This article explains how OnboardMe and Apxium work together: collecting card or bank details, creating bills in Xero, taking payment when a proposal is accepted, and supporting Apxium AutoPay for ongoing billing.
Apxium is available as a payment provider for Australian practices. Card and bank details are entered in an Apxium form inside OnboardMe and stored in Apxium. OnboardMe does not store full card or bank account numbers.
Before you start
Connect Xero Ledger in OnboardMe to the same Xero organisation that Apxium uses. See Connecting and configuring Xero Ledger.
Have an Apxium merchant account. OnboardMe support adds your Apxium Customer ID (merchant ID) for you. Email [email protected] if it is not already on your practice.
Link clients to Xero contacts. OnboardMe uses the Xero contact ID as the Apxium debtor ID. If a client is not in Xero yet, OnboardMe can create the Xero contact when they save a payment method.
Follow Apxium's AutoPay setup if you want bills collected automatically: How to create APX Auto (Apxium).
What each system does
The integration is a split of responsibilities. Understanding this helps when something does not debit or a reminder is sent.
OnboardMe
Collects credit card and/or bank details through an Apxium form on proposals, the customer billing portal, client onboarding, and the client Payment Details tab.
Registers those methods in Apxium for AutoPay against the client's Xero contact.
Creates bills in Xero (including from OnboardMe Recurring Billing) with the branding theme you choose.
Controls whether Xero emails the bill to the client (Send via Xero at practice level, and on each bill or recurring schedule).
Takes payment immediately for Bill Upfront invoices when a proposal is accepted (creates the Xero bill, then instructs Apxium to charge the method the client nominated).
Apxium
Stores the payment methods and authorised AutoPay agreement.
Syncs invoices from Xero into its debtors list.
For invoices on the APX Auto branding theme, runs its normal AutoPay flow (typically collecting on the bill due date).
Sends invoice reminders, payment confirmations, and other client emails according to Apxium settings. OnboardMe cannot mute or change those emails.
Connect Apxium in OnboardMe
Ask OnboardMe support to add your Apxium Customer ID if it is not already shown under Settings > Business > Payment Settings (Apxium integration card).
Set the payment vendor to Apxium Payments and choose which methods clients can enter: All, Credit Card, or Direct Debit.
Click Sync Apxium Details.
Sync does three important checks:
Loads your Apxium payment methods and fee rates into OnboardMe.
Confirms Apxium is linked to the same Xero organisation as OnboardMe. If they do not match, the connection is not completed. Contact [email protected].
May update the practice default for Send Invoices via Xero so OnboardMe and Apxium are less likely to both email the same invoice. After sync, open Settings > Integrations > Xero Ledger > Settings and Themes and confirm that switch matches how you want bills emailed.
How payment details flow to Apxium
When a client adds a card or bank account in OnboardMe:
OnboardMe opens Apxium's secure payment form for that client. The form is tied to the client's Xero contact ID.
The client enters card and/or bank details in Apxium. Those details are stored in Apxium, not as full account numbers in OnboardMe.
OnboardMe then registers the method with Apxium as an APX Auto payment method on that debtor, so it is available for AutoPay on future Xero bills.
OnboardMe records that a card and/or bank method is on file for the client, and stores the Apxium payment session against the client record.
Clients can save both a card and a bank account. Each method is registered separately in Apxium.
If the client is not linked to Xero yet, OnboardMe tries to create the Xero contact first. Payment capture cannot complete until there is a Xero (or GreatSoft) contact ID to use as the Apxium debtor.
Where clients can enter payment details
Proposals (engagement review), when the proposal includes billing and payment details.
Customer billing portal (Payment Details external link). See Customer billing portal.
Client onboarding billing profile, when payment details are required.
Client record > Payment Details, including sending a portal link from the Payment Status Dashboard.
Bill Upfront: take payment when a proposal is accepted
On an individual bill on a proposal, you can turn on Bill Upfront. Only one bill per client (or per package, on multi-package proposals) can use Bill Upfront.
When the client accepts the proposal:
OnboardMe creates the bill in Xero.
OnboardMe instructs Apxium to take payment immediately using the method the client nominated (card or bank), and allocates that payment to the Xero invoice.
Use a different branding theme for Bill Upfront invoices than the APX Auto theme you use for recurring AutoPay. OnboardMe already collects these invoices. If they also use the APX Auto theme, Apxium may try to collect them again.
You can set a practice default for this under Settings > Integrations > Xero Ledger > Settings and Themes > Billed upfront default branding theme.
Recurring billing and Apxium AutoPay
For ongoing billing, OnboardMe creates the bills. Apxium collects them from Xero. OnboardMe does not instruct Apxium to debit each recurring bill. AutoPay is Apxium's process once the invoice exists in Xero with the right branding theme and a saved payment method.
Typical flow:
The client signs the proposal and enters payment details (registered in Apxium as above).
OnboardMe Recurring Billing generates each bill on the schedule run date, then syncs it to Xero. See OnboardMe Recurring Billing.
The bill is created in Xero as an authorised invoice, using the branding theme on that schedule (or your practice default if none is set).
Apxium syncs the invoice from Xero. If the branding theme is APX Auto, Apxium should collect using the saved AutoPay method on the due date, then send its own payment confirmation if that is enabled in Apxium.
Set the branding theme on the recurring schedule when you convert a proposal bill to recurring, or later under Bill Payments > Recurring Billing. You can also set a practice Default invoice branding theme in Xero Ledger settings, and bulk-apply a theme to schedules that do not have one.
Send via Xero (whether the client is emailed the bill)
OnboardMe can still create the invoice in Xero when Send via Xero is off. The switch only controls whether Xero emails the invoice to the client.
Practice default: Settings > Integrations > Xero Ledger > Settings and Themes > Send Invoices via Xero.
Per bill or recurring schedule: the Send via Xero toggle on that bill or schedule. You can turn it off for AutoPay clients even if the practice default is on.
For a direct debit / AutoPay workflow where you do not want Xero to email invoices, turn Send via Xero off on those schedules (and usually at practice level). Muting Apxium invoice reminders is configured in Apxium, not in OnboardMe.
Recommended setup for AutoPay (direct debit, no invoice emails)
This is the usual pattern when clients sign a proposal, save bank or card details, and you want Apxium to collect on the due date without Xero emailing the invoice.
Connect Xero Ledger and Apxium, then Sync Apxium Details. Confirm the Xero organisation matches.
In Xero, create the APX Auto branding theme using Apxium's guide: How to create APX Auto.
In OnboardMe, Sync Branding Themes from Xero Ledger settings.
Set recurring schedules (or the practice default invoice theme) to APX Auto.
Use a separate branding theme for Bill Upfront invoices (not APX Auto).
Turn Send via Xero off for those AutoPay schedules if you do not want Xero to email the bill.
In Apxium, complete AutoPay setup and review invoice sending, reminders, and confirmation emails. OnboardMe cannot change those Apxium emails.
Have clients enter payment details in the proposal or billing portal so the method is registered for APX Auto on their Xero contact.
Card and bank: which method is used?
OnboardMe does not automatically pick the cheapest method when a client has both a card and a bank account on file.
Bill Upfront / pay now in OnboardMe: the client chooses card or bank when they pay. If both are saved and they do not choose, OnboardMe prefers the card.
Apxium AutoPay on Xero bills: Apxium decides which registered method to use. Which method AutoPay prefers (including any "cheapest method" behaviour) is an Apxium setting and process, not something OnboardMe selects.
If you only want bank (direct debit) collected, set Payment Options to Direct Debit so clients are not offered a card, or ask them to save only a bank account.
What OnboardMe cannot control
Apxium sending invoice reminders before a debit. That is configured in Apxium. OnboardMe cannot mute Apxium reminders while still allowing AutoPay.
Whether Apxium actually debits on the due date. Once the bill is in Xero with the APX Auto theme and a payment method is registered, collection is Apxium's AutoPay process. Raise debit failures with Apxium, and confirm the invoice landed in their debtors list with AutoPay enabled.
Importing card or bank details from Ignition, Stripe, or another proposal tool. Those providers do not give OnboardMe access to stored payment methods. Clients need to re-enter details in OnboardMe so Apxium has a new authorised AutoPay agreement.
Moving clients from Ignition (or another tool)
There is no bulk way to copy payment methods from Ignition into OnboardMe or Apxium. Plan for clients to re-enter card or bank details (proposal, billing portal, or a portal link from the Payment Status Dashboard).
You can still recreate recurring bills in OnboardMe Recurring Billing (manually or from templates). Payment methods must be captured again before Apxium can AutoPay those bills.
Checklist
Xero Ledger connected to the same organisation as Apxium
Apxium Customer ID added and Sync Apxium Details succeeded
APX Auto branding theme created in Xero and synced into OnboardMe
Recurring schedules use APX Auto; Bill Upfront uses a different theme
Send via Xero set the way you want (practice default and per schedule)
Apxium AutoPay, invoice sending, and reminders configured in Apxium
Clients have saved a payment method in OnboardMe so it is registered for APX Auto
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