Xero reveals the Xero App Store - Find, trial and buy apps

Xero has opened the Xero App Store, a new way for small businesses, accountants and bookkeepers to discover and purchase apps.

The Xero App Store is available to app partners in Australia, the United Kingdom and New Zealand. App partners have access to a suite of new subscription and billing APIs (Xero App Store Subscriptions) to offer Xero customers the ability to trial, purchase and manage their app from the Xero App Store.

"Our vision for the Xero App Store is to be the place where small businesses go to discover and buy apps that complement Xero and help developers grow their business," Xero chief executive, Steve Vamos.

"Today's milestone is exciting because better connecting Xero's platform to external apps, whether it's to manage inventory, receipts or their customer relationships, is a powerful enabler for small businesses looking to grow and manage their work flows or digitally transform their business.

"We can create better connections between small businesses and developers with these improvements in smarter and more seamless ways," he adds.

Xero's recent research report, The Job Ahead: Small Businesses and the Global Economic Recovery, surveyed firms in Australia, New Zealand and the UK. The report found those with five or more apps supporting their broader business grew their sales by 4.3% in the year to December 2020, while those without apps saw a decline of 3.4%.

Those small businesses also returned to near net job growth across 2020, with a yearly decline of 1.8%, compared to firms with no apps connected, which experienced job losses of 5.1% year-on-year.

Some new Xero App Store features include:

• Enhanced app searches: With improved search capabilities and personalised recommendations powered by machine learning.
• Improved access to app reviews and insights: More detailed app reviews are now front and centre, and analytics have been introduced to support app developers.  
• Access to a new Xero App Store Subscriptions offering: App partners in the UK, Australia and New Zealand have access to new subscription and billing capabilities that allow Xero customers to pay and manage their apps in one place. This will be available in the US and Canada in the next 12 months, followed by Asia and South Africa.

Xero says the App Store introduces more consistent terms for app partners and a referral revenue share of 15% on subscriptions for new customers. App partners can continue to sell their apps to Xero customers via other channels, with the referral revenue share only applying to sales generated via the Xero App Store.

"Xero recognised early on the benefits of being an open platform, which is why it opened its APIs to developers in 2009 to encourage innovation and extend its platform capability," says Xero executive general manager of ecosystem, Nick Houldsworth.

"We've been building towards the Xero App Store launch over the past 18 months and are excited to see the impact of this enhanced experience for our customers and app partners. The Xero App Store now provides strong foundations for encouraging greater digital transformation while democratising access to technology for small businesses.

"As Xero scales globally, this is reflected in the calibre of services offered by our partners in the Xero App Store," he says.