HOW-TO

How to control supplier bank detail changes in Xero

Short answer

Do not change supplier bank details in Xero from an email. Phone the supplier on a number you already hold, get a second approval, then update the supplier record.

Last checked

A bank detail change is when a supplier asks you to pay a new BSB or account. It is a common fraud route.

Before you start

  • Administrator role for the Assurance dashboard
  • Edit bank details permission to view or change a contact's bank details

The Xero way

Where to find it: Accounting > Assurance dashboard > Contacts tab

  1. Limit the edit bank details permission to a few users. Only people with edit users permission can grant it.
  2. Open Accounting > Assurance dashboard > Contacts tab.
  3. Check contacts that share the same bank account number, and contacts whose bank details were edited (shows number of edits, date last edited and user).
  4. Call the supplier on a known number before paying a changed account.

Limits in Xero

  • The Assurance dashboard is a review screen. It does not stop or hold a payment, and there is no approval step for a bank detail change.
  • Only the Administrator role can open the Assurance dashboard.

Good to know in Xero

  • The dashboard is described as a way to spot errors or fraud in contact bank account numbers.

The Pulsify way

  1. Forward the supplier's invoice to Pulsify.
  2. Pulsify compares the BSB and account number on the invoice with the supplier record in Xero.
  3. If either differs, Pulsify flags it with the system value.
  4. Verify with the supplier by phone before you approve.

Pulsify connects to Xero in one click. Approved bills are created in Xero with the source file attached.

What Pulsify does not do here

  • Pulsify flags a mismatch. It does not decide whether the new details are real.
  • It cannot verify details a supplier has never had in Xero.

Example in Xero

Example Plumbing Supplies has a bill due soon. You open Accounting > Assurance dashboard > Contacts before the payment.

LineAmountTagged to
Bill from Example Plumbing Supplies$8,800.00Due in 14 days
Contact Example Plumbing Supplies$0.002 edits to bank details, last edit shows date and user
Contact Example Plumbing Pty Ltd$0.00Shares the same bank account number

Two signs worth checking. Call a known number for the supplier before you pay, because Xero does not hold the payment.

Common mistakes

  • Giving the edit bank details permission to many users.
  • Treating the Assurance dashboard as a control. It reports changes and does not block them.

More help

Sources

Last checked 2026-10-19. Confidence: confirmed.

Common questions

Who can see or change a supplier's bank details in Xero?

Only users with the edit bank details permission. Only people with the edit users permission can grant it, so keep it to a few users.

What does the Assurance dashboard show?

On the Contacts tab it shows contacts that share a bank account number and contacts whose bank details were edited, with the number of edits, date last edited and user. Only the Administrator role can open it.

Does Xero hold a payment after a bank detail change?

No. The dashboard is a review screen. It does not stop or hold a payment and there is no approval step for a bank detail change.

What does Pulsify check?

It compares the BSB and account number on the invoice with the supplier details in your accounting system.

Pulsify setup guides

Want this done for you?

Book a call to see how Pulsify handles supplier bills in Xero.