---
title: "How to Avoid Conversions Being Attributed to “Payment”"
description: "Learn why conversions sometimes appear with “payment” as the source and how to prevent incorrect attribution."
canonical_url: "https://docs.sealmetrics.com/platform/tracking-and-attribution-settings/avoid-conversions-attributed-to-payment"
lang: "en"
date_generated: "2026-08-27T14:18:06.639Z"
source_hash: "ca98a6827006168e7f6a05cc511efcaec62d469235173ae7b5a880b255d3bcc6"
content_type: "documentation"
owner: "docs"
llm_priority: "useful"
source_file: "platform/tracking-and-attribution-settings/avoid-conversions-attributed-to-payment.mdx"
publisher: "Sealmetrics"
---

# How to Avoid Conversions Being Attributed to “Payment”

Canonical page: https://docs.sealmetrics.com/platform/tracking-and-attribution-settings/avoid-conversions-attributed-to-payment

When a user makes a purchase and is redirected to a payment gateway (Stripe, PayPal, Redsys…), they temporarily leave your website.
When they return to your **thank-you page**, Sealmetrics may treat it as a **new session**.

If the payment domain is not excluded, the conversion is attributed to source: **payment**.

---

## What This Means

✔ The conversion **is tracked**
❌ The original source (Google Ads, Facebook, Email…) **is lost**

For accurate marketing attribution, this must be corrected.

---

## Why Sealmetrics Attributes “Payment” as a Source

Because Sealmetrics is **privacy-first** and does not use cookies or fingerprinting.
We only detect:
- Browser
- OS
- Screen size
- Timestamp

So when the user returns from a third-party payment domain:
- Sealmetrics creates a new session
- And assigns its domain as the referrer

Unless you register it as a **passthrough referrer**.

---

## When This Happens

Typical cases:
- Payment provider uses redirect flow
- Thank-you page loads after a new session
- Payment provider becomes the last referrer

Example:
1. User clicks a Google Ads ad
2. Adds items → proceeds to checkout
3. Pays via `payments.xyz.com`
4. Returns to your thank-you page
5. Sealmetrics detects referrer = payment domain → Conversion is attributed incorrectly

---

## How to Fix It

Register the payment domain as a **passthrough referrer** through the Sealmetrics API — there is no dashboard screen for this:

```bash
curl -X POST "https://my.sealmetrics.com/api/v1/passthrough-referrers?account_id=YOUR_ACCOUNT_ID" \
  -H "X-API-Key: sm_your_key" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "domain": "payments.xyz.com",
    "utm_source": "payment-gateway",
    "service_name": "Payment Gateway"
  }'
```

See the [Passthrough Referrers API reference](/api/passthrough-referrers) for the complete schema, and [Bypass POS or Referrer](/platform/tracking-and-attribution-settings/bypass-pos-or-referrer) for the step-by-step guide.

Add **only your payment provider domain**, not internal domains.

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With this configuration, conversions retain the *real* traffic source.