How to Generate and Export an ABA File in Batchly (Australia & NZ Banking File Guide)

How to Generate and Export an ABA File in Batchly (Australia & NZ Banking File Guide)

Overview

Batchly allows you to generate an ABA file from approved Xero bills that can be uploaded to your bank to pay multiple suppliers in a single batch. ABA files are supported by Australian banks and are commonly used for batch payments through internet banking portals.

For New Zealand organisations, Batchly generates the appropriate banking payment file format supported by your bank.

This guide explains how to select bills, generate an ABA file, and upload it to your bank for processing.

If you’re unsure why multiple bills are combined into a single payment, see Why Batchly Combines Multiple Bills into One Bank Payment.

Before you begin

To generate an ABA file in Batchly, the following must be in place:

  • Your organisation is connected to Xero
  • At least one valid bank account exists in Xero to pay from
  • Suppliers you want to pay have banking details recorded in Xero
  • Bills are in Authorised status in Xero

Your dashboard should look something like this. If any required information is missing, Batchly will notify you before you can proceed.

Step 1: Select bills for payment

  1. Navigate to Bills in Batchly
  2. Use filters to locate the bills you want to pay, for example by:
    1. Status: Authorised
    2. Due date range
    3. Supplier
  3. Select one or more bills using the checkboxes
  4. Review the batch summary showing the total amount and bill count
  5. Select Process Batch to begin

Step 2: Choose a pay-from account

  1. Select the bank account you want to pay from.
    1. Only accounts with valid banking details will be shown
  2. Choose the payment date
    1. This date will appear in the ABA file
    2. Your bank may process payments on the next business day
  3. Select Continue

Step 3: Export the ABA (Banking) file

  1. Review the payment summary, including:
    1. Number of bills
    2. Number of suppliers
    3. Total payment amount
  2. Review the bills to be paid
    1. Bills are grouped by supplier
    2. Multiple bills to the same supplier are combined into a single payment
  3. Optionally update the file name
    1. Default format: payment_batch_DD_MM_YYYY.aba
  4. Select Download ABA & Continue

The ABA file will be downloaded to your computer.

Step 4: Upload the ABA file to your bank

Upload the downloaded ABA file in your bank's internet banking portal using the option labelled something like Upload ABA, Import payment file, or Bulk payments.

What happens next

After you upload and process the payment with your bank, you can continue in Batchly to:

  • Record the payments in Xero
  • Send remittance advices to suppliers
  • Export a summary report for record-keeping
If you’re managing high volumes of Xero bills, see how Batchly extends Xero batch payments for large supplier runs. https://batchly.io/xero-batch-payments

Need help?

If you are unable to generate or upload an ABA file:

  • Check supplier banking details in Contacts
  • Verify your bank account details in Xero
  • Review any warnings shown in Batchly

If issues persist, contact Batchly support.


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