All online registration systems will allow you to automate your event registration by moving registrations from manual to online, but only some will have the ability to process payments online. There should be no PDF downloads, no printed forms, and absolutely no faxing or mailing allowed. You should never have to take credit card numbers over the phone and manually key them in because all registrations should be processed instantly over a secure connection. Registration fees should show up in your merchant or bank account effortlessly.

Many planners still process payments by hand, either by paper or phone. But this is a massive waste of time and energy. Why spend human effort to do something a well-equipped web site can do better, faster, and cheaper? The clear answer is that you shouldn't.

You should choose a system that allows you to use your own merchant account to collect payments or use the company's merchant account if you do not already have one. The company's merchant account should also be able to accept all payment types quickly so that your registrants can pay using Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, Diners Club, Check, Purchase Order, Cash (onsite), Pay at the Event, Purchase Orders, Wire Transfer, Echeck, Paypal, and should even accept partial payments and taxes.

If you already have a merchant account your system should be integrated with multiple merchant accounts (and their gateways) so that it is easy to plug your merchant account into the online registration system

Also, make sure to check that your online registration system is highly secure. If at all possible, it should be compliant with Visa's strictest security requirements (only 200 companies in the world currently qualify). That means you--and your registrants--can have peace of mind knowing their payment information is totally secure from prying eyes and devious criminals.

Your online registration system should most definitely remove any entering of payment information on your part but should also be able to accept your merchant account or offer you its account, and it should be able to accept payments in multiple different ways. Make sure that your online registration system is doing everything possible to decrease your workload, including making payments entirely automated.