When the transfer doesn’t arrive: a typical everyday situation
The invoice has been overdue for ten days. No one has followed up, reminders arrive late, and replies get lost in the email inbox. Time‑consuming manual reconciliations follow: who has paid? Partial payment or full payment? Which reference number matches the invoice? Such cases occupy accounting and receivables management – often without clear process automation.
Why Payment‑Links on‑prem are a sensible option
Payment links simplify payments for customers. The challenge for many B2B companies: control, monitoring and allocation of payments should remain under your own control. An on‑prem workflow combines two advantages: customer‑friendly payment options and full data sovereignty. You retain tokens, customer data and logs in your infrastructure, instead of passing them on to external SaaS services.
Core advantage 1 — Store and manage provider tokens locally
A central security aspect is that payment provider tokens are not transferred to third parties. With Debentra you manage the connection to payment providers on your infrastructure. The tokens are stored locally and managed by your own system. The practical benefits:
- No sharing of sensitive payment or customer data with external SaaS.
- Simplified compliance checks and clear responsibilities in IT operations.
- Full control over access and user rights for token usage.
Core advantage 2 — Capture link status via webhook and automatically allocate payments
The second advantage lies in automatic reconciliation: Debentra generates a payment link for an outstanding invoice that contains a unique reference (e.g. invoice or transaction number). As soon as the customer pays, the payment provider sends a webhook to your Debentra instance. Debentra recognizes the link status, reads the reference and allocates the payment to the outstanding item. This eliminates the manual search for transfers in bank statements.
Additional practical points:
- Partial payments and installment plans: payments can be recognized in parts and assigned to the correct open item each time.
- Documentation: every step – link creation, sending, webhook receipt, allocation – is logged.
- manual intervention: despite automation, users retain the ability to review allocations and correct them manually if required.
Practical guide: How a secure on‑prem payment link workflow works
The following process model shows the minimally necessary steps to operate payment links securely on‑prem and automatically post payments:
1. Import the invoice and record the open item
Record the invoice in Debentra or import open items (OP) from your accounting system. Debentra maintains an overview of all open items and highlights those that are due.
2. Configure the provider and create the token locally
Set up the desired payment integration in Debentra. The provider token remains on your infrastructure and is used only by the Debentra system. Ensure that only authorized staff have access to the configuration.
3. Generate and verify the payment link
Generate a payment link directly from the open item record. The link contains a unique reference to the invoice. Before sending, a preview and approval process ("Preview & Approve") can be implemented: the team checks the content and amount before the link is sent to the customer.
4. Sending and follow‑up
Send the link via the preferred channel (email, portal, ticket). Debentra can use templates and document the dispatch. Important point: approval to send remains with the user — automatic reminders can be prepared but must be approved.
5. Webhook receipt and automatic allocation
The payment provider reports status changes via webhook to your Debentra instance. Debentra checks the reference, compares the amount and any partial amounts, and assigns the payment to the open item. In case of discrepancies, the process stays pending for manual review.
6. Documentation and posting
After allocation, the process is documented: proof of payment, communication history and status are stored in the open item log. In editions with integrated accounting, the payment flow can then be automatically handed over to the financial accounting system.
Typical errors and practical recommendations
- Missing reference in the link: Without a unique reference, allocation must be done manually. Pay attention to standardized reference fields.
- Neglecting webhook tests: Set up a test environment and verify webhook payloads and security mechanisms (e.g. signatures) before going live.
- No fallback process: Plan how to proceed if a webhook is missing or a payment differs — for example, manual bank reconciliations or contacting the customer.
- Token access rights: Define roles in IT operations so that only authorized users can view or renew tokens.
Which edition fits your needs?
Debentra is available in three editions: BASIS, PRO and PREMIUM. In short: PRO reduces manual reconciliation work through extended automation features; PREMIUM additionally enables an integrated accounting interface. Choose the edition that matches your desired level of automation and your accounting requirements.
Maintain control: Automation with human approval
Automated processes should handle routine tasks, but not replace control. Debentra lets you prepare payment links and reminders and send them only after human approval. Webhooks update status and assignment, but critical decisions — such as disputed amounts or special agreements — remain with the user.
Conclusion
On‑prem payment links combine convenience for the customer with data sovereignty for the company. By storing provider tokens locally, using webhook‑based status notifications, and automatically matching payments, the effort for manual reconciliations can be significantly reduced — without relinquishing control. Debentra provides the appropriate tools and editions to run the workflow securely within your infrastructure.
Next step
Try Debentra yourself
Central overview and process control for open items and payments with full data ownership; reduces manual matching work (PRO) and enables integrated accounting (PREMIUM); selectable installation and licensing models.