We know this not just from theory. In our daily work with event organizers, the same problems and questions come up very frequently.
In this article, we have collected the most common stumbling blocks regarding registration fees. We will show you how to keep payments running smoothly.
Problem: Too few payment methods to choose from
Attendees want to choose from several payment options. Yet at many conferences, they can only pay their registration fees via bank transfer. Credit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay: nowhere to be found.
Especially at academic conferences, organizers' hands are often tied. Internal guidelines or a lack of interfaces are the reason for the missing payment options. Bank transfer is then often the only choice.
⚠️Why this is also annoying: It can discourage attendees from registering for the conference. People from abroad, in particular, find bank transfers impractical. Sometimes someone will decide not to buy a ticket at all—and that hurts the conference.
According to an extensive study by the Deutsche Bundesbank on payment behavior in Germany, 44% of respondents prefer to pay electronically. Younger age groups, in particular, also use mobile payment methods.
Admittedly, paying by bank transfer is indeed the easiest way in terms of organizational effort. You provide your account details, and the attendees transfer the registration fees.
For attendees to be able to pay by credit card at your conference, you first need your own credit card merchant agreement. An interface is also required for Apple Pay and Google Pay.
Solution: Converia handles the payment of registration fees
With Converia, you can offer multiple payment options without needing your own credit card agreement. Attendees choose how they want to pay themselves. You save effort and increase satisfaction.
😊Your attendees can then choose their own payment method. As an organizing team, you don't need to worry about any contracts or interfaces.
Problem: Issuing invoices and tickets
Manually compiling invoices and booking confirmations after a ticket purchase is prone to errors. Depending on the method used, it is also quite cumbersome. Often, you have to re-enter data from registration forms somewhere else or transfer it to another piece of software.
A transposed digit or a misplaced decimal point is doubly annoying when it comes to invoice amounts.
Solution: Converia creates all documents on your behalf
When you work with Converia, there is no need to forward data. All information is already in the system. Converia uses it to create:
- Invoices
- Booking confirmations and
- tickets
💡Every document clearly shows which conference it belongs to and who is hosting it.
Depending on your personal preferences, you can set up Converia to send documents automatically as soon as someone purchases a ticket.
Problem: Monitoring incoming payments
It’s exhausting to constantly check for incoming payments and chase down missing funds. The more late payments you have, the more tedious it becomes.
With 120 participants, it’s easy to keep track. But as soon as you organize more than just a small conference per year, the level of difficulty increases.
As important as it is to collect registration fees, there are definitely more enjoyable tasks.
Solution: Converia keeps track of outstanding invoices
We keep an eye on registration fees. We import received payments into the system. Converia shows you which invoices are still outstanding on your dashboard at any time.
💵If someone takes too long to pay, you can send payment reminders directly from within Converia. You will find a pre-written email template that you can use right away.
Optionally, our team can handle the sending process for you.
Problem: Canceling conference participation
When people cancel their participation, you have to adjust invoices, create cancellation documents, and process refunds.
Solution: Converia handles cancellations
We just need to know how you want to handle canceled registrations. Let us know:
- Are there cancellation fees?
- How much are they?
- Do the cancellation fees depend on the timing of the cancellation?
- At what point should tickets no longer be eligible for cancellation?
Some organizers are very lenient when it comes to cancellations.
Our tip: Always implement cancellation fees.
Set your fees to cover the administrative costs. That way, you won't incur any extra expenses if someone is unable to attend.
If an invoice changes, Converia automatically generates a cancellation document.
After logging in, participants can always find their current invoice and all previous documents in Converia.
When can organizers access the registration fees?
As a rule, we pay out the revenue from ticket sales to you on a monthly basis. This allows you to use the funds immediately without having to wait until the end of the conference.
Bonus: Paying registration fees on-site
You can also manage last-minute registrations on the day of the conference with Converia.
The registration form works just as usual on-site. Participants can use the same payment methods on-site, with the obvious exception of bank transfers.
Conclusion: Hassle-free registration fees
With Converia, you save time, avoid errors, and give participants the flexibility they expect:
- Offer multiple payment methods without needing your own contract
- Automate invoices, tickets, and confirmations
- Keep track of outstanding and paid amounts
- Process cancellations with no extra effort
- Optional services provided by our team
👉 This is how you can approach the topic of registration fees much more calmly, leaving you more time and energy for your conference content.
Would that really take a load off your mind? Then please feel free to contact us for more information or if you have specific questions about your conference.
