create a new Pinch account, or link an existing one).
Ensure you have access to your Pinch merchant account and the correct Xero organisation.
Confirm whether your practice uses regular automated payments, upfront payments, or both.
1. Complete Pinch setup and connect Xero
Before taking payments, complete the Pinch setup for your OnboardMe x Pinch account, including connecting your Xero organisation to Pinch so contacts and invoices sync correctly.
Log in to Pinch and open the Integrations tab.
Select Xero and sign in to Xero.
Choose the correct organisation and tenant if you administer more than one.
Wait until the connection status changes from In Progress to ok.
Complete the remaining Pinch account configuration, including payment options, reattempt behaviour, and email settings.
Refer to Pinch's guide: Connecting your Pinch x OnboardMe account to Xero.
OnboardMe setup articles:
2. Configure two Xero branding themes
Practices that use both regular automated payments and upfront payments should configure two Xero branding themes (invoice templates). Each theme should be used for a specific payment type.
Create an invoice template – Xero Central
Theme for regular automated payments
Use this branding theme for invoices that Pinch should collect by direct debit on the usual schedule.
In the Pinch Xero configuration, enable Pinch on this template and turn on Monitor for auto debit?.
Theme for OnboardMe upfront payments
Create a separate branding theme reserved for OnboardMe upfront payments only.
Do not enable Monitor for auto debit? for this theme in Pinch.
OnboardMe processes these upfront payments. If Pinch also monitors the same branding theme, both systems may attempt to collect the same invoice.
Configure branding theme monitoring in Pinch from the Pinch Xero configuration page:
In Pinch: Configure Your Xero Account > Apply Pinch to your invoice templates. Use a separate template for OnboardMe upfront payments and leave Monitor for auto debit unchecked on that template.
3. Handling missed payments
If a payment is missed, the recovery path depends on the payment method:
Card payments: Process the payment from within OnboardMe in the Bills and Payments area. Open up the Bill and click the Process Payment button.
Direct debit payments: Manually process the payment from the Pinch merchant portal by opening the customer, navigate to the Outstanding payments tab, and click on the row you want to bill and click process Outstanding Payment.
Configuration checklist
Pinch x OnboardMe account approved and linked in OnboardMe
Xero connected in Pinch, with connection status showing ok
Pinch account settings completed (payments, reattempts, and emails)
Branding theme for regular automated payments: Pinch enabled and Monitor for auto debit? turned on
Separate branding theme for OnboardMe upfront payments: not monitored by Pinch for auto debit
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