Payment management covers all processes related to accepting, recording, and managing the status of event ticket payments – from selecting payment methods and ensuring regulatory compliance (BaFin, KYC) to automatically linking payment status with the ticketing system.
Regulated by: BaFin (in Germany), PSD2 (EU)
Typical methods: Credit card, PayPal, invoice, Apple Pay, Google Pay
Mandatory process: KYC for payment service providers
What is payment management for congresses?
The payment management is the interface between the ticketing system and the financial world: it accepts payments, confirms their receipt, links them to the respective tickets, and feeds the data into accounting. It sounds simple, but it is one of the most demanding components of event management, both operationally and regulatorily.
BaFin regulation and the KYC process
Anyone who accepts and forwards payments for third parties in Germany is potentially considered a payment service provider under the Payment Services Supervision Act (ZAG) and is subject to the supervision of the Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin). In practice, this means that organizers can only collect ticket payments directly under strict conditions; the secure and legally compliant way to do this is via conference management platforms with integrated payment solutions. However, please note that these platforms—like Converia—must work with BaFin-regulated payment service providers.
All legally compliant service providers require a KYC process (Know Your Customer): The organizer's identity is verified, beneficial owners are disclosed, and the business model and expected transaction volumes are documented. The KYC process is a legal requirement (Anti-Money Laundering Act) and must be completed before the first payment is accepted. Plan ahead, otherwise your sales launch will be delayed (Converia has optimized this process for conference organizers, especially universities and other public institutions. Even so, please allow some time for it).
🚩 Red Flag: If your provider handles payment services without a KYC process, you should take a very critical look at them. If they cannot provide BaFin certification, you should terminate the contract; in this case, your ticketing revenue is very likely not being handled securely .
Ease of use through integration
The greatest efficiency gains are achieved when the payment status is automatically reflected in the ticketing system :
- Successful payment → Ticket becomes valid immediately
- Pending payment (e.g., invoice) → Ticket remains in "unpaid" status. Organizers then decide whether access should still be granted.
- Cancellation → Refund is initiated, ticket becomes invalid
Instead of manual reconciliation between bank accounts, accounting, and ticket management, everything runs in a closed loop—saving hours each week and preventing booking errors.
Payment options at a glance
- Credit card (Visa, Mastercard): fastest method, instant confirmation, higher fees
- SEPA transfer / payment by invoice: Standard in the B2B sector, longer payment terms
- Apple Pay / Google Pay: mobile payment, high conversion on smartphones. Rarely used in the B2B sector. Currently used by approx. 6% of those booking.
The selection should suit the target group: scientific congresses with institutional payment require payment by invoice, while B2C events benefit from credit card and wallet solutions.
Compliance beyond accounting
- PCI-DSS: For credit card acceptance – covered by certified service providers; never store card data yourself
- Tax compliance: Correct VAT identification, Reverse charge for B2B cross-border transactions
- Documentation requirements: GoBD-compliant archiving of all payment transactions. With Converia, everything is already documented correctly, and with the accounting interface transferred directly and accurately into your accounting system.
- GDPR: Data minimization – payment data belongs with the service provider, not in your own CRM
Payment management in Converia
Converia connects the ticketing system directly to BaFin-regulated payment service providers. Payment statuses are automatically synced back to the ticket – once set up, everything runs without manual reconciliation. Includes multiple payment options, automated payment reminders, and complete receipt allocation.
Payments without the manual back-and-forth
With Converia, booking, payment, and confirmation are handled in a single, seamless process – giving your accounting department a complete, transparent view of every transaction.
- Ticketing System – Ticketing & Registration
- Event Registration – Ticketing & Registration
- Cancellation & Rebooking – Ticketing & Registration
Payment status is automatically linked to the ticket – including BaFin-compliant processing via certified service providers.