# How to choose registration software for a youth program: a 2026 checklist

Source: https://backpr.com/resources/choosing-registration-software. Last updated: 2026-10-11.

By the BackPR team. Published October 11, 2026.

All registration software looks about the same in a demo. The differences show up in how the company charges, what families pay at checkout, how long the contract runs and what happens to your data when you leave. These are the questions to ask, with real examples from companies' published terms.

### 1. How does the company charge?
Pricing models vary more than prices. Ask for the total yearly cost at your size, not just the monthly plan. Examples from published pricing:

- A monthly plan plus paid packs of enrollments (Jumbula's Pay As You Go).
- A monthly plan plus a percentage of each invoice (Amilia's 1% service fee).
- A price set by the sales team, based partly on the number of campers (Campminder).
- A yearly fee per admin license (Regpack's help center lists $3,000 per Account Owner or Super Admin license).
- A monthly fee per admin plus a fee on every registration (Arlo).
- No subscription, with a service fee added to what families pay (Homeroom).

### 2. What do families pay at checkout?
Some platforms add their own fee to the family's order, and some offer extras at checkout. Sawyer adds a booking fee of $1.99–$3.99 to orders over $30. By default, Regpack offers families paid Purchase Protection at checkout (about 3–5% of the activity cost, per a Regpack blog post). Ask exactly what a parent sees at checkout, and whether you can turn off any added fees.

Credit card processing fees are separate. Ask who processes payments, what the rate is, and whether you can absorb the fee or pass it on.

### 3. How long is the contract, and how do you leave?
Read the terms, not just the sales page. Published examples: Amilia's agreement has a 24-month default term with 90 days' notice and early termination fees. Regpack's annual terms renew automatically and need 90 days' notice. FunJoin's one-year term renews yearly with 90 days' notice. Jumbula is month-to-month with 30 days' notice to cancel.

Put your renewal and notice dates on your calendar on day one.

### 4. What does setup cost, and what happens to your data?
Ask about onboarding and import fees. Amilia's onboarding starts at $899 or $2,999 depending on the plan. Arlo requires an implementation package of $695, $1,395 or $3,995. FunJoin's data import services start at $495.

Ask how you get your data out. Regpack deletes data when an account is canceled, so it has to be exported first. Amilia charges for data retrieval after termination.

### 5. What will families experience?
- Can a parent register several children for several programs and pay once?
- Does every screen work well on a phone, without an app download?
- Can families use it in Spanish, or another language your families speak?
- Can families save their details for next season?

### 6. How does it handle safety and the daily roster?
- Check-in and check-out against each family's authorized pickup list.
- Medical, allergy and emergency information that staff can see when they need it.
- E-signed waivers and forms, collected before the first day.
- Rosters and attendance on the phones your staff already carry.

### 7. Payment plans, discounts and reports
- Deposits and installment plans charged automatically.
- Sibling, early-bird and multi-week discounts, plus scholarships.
- Reports your board and grant funders ask for, such as attendance hours and revenue by program.

### A short list to send every vendor
- What will we pay in total per year for our programs, including every fee?
- What, if anything, is added to what families pay?
- What is the contract term, renewal and notice period?
- Are onboarding and data import included?
- Can we export all our data, for free, at any time?
- Is there a discount or free plan for nonprofits, and what does it cover?

### How BackPR answers the cost and contract questions
BackPR is free for nonprofits: no subscription and no BackPR fees. Payments run through Stripe at Stripe's standard rates, and you can absorb the fee or pass it on. BackPR never adds its own fee to what families pay. Other organizations get pricing by quote. No long-term contract: cancel anytime, with no exit fees. Onboarding, data import and data export are free. Families can register in English or Spanish.

Facts about other companies come from their public pages, checked October 10 and 11, 2026. Sources: BackPR vs Jumbula (https://backpr.com/compare/jumbula); BackPR vs Amilia SmartRec (https://backpr.com/compare/amilia); BackPR vs Campminder (https://backpr.com/compare/campminder); BackPR vs Regpack (https://backpr.com/compare/regpack); BackPR vs Arlo (https://backpr.com/compare/arlo); BackPR vs Homeroom (https://backpr.com/compare/homeroom); BackPR vs Sawyer (https://backpr.com/compare/sawyer); BackPR vs FunJoin (https://backpr.com/compare/funjoin)