You don't need a paid Xero subscription for the Certificate in Xero. Modules 1 to 11 use Xero's demo company, which comes with a free login, and the capstone uses a free 30-day trial you start yourself.
The demo company, for modules 1 to 11
Get a Xero login, if you do not have one. A free trial at xero.com gives you one, and the demo company comes with it.
In My Xero, choose Try the Demo Company, and check it says Australia. Change Country is there if it does not.
When a lesson says to reset, go to My Xero and press Reset beside the demo company. It takes under a minute.
Your place in the course is saved with us, not in Xero, so resetting the demo company never costs you any progress.
Your own trial, for the capstone
Lesson 12.1 takes you through this, with a video and the files you need. In short: open the organisation menu at the top left, choose Add new organisation, call it Brightwater Print & Design, and press Start trial. There is no card and nothing to pay for 30 days.
Then make yourself Administrator in Settings, Users, because a trial starts you on the Standard role, and that hides two tools the capstone uses.
If your trial runs out
Start another, and load the files again. They are all in the resources panel on your course home, and the order is in lesson 12.1. Everything we check is in your reports, so a new company with the same files gives the same figures.
Always a practice company
Never use a real client's or an employer's Xero for this course. Some things, such as lodging a BAS, can't be undone. If you can't find your way to the demo company, or you're not sure which company you're in, the name at the top left of the screen tells you whose books you're in.