Connect to Chaser using Chaser API

Chaser API allows you as a developer to import and export core data with Chaser.

Last updated: December 19, 2024


This article explains how to get started with connecting to Chaser using Chaser API, the data requirements and how to complete key actions via Chaser API. This integration is only available on an Enterprise subscription. Chaser API is a suitable option for organizations that use a system that Chaser does not integrate with. The connection with Chaser API can be established by following the instructions in this article, these tasks will need to be completed by a Software Engineer.

If you do not feel that Chase Import is the correct solution for your business, Chase Import or Zapier options are also available if Chaser does not integrate with your system.

Getting started with Chaser API

  1. Sign up to Chaser here (if you are not a user yet).
  2. Login to Chaser.
  3. Create a new organization.
  4. Select API from the list of available accounting systems.
  5. Click Connect with API.
  6. Enter your organization name and click Connect
  7. Go to Organization Settings > Integrations and create a new API key/secret.


Post Collection


To expedite development, Chaser provides the Chaser API Postman collection.

  1. Import Chasers postman collections into the Postman Desktop App
    1. https://openapi.chaserhq.com/docs/json
  2. Add a global variable named baseUrl to the environment and set its value to https://openapi.chaserhq.com
  3. In the Authorization tab, set Type to Basic Auth. 
  4. Get the API key and secret from Chaser (Organization Settings > Integrations > Get API key)
  5. Set the API key as the username and the API secret as the password.
  6. Select one of the requests available and click Send.

Chaser API data requirements


Resources

The Chaser API has 4 resources: Customers, Invoices, Credit Notes, and Organizations.


Customers

The Chaser API allows you to interact with (GET, POST ,PUT) information relating to the organizations' customers.

Field Name

Description

ExternalID

This is the external (source system) ID for the customer. This must be unique for each customer.

Company Name

This is the name of the Company Name for the customer which we will display in Chaser (and used in Monthly Statements and email templates if the relevant placeholder is selected)

Contact First Name

This is the first name of the recipient who will receive the reminders from Chaser

Contact Last Name

This is the last name of the recipient who will receive the reminders from Chaser

Contact Email Address

This is the email address that will receive the reminders sent using Chaser.

Status

The status dictates whether the Customer will be visible within Chaser. A Customer can either be ACTIVE, which means that they will be visible in Chaser, or ACHIEVED meaning that they will not be visible in Chaser.

Phone number

The phone number will be displayed in Chaser so that phone calls can be made easily by Chaser users.

Address 

The address will be displayed in Chaser statements.

Mobile number

The mobile number will be displayed in Chaser and can be easily viewed by Chaser users when they are required to call the customer. The mobile number will also be used to send an SMS, if you enable this on your account. The mobile number must include the country code e.g. +447261928377


Invoices

The Chaser API allows you to interact with (GET, POST ,PUT) information relating to the organizations' invoices.

For following fields are available:

Field Name

Description

Invoice ID

The Invoice ID will not be visible within Chaser but will be used to make future updates to the invoice. This ID should be unique for each invoice.

Invoice Number

The invoice number will be visually represented to represent the invoice in Chaser. In your reminder emails, this is the reference that will be shared with customers. In contrast to the above, this reference is not required to be unique.

Status

The status dictates whether the Invoice will be visible within Chaser.

- AUTHORISED = The invoice will be visible in Chaser

- PAID = The invoice will be visible in Chaser (under the paid filter in the receivables section) for a period of 6 months after the fully paid date. After this, it will be archived from Chaser's database.

- DRAFT, SUBMITTED, VOIDED, DELETED = The invoice will not be visible in Chaser, no reminders will be sent and the invoice will not be considered in any of Chaser's reporting

Currency Code

The currency code for the currency that the invoices are issued for. Please refer to ISO codes https://www.xe.com/iso4217.php

Amount Due

This should reflect the amount left to pay on the invoice after any partial payments or credits.

If no payments or credits have been applied to the invoice, this should reflect the total invoice value.

Amount Paid

This amount should reflect any payments that have been made or credits that have been applied to the invoice

Total

The total amount of the invoice

Date

The date that the invoice was raised

Due Date

The date that the invoice payment is due

Fully paid date

The date that the final payment on the invoice was made

Customer external ID

The external ID of the customer that the invoice should be associated with

How do I mark an invoice as paid?

When adding invoices, it is important to ensure that the relevant customer has been created in Chaser first (using the POST add customer call). The external customer ID will be used to associate the invoice with the correct customer. If the Customer does not exist, the API will return an error.


Note: A valid customer ID is required to create an invoice, therefore the customer must be created using the POST add customer endpoint before adding the invoice. The customer external ID is used to match an invoice with a customer's


Credit notes

Chaser’s monthly statements will include any credit notes if they meet the following criteria (they are ACTIVE and remaining credit). The monthly statement sent by Chaser will calculate the overall customer balance by subtracting unallocated credits from invoice amounts.

The Chaser API allows you to interact with (GET, POST ,PUT) information relating to the organizations' credit notes.

Field name

Description

Credit note id

The Credit note ID will not be visible within Chaser but will be used to make future updates to the credit notes. This ID should be unique for each credit note.

Credit note number

The Credit note number will be visible on Monthly Statements that are sent to customers.

Remaining credit

The remaining (unallocated) credit left on the credit note.

Date

The date that the credit note was issued.

Status

The status of the credit note dictates whether it will appear on the customer statement. If a credit note is ACTIVE, it will appear. If a credit note is SUBMITTED, AUTHORISED, PAID, VOIDED or DELETED, it will no longer be visible.

Total

The total amount of the credit note.

Currency

The currency that the credit note has been raised in.

Customer external id

The external ID of the customer that the credit note should be associated with.


When adding credit notes, it is important to ensure that the relevant customer has been created in Chaser first (using the POST add customer call). The external customer ID will be used to associate the credit note with the correct customer. If the Customer does not exist, the API will return an error.

Note: A valid customer ID is required to create an invoice, therefore the customer must be created using the POST add customer endpoint before adding the invoice. The customer's external ID is used to match an invoice with a customer


FAQS


How do I mark an invoice as paid?

To mark an invoice as paid, the following fields should be updated using the ”update invoice by id” endpoint

  • Invoice Status is equal to PAID
  • Amount due = 0
  • Amount paid = The total amount of the invoice
  • Fully paid date = The date that the final invoice was paid

How do I apply a partial payment to an invoice?

To apply for a partial payment, the following fields should be updated using the update invoice by id endpoint: 

  • Amount due = total - all payments applied
  • Amount paid = sum of all payments that have been applied to the invoice

As the invoice still has a remaining balance, the status should remain unchanged and the fully paid date should be null.

How do I apply credit to an invoice?

To apply a credit to an invoice, you will be required to make updates to the related invoice and also the credit note that has been allocated.

Firstly to update the invoice, please follow the steps above which explain how to 1) Mark an invoice as paid - if the credit pays the full remaining balance of the invoice 2) Apply a partial payment - if the invoice will still have a balance remaining following the allocation of the credit

Secondly, the credit note will also need to be updated.

If the allocation of credit uses all remaining credit on the credit note, the following fields should be updated:

  • Status = PAID
  • Remaining credit = 0


If after allocating the credit, the credit note still has a balance remaining, only the below field updates are required:

  • Remaining credit = total credit minus the sum of all balances that have been allocated to invoices

No status update is required when only part of the credit note is applied.


What date formats are acceptable?

Chaser API requires that all dates use the ISO format (ISO 8601) YYYY-MM-DDTHH:mm:ss.sssZ.

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