What to consider before Signing a Contract for Online Registration Services

When you are rushing to open registration for an event, reading a contract from an online registration supplier might be the last thing you have time for, but it could mean the difference between a successful event and one that fails.

A good contract should be written to describe exactly what is going to be provided, how much it will cost, and state the rights and obligations of both the online registration supplier and the event planner so that there are no surprises or misunderstandings.

If you find that the company you are working with doesn’t have a contract or doesn’t require you to agree to their terms and conditions, you should question if you want to do business with that company. Without a contract, you may be relying on what the sales rep told you and your interpretation of what was said. Not getting the service that you expected might just be the beginning of your problems.

When you are asked to sign a contract, you may want to seek your own legal advice, but here is a list of items specifically related to online event registration that you should always watch for.

1. Description of services

What are you going to get for your money? If the online registration supplier is doing the set up for you, does the contract state exactly what they will set up? Is there a section that describes which features are included and what your obligations are?

2. Cost

This one seems obvious, but there is often more than one price to look for. A set-up fee, per registration fee and credit card processing fees are the most obvious.

Not so obvious charges include refund fees, chargeback fees, rates to do work not described in the contract and charges to integrate with merchant accounts. All of these can be fair and legitimate charges, but be sure that you know what they are before signing.

3. Support

Know what kind of technical support is included, how you can access it, what time it is available (and in what time zone). Find out if there is a limit to the number of calls or emails you can log, and if so, how much you’ll be charged for additional help or training. If you are using a self- serve system where you are setting up your own forms, find out how much it will cost if you end up needing someone from the online registration company to provide support.

4. Privacy and ownership of registration data

Look for a privacy statement that says you own all of the collected data and that the online registration company has no rights to sell or use it in any way without your written permission. Similar to this, make sure that there will not be any outside advertising on your form without your permission.

5. Credit Card Revenue Payments

In a lot of cases event planners are using the online registration company’s merchant accounts. If you are set up this way, look for a clause in the contract that says when the collected revenues are paid to you, if any amount is held back, and if so, how much and for how long.

6. Term and cancellation

Some contracts will be set up on an event by event basis while others will be for a term such as a year or two years. Be careful about signing long term agreements especially with a company that you are not familiar with.

Also, consider what happens if you need to cancel the contract. Is there a penalty? What would your obligations be?

These are just a few key things to watch for. If you don’t understand something in a contract, be sure to ask and make sure you are comfortable with all of the terms and conditions before signing.

ePly is a complete online event registration service that covers every phase of the online registration process: form planning, design, programming, testing, payment processing, refund management tools, registration limits and tools to gather all the reports you want so you can focus on what you do best: planning the actual event.