Love it or hate it, Black Friday is here to stay and if your business is taking part, you’ll be tapping into the $6.7 billion that is set to be splashed over the Black Friday–Cyber Monday weekend this year—a 4% increase on last year’s figures.  Black Friday—falling on Friday 28 November, 2025—has become the unofficial start of Australia’s Christmas shopping season. In recent years, it has evolved from a single day into a full sales period, with many retailers launching promotions as early as 18 November. With Australians spending at record levels, now is the time for retailers to make sure they’re set up to capture as much of that demand as possible. To help you prepare, we’ve put together 8 Black Friday strategies to maximise your success during the year’s busiest sales weekend. 1. Give your customers FOMO Black Friday shoppers expect to see limited-time deals. By giving them a sense of FOMO (fear of missing out), they’re much more likely to buy immediately instead of waiting or shopping around. Similarly, if customers think stock is limited or the deal is exclusive, the perceived value increases, even if they weren’t planning on buying right away. FOMO reduces the time a customer spends comparing or overthinking. They’re less likely to abandon their cart if they feel they might lose the deal.  Ensure your website and/or your store clearly communicate urgency. Use messaging like: “Ends at midnight”, “Only 24 hours left”, “Only 12 left at this price”, “Selling fast—over 500 sold today.” You could also use countdown timers on your website or on your social media. Learn how to add a countdown timer to your Instagram story here . Just be aware that if you advertise a limited-time offer, you are legally obligated to honour it under Australian Consumer Law (see point 7 for more on this). 2. Create deals without discounts Get creative with your Black Friday offers. If your margins are tight, you don’t have to rely on blanket discounts to drive sales, you could try bundles, tiered deals like “Buy More, Save More,” hourly flash sales, mystery boxes, or limited-edition drops that create excitement without reducing prices.  Focus on your best-sellers or high-intent products to maximise conversions, and don’t be afraid to test different formats throughout the weekend to see what resonates with your audience. Pair every offer with clear urgency (see above) to encourage shoppers to act quickly.  3. Offer Buy Now Pay Later options Many customers use Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales as an opportunity to tick off their entire Christmas shopping list. While it’s a big outlay for just one weekend, Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) programs like Afterpay, Zip, and Klarna make it more manageable by allowing customers to spread payments over weeks or months. This flexibility encourages shoppers to buy more than they might with a single upfront payment, helping businesses increase basket sizes, and sell higher-ticket items.  Ahead of Black Friday weekend, speak to your payment provider about integrating a BNPL option to your online or in-store sales. With Zeller Terminal , setting up Afterpay is straightforward. Simply follow the steps to offer Afterpay card payments with Zeller Terminal here .  4. Offer early access to subscribers If you already have an email database, make the most of it in the lead-up to Black Friday by giving subscribers early access to your offers. Exclusive previews not only drive anticipation but also reward loyal customers. If you run a loyalty program, consider offering bigger discounts to your VIP members or inviting them to an after-hours, invite-only shopping event. These personalised perks create a sense of novelty and recognition—and the more valued your customers feel, the more likely they are to make a purchase. 5. Ensure your checkout is optimised If you run an online-only store, your website will make or break your Black Friday performance. With higher traffic expected, speak to your web developer ahead of time to ensure your site can handle the surge. Even a few seconds of slow loading—or friction in the checkout process—can quickly translate into abandoned carts and lost revenue. The same principle applies in-store: your payment experience must be fast, reliable, and friction-free. Slow EFTPOS machines, limited card acceptance, or high transaction fees can lead to frustrated customers and reduced profits. Zeller Terminal accepts all cards—including American Express and China UnionPay —for one low flat fee of 1.4%, and you can enable surcharging for a fee-free solution. Zeller also gives you built-in backup. If you realise you need extra terminals to keep up with demand, you can turn your phone into an EFTPOS machine. Simply download Zeller App and enable Tap to Pay . It takes minutes to set up and could save you thousands in missed sales if queues start forming.  6. Boost your customer support More customers mean more customer service — so it pays to be prepared. Whether that’s rostering on additional staff, updating and expanding the FAQ section of your website, or integrating a chatbot to handle common queries, planning ahead helps you stay ahead of the rush. The smoother and more responsive your support experience is, the easier it is to keep customers happy throughout the Black Friday weekend, reduce pressure on your team, and prevent small issues from turning into lost sales. 7. Avoid false advertising Although you might be tempted to extend a limited-time offer if you’re flooded with sales, this would constitute false advertising under Australian Consumer Law. It pays to understand what your legal obligations are ahead of time, so that you can steer clear of unlawful advertising.  Businesses cannot falsely claim “site-wide” or “store-wide” sales, if not everything is on sale. You also cannot state “up to X% off” promotions if only a handful of products reach that discount, and you cannot use “was/now” strikethrough pricing that isn’t supported by a genuine previous selling price. Retailers also shouldn’t create a false sense of urgency through misleading limited-time offers or hide important exclusions and conditions in fine print. The ACCC actively monitors Black Friday promotions and can issue infringement notices and significant penalties for breaches.  While consumers are entitled to refunds for faulty products, retailers may set conditions on change-of-mind returns during sales periods provided these policies are clearly communicated. Ahead of Black Friday weekend, ensure you have updated the returns policy on your receipts.  With Zeller, you can quickly change the information that appears on receipts from either your Zeller Dashboard or directly on Zeller Terminal. Learn how to customise your Zeller receipt setting here . 8. Follow up after purchase Black Friday shouldn’t just be seen as a one-off sales event—it’s also an opportunity to capture new customer data and turn one-time shoppers into repeat buyers. For online stores, this is straightforward, as customer information is automatically collected and stored in your CMS. For bricks-and-mortar retailers, it requires a bit more creativity. Encourage customers to join your mailing list or follow your social accounts by offering a small gift or extra discount, run a competition requiring an email entry, or use QR codes at the point of sale to collect contact details. With Zeller, you can add a custom image to your receipts or terminal screensaver featuring a QR code that links to your newsletter signup or Instagram account. By making it easy for customers to engage at checkout—when they already have their phones out to pay—you create a frictionless way to build a valuable database of engaged customers. This enables you to follow up with targeted offers and promotions long after Black Friday has ended.

The difference between a business that thrives and one that stalls often comes down to one thing: how well cash flow is managed. In this article, we explain why having a real-time reporting engine like Zeller Dashboard is key to your cash flow management strategy – and why your bank is holding you back . The key to healthy business cash flow is twofold: monitoring and acting . Knowing where your cash is coming from and going is one thing; using that insight to guide your decisions is another. Master both, and you’ll strengthen your business’s financial health – setting yourself up for long-term success and growth.  However, keeping track of your finances can quickly become overwhelming when cash is moving through multiple bank accounts, EFTPOS systems, invoicing tools, and expense platforms. One of the smartest cash flow management strategies is to bring everything together in one place. That’s where Zeller Dashboard comes in. By uniting your business’s financial activity in one online dashboard, it gives you detailed insights and real-time visibility that your traditional bank can’t match. From tracking sales and invoice payments to managing expenses and accruing interest, read on to discover three ways you can harness Zeller Dashboard to take control of your business cash flow. What is Zeller Dashboard? Zeller is an all-in-one financial platform that helps businesses accept payments, manage their money, and pay expenses – all from one place. At the heart of it is Zeller Dashboard: a central hub for tracking your financial position in real-time, and enabling you to use that data and insight to improve business cash flow. It transforms your financial information into clear, actionable reports and insights that help you make smarter, more informed decisions. Every way that cash flows in and out of your business is tracked on Zeller Dashboard. Read on to learn how. 1. Cash flow in: card payments, invoices, and POS See all your incoming sales in one place – no matter how your customers pay. In Zeller Dashboard, your latest transactions are automatically compiled into a single report under the Payments tab (and in the Latest Payments preview on the Overview page). This report brings together payments from five different sources: Terminal, Point of Sale, Invoice, Dashboard, and Zeller App. Below, we’ve outlined each source and explained how to uncover specific insights for each within Zeller Dashboard. 1. Terminal Terminal refers to any payment accepted through Zeller Terminal . If your business uses multiple terminals, you can rename each device for easy identification and more detailed tracking. For example, to find a specific transaction processed at your ‘Front Bar – St Kilda’ device, simply filter transactions by that terminal name. You can also assign terminals to specific sites, allowing you to view all payments from a particular location by filtering by Site. To filter transactions, go to Payments > Transactions, then click on the magnifying glass icon in the top right hand corner. 2. Point of Sale Point of Sale refers to any payment processed through your POS system – whether it’s Zeller POS Lite or another POS integrated with Zeller Terminal . If you’re using Zeller POS Lite, you can view detailed insights into your sales within Zeller Dashboard by navigating to the POS Lite tab. Here, you’ll find visual reports showing your Top Items by Revenue and Top Items by Quantity Sold. For deeper analysis, you can export a detailed sales breakdown – including the number of units sold, prices, SKUs, and categories – to create customised reports. You can also filter by specific dates and times, such as reviewing how many of one item you sold during the Christmas period last year compared to the year before, helping you forecast stock and ingredient orders more accurately. 3. Invoice Invoice refers to any Zeller Invoice paid by card (invoices paid via bank transfer appear in the Finance tab – see below). In the Invoices tab, you can view all your invoices – paid, unpaid, or drafted – and filter them to find exactly what you need. You can also create new invoices directly from this tab, making it easy to manage your billing in one place. To see a rolled-up or month-by-month summary of all your invoice payments, head to the Overview page and filter by Invoices. This gives you a clear snapshot of your invoicing performance and cash flow at a glance. 4. Dashboard  Dashboard payments refer to any payment received via Zeller Virtual Terminal . This feature lets you send a secure payment link directly from Zeller Dashboard via email, SMS, or any platform you choose. Your customers can then pay privately using their card details, from anywhere, at their convenience. You can find more detailed reporting about these payments under Transactions within the Payments tab. 5. Zeller App  Zeller App Payments refer to any sales made using Tap to Pay on Zeller App , an EFTPOS solution that works on Apple and Android smartphones. Like Zeller Terminal, you can name your devices for easy tracking – for example, ‘Helen’s iPhone XR’ – and assign them to specific sites, then filter transactions by device or site on the Transactions page. Sales from the above channels are settled nightly, 365 days a year. Once settled into your Zeller Transaction Account , your balance is updated automatically on the Accounts page, as well as in the Finance tab on the Overview page. From here, your funds are ready to be used.  2. Cash flow out: debit cards and expense management Once your funds have settled, they’re ready to pay for your business expenses. For even greater clarity on where your money is going, Zeller Dashboard lets you create unlimited accounts and cards, giving you detailed insights into your outgoing cash flow. A smart cash flow management strategy is to set up multiple Zeller Transaction Accounts for different purposes – for example, marketing, direct costs, GST/PAYG/Super, operations, payroll, rent, or subscriptions and software. You can then link individual Zeller Debit or Corporate Cards to each account. Corporate cards are especially useful for managing team or project expenses, allowing you to set individual budgets, reset periods, and maximum transaction limits per card. In the Accounts tab, you can view your total available balance at a glance and track all transactions, including settlements, transfers in and out, and card spending. 3. Cash accrued: growing your business savings and cash flow management strategies By regularly monitoring the Payments and Finance tabs in Zeller Dashboard, you’ll gain a clear picture of your business’s cash inflows and outflows over time. What you do with these insights is what will make the biggest difference in improving your cash flow. Here’s how you can harness Zeller Dashboard to inform decisions that strengthen your finances: Daily: Review transactions in real time Whether you’re on your laptop or checking via the Zeller App , make a habit of reviewing sales and expenses throughout the day. Watch for anything that seems out of place – unusually low transaction values or unexpectedly high expenses. You know your business, so spotting outliers is often quick and easy. Once a week: Review the previous week’s sales At the start or end of each week, compare last week’s sales in Zeller Dashboard against your goals or past results. If you’ve fallen short, act early: increase sales, cut non-essential spending, or both. This could mean ramping up marketing efforts or pausing discretionary expenses until cash flow improves. Once a month: Identify trends With a month of data, start spotting patterns – busiest days, peak trading hours, and product performance. Use these insights to optimise staffing, opening hours, and stock levels, ensuring you’re resourced where and when demand is highest. Comparing month-to-month or year-on-year data can reveal seasonal trends. For example, October is the time to prepare for the busy summer season: reviewing last year’s sales can help you know when to hire Christmas casuals or order extra stock. Ongoing: Build a cash reserve Once you know roughly how much surplus cash you generate each week – profits not needed for immediate spending – consider scheduling automatic transfers to Zeller Savings Account , where these funds can earn up to 4% p.a. interest. A cash reserve is essential for covering late payments, rising overheads, overstocked inventory, or seasonal fluctuations. It also provides a safety net for unforeseen expenses, like equipment breakdowns, legal costs, sudden operational increases, or economic downturns.

When co-founders Jake Nolan and Michael Vlassis opened Woolcott Street in 2016, their goal was simple: transform men’s wardrobes and the way they shop for their attire . Many of their clients had grown tired of wandering through department stores, unable to find garments that fit well or advice they could trust. “It might be a bit of a cliché, but the majority of men don’t really like to shop,” Jake says. “If they do like to shop, fantastic – we’ve got a lot of different fabrics, and we can do a lot of different styles. But if they don’t, well, we try to make the whole process a lot more enjoyable than the typical chain-store suit purchase.” The result is a service designed around long-term relationships, understanding clients’ preferences, and delivering bespoke garments that look and feel right for each person. Over the years, Woolcott St has grown from two talented tailors into a team of seventeen, serving thousands of people across Sydney, Australia, and beyond. Tailoring a personalised experience The Woolcott St experience is, above all, personal. “It’s about having someone who cares about what’s in your wardrobe and what’s not,” Jake explains. By getting to know each client – their lifestyle, the events they attend, the image they want to project – the team ensures that every garment reflects who they are. The tailoring process starts with an initial consultation, either in the showroom or at the client’s home or office. From there, Jake and his team create an action plan based on timelines, fit, and preferences. After patterns are created and cloth selected, fittings take place four to six weeks later, with adjustments logged back into the client’s pattern to ensure consistency. An atmosphere fit for any occasion The showroom at Woolcott St adapts to suit the occasion. During the week, fittings with corporate clients feel calm and focused. On weekends, groups of groomsmen bring energy and laughter, often with a beer or whiskey in hand. “The general idea is that it’s fun, it’s helpful, and it’s a place where someone can step back from their day, relax, not feel pressured or overwhelmed, and know they can get the right advice to make the right decisions,” Jake says. Exceptional customer service woven in For Jake, exceptional customer service comes down to one thing: taking the time to understand the person in front of you. “It’s about not assuming things, asking the right questions, figuring out who they are as a person, what they’re comfortable in, and what the right options are for them,” he says. This approach means Woolcott St doesn’t just make clothes – they help clients feel confident in their choices. Many of their clients have been returning for years, becoming advocates for the business and sharing their experiences with others. This long-term approach is reflected in Woolcott St’s reputation, with 721 Google reviews averaging a perfect five stars. “We don’t want to see someone just once, make them something, and never see them again,” Jake says. “It’s not about one garment, ideally it’s about working with them for life and doing a really good job.” Cutting time from every invoice Behind the scenes, Zeller Invoices has transformed the way Woolcott St bills clients. Creating an invoice takes less than a minute, with products and client details pre-saved. “By streamlining the process, we’ve cut down the time it takes dramatically. Compared to manually making up PDF invoices, the difference is night and day,” Jake explains.  Payments also come through faster. “As a rough percentage, I’d say our invoices are paid about 50 percent faster than before, usually within 12 to 24 hours,” Jake says. Clients appreciate the convenience, too. “The easier you make things, the less barriers there are, the better the experience. Removing friction and making it simple for people to pay via a link in a text or email has been really positive.” Business spending, neatly hemmed Zeller Corporate Cards have also proved useful. Woolcott St uses different transaction accounts within Zeller Dashboard for different business activities, with corporate cards attached to several. “We give employees corporate cards with set limits for various activities, which means they don’t need to come to us to get approval each time,” Jake explains. “It makes business activity and tracking much easier." A savings account that measures up (where the big-4 don’t) Woolcott St chooses to keep its cash reserves in the Zeller Savings Account. “We use the Zeller Savings Account because it gives us a much higher interest rate compared to the big four,” Jake says. “Plus there are no fees or hoops to jump through. If the money’s in the account, it’s earning interest. Simple.”  A seamless suite of solutions  For Jake, the biggest advantage of Zeller is integration. “Having everything all in one place with Zeller – accounts, payments, invoices – really helps us as a business,” he says. “Instead of being spread across different platforms, everything’s integrated, which makes keeping track of everything so much easier.” Zeller’s support team, he adds, is also more responsive and easier to deal with than traditional banks. Stitching together what’s next Woolcott St has its sights set on becoming Australia’s number one tailoring outfit, with plans to open offices across the country. And while the business grows, Jake still finds joy in the craft itself. “When asked for his favourite suit, Jake doesn’t hesitate. “I’m a classic man myself – I don’t tend to go for things that are too loud. That said, I always find it interesting when we get to make something we haven’t before. Whether it’s different colour combinations or a rare fabric, or combining different garments into a unique outfit, those are the ones that really stand out to me.”

If you’re a business owner, who is open to the idea of embracing new technology, but haven’t yet entered the chat with artificial intelligence, this article is for you. Here, we outline the best AI tools for small business, and how you can use them to save time – and money – in your day-to-day operations. Artificial intelligence is quickly becoming a staple tool for business owners who want to save time and work more efficiently. According to the Australian Government, 41% of small and medium-sized enterprises are already using it. While there are a growing number of highly sophisticated paid platforms that can do everything from automating complex workflows (think Zapier , Make , and Power Automate ) to integrating AI agents to respond to social comments or customer queries ( Manychat , Tidio , and Intercom ), and automate inventory operations ( Zoho and Cin7 ), not every business needs these advanced tools. AI for small businesses with fewer resources and smaller budgets looks a little different. Read on to discover the best free AI tools and how best to use them for your small business.  But first, what is AI? Artificial intelligence (AI) refers to computer systems that can perform tasks typically requiring human intelligence – like understanding language, recognising images, or making decisions. By analysing large amounts of data and learning from patterns, AI tools can generate insights, create content, and improve their performance over time. What are AI tools? AI tools are applications that use artificial intelligence to carry out specific tasks – such as writing text, designing images, analysing data, or answering questions. They take the complex capabilities of AI and package them into easy-to-use software that anyone can access, often for free or at a low cost. Perplexity, ChatGPT, and Canva AI, are three such tools, which we will discuss in more detail below. The best AI tools for small businesses are those that simplify and reduce the time spent on essential but time-consuming tasks – like copywriting, marketing, branding, customer service, or design – freeing you up to focus on the core aspects of your business. Top three AI tools for small businesses: 1. Perplexity What is Perplexity? Perplexity AI is an AI-powered search and answer engine that combines natural language understanding with real-time web research. It retrieves factual information with citations for its answers, and continuously updates from the internet, providing current and trustworthy data. What it’s great for: doing research and generating concise, factual answers. What it’s not great for: creative content generation or conversational dialogue.  How to use Perplexity AI for small businesses 2. ChatGPT  What is ChatGPT? ChatGPT is an AI-powered chatbot that understands and generates human-like text by analysing language patterns from vast amounts of data, enabling it to deliver natural, helpful responses. It can answer questions, write and edit content, brainstorm ideas, and simplify complex topics.  What it’s great for: creative and conversational tasks like writing, brainstorming, and coding. What it’s not great for: doing research, as it can produce inaccurate or outdated information. How to use ChatGPT for small businesses 3. Canva AI What is Canva AI? Canva AI is an artificial intelligence tool built into Canva that helps users quickly create professional-looking designs. It can generate images, illustrations, social media graphics, templates, and other visual content from simple prompts, saving time and making design accessible even for non-designers. What it’s great for: creating professional-looking, simple designs and visuals for digital use. What it’s not great for: creating highly customised or complex designs, or anything that will be used for large-format printing. How to use Canva AI for small businesses A word of warning when using AI for small businesses While AI tools like Perplexity, ChatGPT, and Canva AI can save time and inspire creative ideas, they aren’t perfect. Always double-check facts, verify sources, and review content for accuracy before using it to make business decisions. Similarly, AI-generated designs can be great, but the imagery may not always be 100% accurate – it’s not unusual for a hand to have an extra finger, or for objects to be floating in midair! So ensure you always inspect the images closely before using them. Also, AI-generated designs can resemble stock images or copyrighted styles and will lack the resolution required for printing, so if you are going to be sharing the assets widely (for example in a paid advertising campaign or printed on a product label), it’s important to involve the expertise of a professional graphic designer. Always remember to treat AI as a helpful assistant – not a replacement for your judgment or expertise.

Whether you’re scaling up and looking to streamline your payroll and inventory, or need a bit of support managing your business cash flow and tax compliance, Xero and MYOB are two names that have probably crossed your desk. Within the accounting software  landscape, these are the two biggest players in Australia. Both offer an all-encompassing suite of accounting features that are equally as suitable to sole traders as they are to midsize companies. Navigating the features and functionality of each is no small task though, and ultimately comes down to what’s right for your business. To assist you in your decision, we’ve summarised the key points of comparison. What is accounting software? Accounting software is used for managing financial transactions and records within an organisation. It allows businesses to automate accounting tasks and helps them keep track of their financial information efficiently and accurately. By streamlining processes in invoicing and billing, managing accounts payable and receivable, and generating financial reports, the software can provide valuable insights into the financial health of the business. Accounting software also provides a centralised platform for managing financial data, saving time and increasing accuracy, which will not only be a huge advantage at tax time, but can also make it easier to apply for loans and financing should you ever need it. Key differences between Xero and MYOB Usability Anyone can use either Xero or MYOB. Both cater to small business owners, sole traders, and freelancers as much as they do seasoned bookkeepers and accountants. However, if you are just starting out, Xero’s user-friendly interface is generally regarded as an easier point of entry for people with limited to no accounting experience. If you are a skilled bookkeeper or accountant, you may prefer MYOB for its more advanced features with regard to payroll and inventory tracking. Both Xero and MYOB offer a 30-day trial, so the best way to get a feel for the user experience is to try them out for yourself. Cloud vs. desktop When MYOB launched in the early 1980s, it was a computer-based software designed for users to install and use locally. When Xero entered the scene in 2006, it had the advantage of building internet capability directly into the software and, as such, has always relied on cloud accounting (software that is accessible from an internet browser). To keep up with demand, MYOB has now transformed all its packages to cloud-based plans but still gives users the option to choose online or desktop versions for the MYOB AccountRight subscriptions. The beauty of having data stored in the cloud rather than on your desktop is that it allows you to access your account from wherever you have an internet connection. What’s more, it also offers enhanced security with access control, user authentication, data encryption, and network protection. Mobile apps Managing your admin and bookkeeping on the go is now also made possible with Xero and MYOB’s mobile applications. Xero offers an all-in-one mobile business app that lets you view insights, manage invoices and quotes, track your cash flow, reconcile bank transactions, and upload photos of physical receipts. MYOB on the other hand has three separate applications: MYOB Capture for uploading receipts, MYOB Invoice for creating and sending online invoices and quotes and MYOB Team for creating rosters, approving timesheets, and tracking worksite locations. So, while Xero’s all-in-one app wins on convenience, MYOB does offer additional functionality for business owners who need to manage rostering on the go. Third-party integrations From point-of-sale systems to payment gateways, rostering and payroll, there are thousands of third-party providers that help small businesses from every industry streamline their processes. By integrating your accounting platform to other business apps and software you use on a day-to-day basis, you’re able to streamline bookkeeping and simplify reconciliation. How Xero and MYOB integrate with these applications is a vital consideration when choosing one over the other. Whether you use Shopify for your e-commerce, Deputy for your staff scheduling or Zeller for your invoicing payment gateway, you’ll need to choose an accounting software that will integrate with the programs your business uses. Xero’s App Store is by far the largest, boasting over a thousand third-party integrations — including Zeller App . MYOB’s integration library is less robust, and currently only offers several hundred integrations. Bank feeds The available bank feeds will be an important factor in informing your decision to choose Xero or MYOB. Rather than reconciling transactions manually, bank feeds offer a much easier and quicker solution. This process allows data to flow directly into your accounting software where it can be coded and matched off with sales, invoices, purchases and payroll entries, saving you hours of data entry and reducing human error. Bank feeds are available for bank accounts, loan accounts and credit cards, but the list of available connections will differ between accounting software. MYOB currently offers a longer list of supported bank connections than Xero, but Xero is more up to date with next-generation financial service providers including Zeller . For a full list of compatible bank feeds for Australian-based businesses, see Xero’s list here and MYOB’s here . Note that if you are planning on setting up more than two bank connections, the MYOB Lite package will not support this (it is limited to two), however every other plan from both Xero and MYOB offer unlimited connections. Accounting features Most importantly, choosing between Xero and MYOB will come down to the features that each one offers and how best they suit your needs. For most small business purposes, both platforms offer everything you’ll need. For that reason, we won’t exhaustively cover the features of each, but we will mention what sets them apart. Inventory management MYOB has a comprehensive inventory system integrated into the software that lets you manage orders and suppliers and run stocktake. Which subscription you choose will depend on how many items and locations your business has. Xero, on the other hand, offers limited features suitable for small inventory needs, but its customisation capabilities with third-party apps ensure it stays competitive in this area.  Automation and AI Xero has advanced its AI capabilities with JAX (Just Ask Xero) – a financial superagent that automates routine accounting tasks and delivers business insights. JAX uses multiple AI agents to learn how a business operates, adapting to handle workflows like bank reconciliation, invoicing, data entry, and payment tracking. It also understands natural language, allowing users to ask questions and instantly access financial data or generate documents. MYOB, by contrast, offers more basic automation focused on improving efficiency and accuracy through workflow automation, predictive analytics, and smarter resource planning for complex businesses. Payroll Both MYOB and Xero allow you to process superannuation payments automatically, support Single Touch Payroll and offer advanced reporting. However, for large companies, MYOB has the advantage of supporting unlimited employees with its BusinessPro and AccountRight plans. The cost of Xero increases once your business grows to over 50 employees, and caps out at 200. Online and phone support Xero offers extensive online resources and benefits from a wide community of online users, so help is never far away, however they do not offer phone support. MYOB on the other hand do offer business-day phone support, which can be very helpful if you get stuck. Sign-up and implementation Integrating or replacing your existing processes is easy with Xero and MYOB’s cloud-based subscriptions, however, if you are planning on installing MYOB AccountRight to your local desktop, it is important to note that this is only available for Windows. Cost Both Xero and MYOB offer four tiers of monthly-based subscription pricing. The more you pay, the more functionality you get. When choosing a subscription, it is important to select one whose inclusions will not only serve your purposes today, but also as your business scales in the future. The cost differences between the two platforms are outlined in the table below. Xero vs. MYOB: which is right for your business? What accounting software you choose is ultimately going to depend on the needs of your business, and your personal preference. Before making your decision, you need to weigh up who will be using the software (you or your accountant), where you'll be using it (desktop or cloud), whether having a mobile app is going to be vital in your day-to-day accounting, and what integrations and bank connections you require. Of course, most important is, will it integrate with your Zeller Account .

We’ve rolled out a stack of new features this month to give your customers more ways to pay – and give you more control over transfers, refunds, and cards. From scheduled transfers to personalised cards and China UnionPay acceptance, here’s everything that’s just landed and ready for you to use in your Zeller Account . Read on to learn more. Cut out extra admin by scheduling one-time or recurring transfers from your Zeller Transaction Account. Need to transfer funds on a regular basis or schedule a bill to be paid at a future date? Save unnecessary admin time by scheduling transfers from your Zeller Transaction Accounts for things like: Paying suppliers, staff or rent Paying bills via BPAY Moving funds into your Zeller Savings Account to earn a great interest rate Automatically setting aside money for tax time Moving funds to another internal or external account  You can choose to send funds instantly or at a future date, and set the exact time down to the quarter-hour. Transfers can occur one-time, or be placed on a recurring schedule to repeat on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis, and you decide when they end – on a set date, after a number of transfers, or left to run indefinitely. If plans change, you can end a schedule early. You can start scheduling transfers now in the Zeller Dashboard or from your Zeller App . Visit our support articles to get started: How can I create scheduled or recurring transfers ? How do I view or manage my scheduled transfers ? Welcome even more customers with China UnionPay. We’ve expanded payment acceptance on Zeller Terminal, invoices, and payment links to include China UnionPay cards, making it easier for your business to serve Australia’s large and growing Chinese customer and tourist base. From international tourists to students studying at local universities, Chinese customers represent a significant and fast-growing segment for many Australian businesses. By accepting UnionPay – the trusted card network issued by virtually every major bank in China – we’re removing friction at the checkout and opening your doors to more sales opportunities. UnionPay payments are processed through Zeller just like any other card at Zeller’s simple flat rate of 1.4%. If you’re already using Zeller, there’s nothing more to do, you’re ready to accept China UnionPay payments today. Learn more about China UnionPay acceptance here . Issue refunds easily with your POS-integrated Zeller Terminal . Refunds aren’t always straightforward. Sometimes you need to refund an amount that isn’t tied to a previous transaction in your POS. This new update allows you to push an ‘unmatched’ refund from your Linkly or Oracle-integrated POS to your Zeller Terminal , which then processes the refund directly to your customer’s card.  When you instruct your POS system to trigger a refund, your Zeller Terminal will prompt your customer to tap, insert, or swipe their card to receive it. This gives you flexibility to: – Refund payments that were not originally processed on Zeller Terminal – Convert a cash transaction into a card refund – Issue courtesy refunds not tied to a transaction in your POS system – Return funds to a different card than the one used in the initial transaction The refund is processed straight back to the card presented, making things simpler for both you and your customers. Accept over-the-phone payments with your POS-integrated Zeller Terminal . We’ve made it easier for merchants using a point of sale system integrated via Linkly or Oracle Simphony to accept payments over the phone (also known as MOTO payments ) with Zeller Terminal. Instead of requiring your customer to physically present their card, you can now manually enter card details when a sale is pushed from your POS to your Zeller Terminal. For merchants using a POS integrated via Linkly Start a sale in your POS system. When the payment pushes to your Zeller Terminal and the standard Tap, insert or swipe card screen appears, tap the terminal screen to reveal the Enter Card Details button. Manually key in the card details, and confirm the amount. The sale will automatically be closed and reconciled in your Linkly-integrated POS system.  For merchants using Oracle Simphony POS Start a MOTO sale in your Oracle Simphony POS system. On your Zeller Terminal, manually enter the card details and confirm the amount The transaction result is automatically sent back to your POS – no extra reconciliation needed. Note: Before processing an integrated MOTO payment, make sure your Zeller Terminal is paired with your POS via Linkly or integrated with Oracle Simphony, and that MOTO payments are enabled . Showcase your brand with personalised debit and corporate cards. No matter how big or small your business is, strong branding is key to making you look professional and established. We know a lot of effort goes into creating a strong brand identity, which is why we’ve made it easy to personalise Zeller Debit Cards and Zeller Corporate Cards with your business logo and custom labels. Adding your logo to your cards shows suppliers you take your finances seriously, while also helping to reinforce your brand and avoid mixing business and personal expenses.  Plus, for businesses with multiple venues or employees, personalised cards make expense management easier. When creating a new card, you’ll be able to upload a logo and add a label to help make clear which team, department, or purpose the card is for. Both physical and virtual cards can be customised from your dashboard in just a few minutes. Virtual cards are available to use instantly, while physical cards are delivered in under a week. Keep the feedback coming. We’re always adding features to make it simpler and smoother to run your business. Keep an eye on your Zeller Dashboard and the Zeller Business Blog for the latest updates. We’d love to hear your ideas for what we should build next! Send them to feedback@myzeller.com and we’ll use them to shape our roadmap.