juntekim.com/stripe_to_invoice/README.md

Got you — here’s a clean, founder-brain-friendly summary of Stripe → Invoice (Stripe → Xero) based on everything you’ve been working through, plus tight next steps that fit your nights/weekends reality.

---

🧾 What Stripe → Invoice Is (current state)

• Problem you’re solving

  • UK VAT-registered small businesses using Stripe struggle with audit-safe, VAT-correct invoices in Xero
  • Existing tools are overbuilt, accountant-first, or break down on VAT, clearing accounts, or reconciliation
  • This is fundamentally a VAT + audit correctness problem, not just “sync data”

• Who it’s for

  • UK solo founders / one-person companies / tiny teams
  • Using Stripe only (Payment Links + Subscriptions)
  • Using Xero
  • Not accountants, not agencies, not complex multi-channel setups

• What the MVP does today

  • Stripe OAuth + Xero OAuth both working

  • Webhooks flow end-to-end (validated against real finance manager)

  • Automatically:

    • Creates clean Xero invoices from Stripe payments
    • Applies VAT correctly
    • Posts payments via a Stripe Clearing account

  • Validated by a finance manager → very happy (huge signal)

• Key MVP constraints (intentional)

  • UK + GBP only

  • Stripe Payment Links + Subscriptions only

  • Xero contacts matched/created by email only

  • Willing to:

    • Run one-off scripts
    • Do manual fixes early

  • Goal: first ~5 paying customers, not scale yet

---

⚠️ Known issues you’ve already identified

• Xero contact creation:

  • Need to check for existing contact by email first (currently can fail automation)

• Stripe OAuth:

  • Currently creates a new Stripe app every time instead of reusing → needs fixing

• Account codes:

  • Default behaviour needed on first Xero connection:

    • salesAccountCode = 200
    • stripeClearingAccountCode = 610

  • Future: auto-detect or create a proper “Stripe Clearing” account and store it

• Missing UX guardrails:

  • No clear pre-payment checklist before enabling sync
  • No UI yet to review/change account codes (fine for v1, but coming)

---

🧪 Current mode you’re in (important)

• You’re correctly running this in “design partner / friend test” mode

  • Payments disabled
  • Banner: “Internal test – not a commercial product”
  • Clear paper trail of non-commercial intent

• CFO + finance manager already acting as design partners

• This massively de-risks VAT/audit assumptions before charging anyone

---

✅ What you should do next (ordered, ruthless, realistic)

1️⃣ Finish the last correctness blockers (highest ROI)

These unlock charging real money.

• Fix Xero contact creation:

  • Check by email → reuse if exists → only create if missing

• Fix Stripe OAuth app reuse (stop creating new apps)

• Ensure default Xero account codes are set on first connection

  • sales = 200
  • clearing = 610

• Re-enable “mark invoice as paid” via Stripe Clearing once accounts are valid

Outcome: rock-solid, boring, accountant-approved flow

---

2️⃣ Add a tiny pre-flight checklist UI (not a full settings page)

• One screen before enabling sync:

  • ✔ Stripe connected
  • ✔ Xero connected
  • ✔ VAT status detected
  • ✔ Sales account code shown (read-only for now)
  • ✔ Stripe clearing account shown

• Even if it’s ugly — this prevents 80% of future support pain

---

3️⃣ Switch from “design partner” → first paid customer mode

• Pick one:

  • A founder you already know OR
  • A cold UK Stripe + Xero business with obvious VAT needs

• Offer:

  • £10–£30/month
  • “Early access / founder pricing”
  • Manual support included

• Goal is money changing hands, not scale

You’ve said it yourself: getting paid energises you — lean into that.

---

4️⃣ Do targeted cold outreach (low volume, high signal)

• 5–10 emails max, not a campaign

• Target:

  • UK SaaS / indie founders
  • Stripe Payment Links or Subscriptions
  • Clearly VAT-registered

• Lead with:

  • “I built this because my accountant hated existing tools”
  • Emphasise audit-safe, VAT-correct invoices
  • Not “automation”, not “syncing”

---

5️⃣ Only then: small UX polish + automation

• UI to review/change account codes

• Auto-detect or create Stripe Clearing account

• Reduce manual fixes you find yourself repeating

• Nothing else until:

  • You have ~3–5 paying users
  • And they’re still using it after month 1

---

🧠 The big picture (sanity check)

• You’re not early anymore — you’re post-validation, pre-pricing
• The hard bit (VAT correctness + finance approval) is already done
• The remaining work is boring plumbing + selling
• This is exactly where most side projects die — don’t overbuild now

If you want, next we can:

• Draft the first cold email
• Write the “Why this exists” landing page copy
• Or map a 2-week nights/weekends execution plan

Just say the word.