Unapproveby Atesen Software
Sign in Try free

Guides → Delete or void a bill: a guide for Xero users

Delete or void a bill: a guide for Xero users

Short answer: you can delete a bill only while it is a draft or awaiting approval. Once it is approved (awaiting payment) the only way to cancel it is to void it, and a paid bill needs its payment removed before the void. Neither a deleted nor a voided bill can be restored. This guide covers each case, the bulk options, the checks to make first, and voiding a batch of paid bills.

Checked against Xero Central on 5 November 2026.

Which one applies to your bill

Xero decides by status (Delete or void a bill):

Xero also warns that voiding a bill could have tax implications, so it tells you to check with your accountant or bookkeeper first. If the bill is right apart from a detail, editing may be enough: an awaiting payment bill with no part payments or credit notes applied can still be edited (Edit bills).

Delete a draft or awaiting approval bill

  1. In the Purchases menu, select Bills, then the Draft or Awaiting Approval tab.
  2. Open the bill, click the menu icon and select Delete.
  3. Click Delete to confirm.

For several at once, tick the checkbox for each bill on the same tab, click Delete and confirm. Xero notes that the mobile app deletes draft bills only; an awaiting approval bill is deleted in the web version.

Void an approved or paid bill, step by step

  1. Check the lock date. After a lock date is set, users can't add or edit transactions dated on or before it. Only an administrator can remove it, temporarily (Set up or remove lock dates). A bill or payment inside the locked period has to wait.
  2. Check how the bill was paid. If it was paid in a batch payment, the batch decides what you can do: an unpaid batch can be edited to take the bill out, a reconciled one has to be unreconciled first, and deleting a batch puts every bill in it back to awaiting payment (Delete a batch payment).
  3. Remove the payment. Open the bill from the Paid or Awaiting Payment tab, click the "Less payment" line, then Options and Remove & Redo. Xero's warning is that a payment deleted this way can't be restored; if it was a mistake you recreate it (Delete an invoice or bill payment). The bank statement line stays in the bank account, ready to reconcile again.
  4. Remove any supplier credit note allocation. Open the credit note and click the remove icon next to the amount allocated to this bill. The credit note and the bill go back to awaiting payment (Remove a supplier credit note allocation).
  5. Void the bill. Purchases, Bills, Awaiting Payment tab. Open the bill, click the menu icon, select Void and click Yes, void.

For many unpaid bills, Xero has its own bulk void: on the Awaiting Payment tab, tick each bill, click Void, then Continue to void [number] items. Use it when your bills have nothing paid or credited. To see what you deleted or voided later, open the All tab, click Filter and tick Deleted & voided.

Where the native way runs out

The faster way: Unapprove

Unapprove is a web app that works with Xero. It has no delete run: Xero already deletes draft and awaiting approval bills several at a time, as above, so use Xero for that. What it adds is on the void side.

Void-only run. Select approved bills (and sales invoices), preview, type the count, for example VOID 80, and they are voided 50 per request, each read back and given a history note. Bills with a payment or a credit note allocated are skipped and listed (why).

Remove payments and void. A separate run for paid and part paid bills. It reads every payment and credit on each bill before writing anything, removes the payments and the supplier credit note allocations, reads each removal back, voids the bill and adds a history note listing each payment removed. It never removes a reconciled payment or one that belongs to a batch payment, and leaves prepayment and overpayment allocations alone; a bill with one of these is skipped whole. You confirm with, for example, VOID PAID 25. The payments permission is asked for only when you choose this run.

Bills dated on or before your lock date (why) and bills for an archived contact (why) are skipped too. If you want the bill back as an editable draft rather than gone, the bills back to draft guide covers that run.

Price: free for 14 days, with unlimited previews and three documents processed in total. After that, $29 per month per connected organisation, or a one-off $49 Clean-up Pass for 30 days with unlimited documents. Prices are in US dollars and exclude VAT and sales tax (added at checkout); the pricing page has the details.

Connect and preview free See pricing

By connecting, you agree to the Terms of service and the Privacy policy.

Questions

Why is there no Delete option on my bill?
Because it is approved. Xero lets you delete a bill only in draft or awaiting approval. An awaiting payment or paid bill has to be voided, and a paid one needs its payment removed first.
Can I void several bills at once?
Yes, if they are awaiting payment: tick them on the Awaiting Payment tab and click Void. Paid bills need each payment removed first, one payment from one bill at a time.
Can I get a deleted or voided bill back?
No. Xero says neither can be restored. You can still find them with the Deleted and voided filter on the All tab, and copy one to a new bill.
What happens to the bank line when I remove the payment?
It stays in the bank account, so you can reconcile it with another bill. If the payment is right but matched to the wrong line, unreconcile it instead of removing it.
Who makes Unapprove?
Atesen Software, an independent developer. Unapprove works with Xero through Xero's public API; Xero does not make it and has not endorsed it.

Related guides