How to use Cleva
What to say, and who can say it
Everything happens in one WhatsApp chat with Barbara on 07882 721127. Questions can be in your own words; the commands below are shortcuts. Barbara passes each job to the right member of the team.
Nothing matches. Ask Barbara in your own words, or email [email protected].
Barbara
Early accessYour one contact. She drafts supplier invoices as Xero bills, gets them approved, answers money questions and brings in the rest of the team.
| What to say or do | What happens | Who |
|---|---|---|
JOIN 123456 (or just the code) |
Joins you to your company with the code from your invite. Your role (Submitter, Approver or Director) comes with the invite. | Everyone |
A photo or PDF of an invoice |
Barbara reads it, checks it isn't a duplicate and drafts the bill in Xero with the invoice attached, then asks an Approver to approve it. | Everyone |
Forward to [email protected]Your address is in your welcome email |
Suppliers or your accounts inbox can email invoices to your Cleva address. They join the same approval queue. | Everyone |
Tap Approve or Reject |
Approve makes the Xero draft ready to pay. Reject leaves a note. Nothing reaches Xero as approved without this tap, and Cleva never pays anyone. | Approvers |
billsAlso: reply to Barbara's morning reminder |
Shows the bills waiting for approval, each with Approve and Reject buttons. | Approvers |
How much do we owe Acme? |
Ask in your own words about who you owe, who owes you, what's overdue or what's waiting. Barbara answers from Xero. | Approvers |
login |
Sends a link and code to open the Cleva app: bills, the chase list, reports, credit checks, team and billing. | Everyone |
helpAlso: hi, menu |
What Barbara can do for you, based on your role and your company's plan. | Everyone |
team |
The bots on your plan, the ones you can add, and the ones coming soon. | Everyone |
Who can help with statements? |
Barbara tells you which bot does that job, and how to add them if they're not on your plan. | Everyone |
switchAlso: switch to <company name> |
If you're in more than one company, choose which one you're working on. | Everyone |
Barry
PilotReporting. A one-page report on cash, who owes you, who you owe and profit, a Monday report, and reminders before Companies House deadlines. More about Barry
| What to say or do | What happens | Who |
|---|---|---|
reportAlso: how are we doing, cash position |
Barry's report now: cash in the bank, who owes you, who you owe, profit this month against last, and what needs attention. | Approvers |
Monday report (automatic) |
Every Monday at 8am Directors get a message; reply to see last week, this week's money in and out, and customers more than 30 days overdue. A copy is emailed. | Directors |
filing deadlinesAlso: companies house, confirmation statement |
When your annual accounts and confirmation statement are due at Companies House. Barry checks every morning and emails your Directors 60, 30, 14, 7 and 1 days before (30, 14, 7 and 1 for the confirmation statement), then weekly if overdue. | Approvers |
mtdAlso: quarter so far, quarterly update |
Making Tax Digital for Income Tax: your next quarterly update date, last quarter’s income, expenses and profit from Xero, this quarter so far, and your tax return date. Barry emails Directors 14, 7 and 1 days before each quarterly update. You still submit from Xero or through your accountant. | Approvers |
deadlines |
Your next Companies House and MTD dates in one reply (only the ones that apply). It’s also the reply to Barry’s WhatsApp reminders. | Approvers |
mtd onOn automatically with Solo |
Switches MTD reminders on (tax-year quarters). Say mtd calendar for calendar quarters, or mtd off. | Directors |
company number 01234567 |
Sets your company number, if Barry couldn’t find it in Xero. | Directors |
Dennis
PilotCredit control. A daily list of customers to chase, with their contacts and overdue invoices. Dennis never contacts your customers himself. More about Dennis
| What to say or do | What happens | Who |
|---|---|---|
chase listAlso: chase, who should I chase |
Today's customers to chase: what they owe, how overdue, phone numbers and emails, with buttons to record what happened. | Approvers |
Tap Chased / Promised / Snooze / Dispute |
Records the outcome. For a promise Dennis asks the date and brings the customer back if it's missed. | Approvers |
Clive
PilotSupplier statements. Checks a supplier’s statement against their bills and credit notes in Xero and tells you what’s missing or different. He only reads Xero. More about Clive
| What to say or do | What happens | Who |
|---|---|---|
A supplier statement (photo, PDF or email)Send it like an invoice |
Barbara spots it’s a statement and passes it to Clive. He replies with the balances, the invoices that match, and anything missing from Xero, waiting for approval, different, or paid but still open. | Everyone |
Tap Ask for copiesNeeds the supplier’s email in Xero |
Clive emails the supplier for the missing invoices and credit notes. Their reply comes to your Cleva address and Barbara drafts them. | Approvers |
Emily
PilotCustomer statements. Prepares a statement for every customer with an unpaid balance in Xero and emails them once a Director says so. More about Emily
| What to say or do | What happens | Who |
|---|---|---|
customer statementsOnly Directors can tap Send |
Emily reads Xero and tells you how many customers owe what, and who has no email address. Tap Send and each customer gets their unpaid invoices and total, from your company. | Approvers |
Early each month (automatic) |
Emily prepares the statements and asks the Directors to send them: WhatsApp, email and a phone notification. | Directors |
Rupert
PilotPayment runs. Proposes which approved bills to pay, checked against your cash, and makes the bank file. He never pays anyone: you release it at your bank. More about Rupert
| What to say or do | What happens | Who |
|---|---|---|
payment run |
Rupert lists the approved bills due before the following week’s run, against the cash in the bank, and flags suppliers with no bank details. He also does this automatically the working day before your payment day. | Approvers |
Tap Approve runChange bills in the app first |
Then download the bank file (CSV) in the Cleva app, upload it to your bank’s bulk payments and release it there with your bank’s own approval. | Directors |
Carl
PilotCustomer onboarding. Sends a new customer a short form, checks their details (with an optional credit check and terms acceptance), and creates them in Xero once you approve. More about Carl
| What to say or do | What happens | Who |
|---|---|---|
onboard customer Acme Ltd [email protected] 07700 900123Or use New customers in the app |
Carl emails them a form link (and gives you a WhatsApp link to forward). They fill in their company number, VAT number, invoice address and contacts, and accept your terms if you ask for that. | Approvers |
onboard customer Acme Ltd [email protected] no credit check |
The same, without a credit check. You can also say no terms or no monitoring. Your usual choices are set in the app. | Approvers |
Tap Approve |
Carl creates the customer in Xero with the payment terms he suggested (change them in the app before approving), and Victor starts monitoring them if you chose that. | Approvers |
Penny
PilotNew starters and expenses. Collects a new employee’s payroll details on WhatsApp, sets them up in Xero Payroll (or keeps them safely for you to key in), then lets them claim expenses by sending receipts. More about Penny
| What to say or do | What happens | Who |
|---|---|---|
new starter Jane Smith 07700 900123 starts 3/11/2026 as Office ManagerOr use New starters in the app |
Penny gives you a link to send them (and emails it if you add their email). They answer about 14 questions on WhatsApp: address, date of birth, NI number, starter declaration, student loan and bank details. | Directors |
Tap Approve |
Penny creates them in Xero Payroll if it’s connected, otherwise keeps the details encrypted in the app for you to enter. Sensitive details are deleted once they’re in payroll. | Directors |
A photo of a receipt (staff)When expenses are on your plan |
Becomes a draft expense claim in Xero, payable back to that person, sent for approval like a bill. | Everyone |
Olive
PilotSupplier onboarding. New suppliers fill in their details on WhatsApp; Olive checks them and creates the supplier in Xero once you approve. More about Olive
| What to say or do | What happens | Who |
|---|---|---|
onboard supplier Acme Ltd 07700 900123 [email protected]Name and mobile needed; email optional |
Olive invites the supplier by WhatsApp (and email) to send their details, checks Companies House and their VAT number, then asks you to approve. | Approvers |
contact checkFull list in the app |
Olive checks every active customer and supplier in Xero and lists those with no email or no phone number, so you can chase them. She also does this early each month. | Approvers |
Tap I've called them, then ApproveOlive never changes an existing supplier's bank details |
If bank details were given, you confirm them by phoning the supplier on a number you already trust. Olive then creates the new supplier in Xero. | Approvers |
Victor
PilotCredit checks on your customers, using Creditsafe and Companies House, with alerts when a monitored customer changes. More about Victor
| What to say or do | What happens | Who |
|---|---|---|
credit check Acme LtdA company number works too |
Victor finds the company, shows what the check uses, and after you tap Run check sends the rating, suggested credit limit, CCJs, directors and his view. | Approvers |
Tap MonitorMonitoring doesn't use a check |
After a check: Victor watches the company and tells you about rating or limit drops, CCJs, director or status changes and insolvency notices. | Approvers |
monitoring |
The companies Victor is watching for you. | Approvers |
stop monitoring Acme Ltd |
Stops watching that company. | Approvers |
The Cleva app
Message Barbara login to open it. On a phone, add it to your home screen.
- Bills Approvers
Approve one or many at once, see recent invoices. - Send invoice Everyone
Upload or photograph an invoice. - Chase list Approvers
Dennis's list with tap-to-call and email. - Reports Approvers
Barry's reports. - Credit checks Approvers
Recent checks, monitoring and alerts; save a report as a PDF. - Team Directors
Invite people and set their role. - Billing Directors
Plan, card, invoices, cancelling and buying credit checks. - Notifications Everyone
A phone notification when something needs you (tap your initials).
Coming soon
Bots on the Pilot list are working with early-access companies and need to be on your plan. Cleva never pays, moves money or changes an existing supplier's bank details. Nothing is approved in Xero without a person tapping Approve.