Setting up SEPA direct debit
Overview
SEPA direct debit is the most predictable payment method in the subscription business: you collect due amounts automatically instead of waiting for bank transfers. Kyvento handles the mandate and the collection via your payment provider – you only need two things.
Requirements
- SEPA creditor ID – stored under "Settings" → "Account" → the "Bank details" card. Without it, SEPA stays greyed out in the payment methods. (You apply for the creditor ID once with the Deutsche Bundesbank.)
- A connected payment provider – SEPA runs technically via Stripe or Unzer (one of the two, see "Accepting credit card payments").
Enabling SEPA
Under "Settings" → "Payments" → the "General" tab you enable the "SEPA direct debit" payment method – it is then available for selection in the hosted checkout and the customer portal.
How the mandate is created
The customer grants the SEPA mandate directly in the checkout: they enter their IBAN and confirm the payment provider's mandate text; Kyvento records the consent server-side (timestamp, IP, browser). Kyvento then automatically generates a mandate PDF with the mandate reference, the last digits of the IBAN, the BIC and your creditor ID – traceable on the customer at any time.
Collection in day-to-day subscription operations
- Kyvento collects due subscription invoices automatically via the stored mandate.
- Before every renewal, the renewal announcement informs the customer 7 days in advance – so no collection comes as a surprise and returned direct debits become rarer.
- Failed collections enter the automatic retry process – see "Failed payments: smart retry".
Next steps
- Connect a provider – see "Accepting credit card payments"
- Handling returned direct debits – see "Failed payments: smart retry"