As part of this collaboration, Xero users will have the option to create and send electronic invoices, including a ‘Pay Now’ option that allows customers to pay immediately by entering their credit or debit card details through Worldpay’s secure payments gateway.

According to Worldpay, clunky payments processes put unnecessary barriers between the business owner and their customer, which can lead to delays in getting paid. Through this integration, the ‘Pay Now’ function, which also includes automatic reminders when payments are due, or overdue, will encourage faster payments by making the process as easy for customers as ordering from their favourite online stores.

James Frost, Chief Marketing Officer at Worldpay UK said: “It’s estimated that small business owners are owed as much as £14 billion, and for many business owners, chasing down payment and following up on invoices becomes almost a full-time job when they’d far rather be concentrating on something else.

“Most customers have good intentions when it comes to paying their suppliers, provided the process is made easy for them. Our partnership with Xero provides business owners a simple, efficient and professional way to make life easy for their customers, and removes the hassle of getting paid.”

Edward Berks, Director Sales, Financial Web and Ecosystem at Xero, added: ‘By working with Worldpay in this way, we’re making the lives of small businesses up-and-down the country a whole lot easier".

“Getting paid quickly and making it easier to sell goods and services is a clearly stated priority for UK businesses. This partnership is exciting for the customers of both Worldpay and Xero.”

Worldpay supports over 300,000 small businesses in the UK and offers customers more ways to pay quickly and securely. Xero recently announced that it now has over 250,000 subscribers in the UK and this new partnership adds to the 600+ organisations that Xero already works with, providing a variety of business solutions to help customers to run and grow their businesses.