Reconciliation
Reconciliation is the process of matching incoming payments automatically or manually with outstanding invoices, orders, or receivables.
Reconciliation
Reconciliation refers to the systematic matching of incoming payments with open items — invoices, orders, or receivables. The goal is to uniquely assign every incoming payment to a transaction and identify discrepancies (missing payments, double payments, fee deductions).
For online Comerciantes, reconciliation includes the matching between PSP payouts and accounting: The PSP bundles transactions and pays out the net amount (after deduction of transaction fees, refunds, and chargebacks) to the Comerciante account. The Comerciante must break down this payout into its individual transactions and post them correctly.
On marketplaces, reconciliation becomes complex: Payments must be split among multiple sellers, commissions deducted, refunds booked proportionally, and chargeback costs allocated. Automated reconciliation via PSP exports, webhooks, and camt messages (ISO 20022) saves considerable manual effort.
Reconciliation examples
An online shop imports the daily PSP payout file into its accounting system and automatically reconciles 150 transactions with open orders.
A marketplace uses PSP webhooks: with every status change (payment confirmed, refund processed, payout executed), the accounting is automatically updated.
A fiduciary receives the monthly reconciliation report: gross revenue EUR 50'000, less EUR 850 transaction fees, EUR 200 refunds, net payout EUR 48'950.
Reconciliation FAQ
What is reconciliation in payment processing?
Reconciliation is the matching of incoming payments with open invoices or orders. Goal: To allocate each payment to a transaction and identify discrepancies (fees, refunds, missing payments).
How does reconciliation work with a PSP?
The PSP provides transaction exports, payout reports, and webhooks. Comerciantes import this data into their accounting system and reconcile it with open items — automated or manual.
What is the difference between gross and net payout?
The gross sum is the total amount of all transactions. The net payout is what the Comerciante actually receives after deducting transaction fees, refunds and chargebacks.
Do I need reconciliation as a small online shop?
Yes, at the latest for the tax return and the annual financial statements. The PSP payout on the bank account must match the individual transactions. Modern PSPs provide exports that common accounting tools (Bexio, Abacus) can import directly.
