Duplicate emails usually come from two systems writing to your client about the same invoice, such as Xero and your payment provider, or Xero's reminders and a separate chasing tool. The other common cause is a Xero reminder going out because a payment hasn't been reconciled yet. Work out which system sent each email, pick one system to own payment emails and reminders, switch the other off, and keep Xero up to date with what's been paid.
In this article
The short version
- Duplicate emails usually come from two systems writing about the same invoice.
- Xero sends reminders for invoices it still shows as unpaid, even if the money has arrived.
- Check the sender, footer and reference on each email to find the source.
- Pick one system to send confirmations and reminders, and switch the other off.
- Xero reminders can be turned off for the organisation, a contact or a single invoice.
Why a client gets two emails about one payment
There are four usual causes, and each one has a different fix.
Two systems can confirm the same payment. Your invoice lives in Xero, but the money may have been taken by something else: a card processor, a direct debit provider or a payment link. Many payment providers send the payer their own confirmation when a payment succeeds, and neither system knows the other has written.
Two systems can also chase the same invoice. If you've turned on Xero's invoice reminders and you also use a chasing tool, both can remind your client about the same overdue invoice, often on different days with different wording.
Sometimes the reminder simply hasn't caught up with the payment. Xero sends reminders for invoices it still shows as unpaid. If your client paid on Friday and the payment isn't reconciled until Monday, a reminder can go out in between, and your client gets chased for a bill they've already settled.
Or the payment has been recorded twice. If someone records a payment by hand when the remittance arrives, and the bank line is later matched to the same invoice again, the invoice can show as overpaid. Statements and reminders built from that record can then go out with the wrong figures.
How to find out which system sent each email
Ask your client to forward both emails, or look in your own sent items if you're copied in. Three things usually tell you who sent each one within a minute:
- the sending address and the reply-to address;
- the footer, which often names the payment provider or software;
- the reference quoted, since Xero quotes your invoice number while a payment provider often quotes its own transaction reference.
Then open the invoice in Xero and look at its history and its payments. If it shows two payment lines, or reads as overpaid, you've got a double record. If it still shows as unpaid even though the money arrived, you've got a reconciliation delay.
How to stop the duplicates
Once you know the cause, the fix is usually one setting or one habit.
- If two systems confirm payments, turn off payment confirmations in one of them. Most payment providers let you choose whether they email the payer, so keep whichever email your client finds clearer.
- If two systems chase, decide which one does the chasing and switch reminders off in the other. Xero's invoice reminders can be turned off for the whole organisation, for an individual contact or for a single invoice.
- If reminders are getting ahead of payments, reconcile your bank feed every day rather than once a week, so Xero knows the invoice is paid before the next reminder goes out.
- If a payment was recorded twice, remove the duplicate payment line in Xero so the invoice shows the right balance, then check the client's statement before it's sent.
- For an invoice you're already discussing with a client, such as a part payment or a query, turn reminders off for that invoice until it's resolved.
It's also worth telling clients which emails to expect from you. A short line on the invoice, such as "You'll get one confirmation when your payment is received", makes an unexpected second email easier to spot and report.
How to keep one system in charge of client emails
Duplicates usually come from two systems each holding part of the picture, with one holding the invoice and the other the payment. The fewer systems writing to your clients, the fewer duplicates you're likely to see.
Adfin keeps the payment and the chasing in one place. Your clients pay by card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, pay by bank or direct debit, and when an invoice is paid that way it's marked as paid in Xero automatically, so the record isn't waiting for your bank feed to catch up. Reminders for unpaid invoices come from the same place, sent by its customer agents by email, SMS or WhatsApp at the intervals you choose, with emails from your own domain, so you can switch Xero's reminders off and leave the chasing to one system. You choose whether clients get a confirmation email when they pay, and you can turn off the confirmation emails for direct debit payments if another system already sends one.
Common questions
Why is my client getting two emails when they pay one invoice? Usually because two systems reacted to the same payment, typically Xero and the provider that took the money. Check the sending address on each email to see which is which.
Why did Xero send a reminder after my client paid? Xero reminds clients about invoices it still shows as unpaid. If the payment hasn't been reconciled yet, the invoice still looks outstanding when the reminder goes out.
Can I turn off Xero invoice reminders for one client? Yes. Xero's invoice reminders can be turned off for the whole organisation, for a single contact or for individual invoices.
How do I stop two systems chasing the same invoice? Choose one system to send reminders and switch reminders off in the other. Running both usually means clients get chased twice.
Why does a paid invoice show as overpaid in Xero? The same payment has probably been recorded twice, for example once by hand and once from the bank feed. Remove the duplicate payment line to correct it.
Can Adfin stop sending payment confirmation emails? Yes. Payment confirmation emails are optional in Adfin, and you can turn off confirmations for direct debit payments.
Sources
- Xero - Send invoices online (accurate as of October 2026) https://www.xero.com/uk/accounting-software/send-invoices/
- Xero - Bank reconciliation (accurate as of October 2026) https://www.xero.com/uk/accounting-software/bank-reconciliation/
- Adfin Help Centre - Connect your Xero account to Adfin (accurate as of October 2026) https://support.adfin.com/en/articles/10199659-connect-your-xero-account-to-adfin
- Adfin Help Centre - How to get paid with customer agents (accurate as of October 2026) https://support.adfin.com/en/articles/15288807-how-to-get-paid-with-customer-agents
- Adfin - Changelog (accurate as of October 2026) https://www.adfin.com/changelog
