What is a structured payment reference, and why your daycare benefits from it

Every daycare knows the feeling: at the end of the month the invoices go out, and then begins the puzzle of working out which parent has actually paid. A structured payment reference largely solves that.

What is a structured payment reference?

A structured payment reference (in Belgium known as “gestructureerde mededeling” or “communication structurée”) is a standardised payment reference in the format +++123/4567/89012+++. The last part is a check digit (modulo 97) that lets the bank automatically verify the reference is valid. In Belgium, this is the trusted way to tie a payment to one specific invoice.

Why is it useful for your daycare?

• Automatic matching. Because every invoice has a unique reference, you know straight away which payment belongs to which invoice and which child.
• Fewer mistakes. A free-text note like “care May Lily” is error-prone; a structured reference is not.
• Smoother accounting. Your accounting software or bank recognises the reference and processes payments faster.
• Familiar to parents. Belgian parents know the format from their energy bill or tax letter.

How KidLogg handles this for you

In KidLogg, every invoice automatically gets a correct structured payment reference, together with your daycare’s IBAN — both on the invoice in the app and on the PDF. There is nothing to calculate or double-check: the check digit is always right.

Parents pay by bank transfer using that reference, so you recognise every payment at a glance — or they pay online via Bancontact.

Ready to simplify your invoicing? Request a demo.