---
title: "Xero Period Lock Date error for Administrators - Payhawk Help Center"
slug: "payment-date-andor-service-period-are-set-before-xero-period-lock-date"
description: "Resolve the Xero Period Lock Date error when exporting Payhawk expenses. Quick guide to adjust lock dates and sync transactions between Payhawk and Xero."
updated: 2026-10-21T07:36:36Z
published: 2026-10-21T07:36:36Z
canonical: "payhawk.com/payment-date-andor-service-period-are-set-before-xero-period-lock-date"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://payhawk.com/help/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Payment date or service period are set before Xero Period Lock Date.

## Error message

```plaintext
Payment date and/or service period are set before Xero Period Lock Date.
```

## Cause

This error occurs when the payment date and/or service period date of an expense in Payhawk falls before the **Period Lock Date** set in your Xero account. Xero’s period lock functionality prevents any new transactions or modifications from being recorded in locked accounting periods and ensures the integrity and finality of your financial records for those periods.

When Payhawk attempts to export an expense with dates that fall within a locked period, Xero rejects the transaction and returns this error.

## Solution

To resolve this issue:

1. Log into your Xero account.
2. In the **Accounting** menu, select **Advanced**.
3. Click on **Financial settings**.
4. Under **Lock Dates**, delete the date in the **Lock Date** field.
5. Click on **Save**.

> [!TIP]
> Users with the **adviser user role** can remove lock dates temporarily to allow changes to transactions.