If you’re new to the world of online registration for camps, you may be baffled by how many options there are.
It’s true that there can be a lot to choose from but more than that, the strengths and weaknesses of different camps in different services can make it even harder to choose.
You can see an overview of the most popular camp registration software options and the features they offer below:
Online Integration
These days, people like for their online actions and interactions to be as seamless as possible.
Both Regpack and Ultracamp take this into consideration in terms of how they connect your actions within their platforms to the wider digital world, but they do so in very different ways.
Ultracamp is closely integrated with Facebook and Twitter, the two largest social media platforms. This makes it easy for new registrants to quickly make posts about their experience on their social media pages as well as do other things like quickly and easily share photos.
Regpack isn’t so closely integrated with social media but it offers the ability to place registration and online payments directly on your website. With a single line of code, that Regpack provides to users, you can place your registration and payments process right on your website.
This tool streamlines everything from initial registration to messaging and payments.
Regpack is also optimized so that it works well on a number of different devices so that users can access what they need from home computers or mobile devices.
Logic on Documents and Forms
Any organization that runs a camp is going to have quite a few documents and forms to generate and keep track of.
Both Regpack and Ultracamp have different ways of handling this need.
Ultrcamp and Regpack both offer a number of forms that can be filled in with registrant information.
Regpack, however, also offers document templates and cloud-based storage and generation of documents. Document templates are an advantage of their own while cloud-based generation and storage of documents means that organizations have digital back-ups of all of their documents in case something should happen to physical files. Cloud-based documents are also easier to share and edit between administrators.
Regpack also creates a unique process for every family that registers. Conditional logic abilities allow you to set conditions for what forms and questions appear, depending on how the parent answers key questions. This will make registration easy for your families, and ensure you collect the right information the first time around!
Automated Communication
Communication between a camp and its registrants is crucial, especially in the early stages when browsers can become customers – a step called “conversion.” Once again, both Regpack and Ultracamp offer some similar options with some key differences.
Regpack and Ultracamp both allow users to compose and store emails which can then be sent in bulk or individually when registrants perform certain actions or fit certain criteria.
Regpack’s filtering tools allow you to select the right people to contact with your message, so you don’t overload all of your registrants with information that may not be relevant to them. Filter families attending a specific session, or arriving on the same date. Whatever makes sense for your camp, will work with Regpack!
Ultracamp also allows users to record and store voice calls and text messages which can be handled in much the same way as emails. This is a fairly unique service among online registration tools. Ultracamp also has a tool that allows campers and parents to communicate with one another through emails within the platform.
Payments and Sales
Chances are, your camp will need to collect money from registrants. Both Regpack and Ultracamp allow this in a number of ways.
Ultracamp and Regpack both allow online payments through credit card accounts as well as online checks. Both also allow payments to be paid all at once by registrants or to be spread out over time. Autobilling and payment plans, including saving cards on file, round out these all important payment features!
Ultracamp has an additional tool, however, that should be helpful for camps that have a camp store. This tool allows registrants, usually the parents of campers, to deposit money in an account. Campers can then make purchases from the camp store through this account so that they don’t need to worry about having cash with them at camp.
Regpack uniquely features payment protection, a tool which helps the camp and registrants to feel secure in the event that something comes up and a registrant needs to back out. Regpack also offers a tool that allows camps to provide their registrants with discounts or coupons that they can then use to reduce the cost of their camp experience.
Regpack also allows for conditional logic on pricing, meaning depending on which sessions selected and how many siblings are attending, the price displayed will reflect each family’s unique choices, including early registration discounts and more!
Prices and Price structures
One of the key things to consider when choosing an online registration service is the price. Sometimes this means choosing between monthly and annual contracts but with both Regpack and Ultracamp, the system is a little more nuanced than that.
Regpack’s pricing structure works on tiers based on how many campers you have beginning at just over one thousand dollars per year for organizations that have fewer than 2,000 campers. We’re using the annual rate rather than a monthly rate in that figure for ease of comparison because Ultracamp doesn’t have a monthly pricing structure.
Ultracamp does things a little differently by charging a fee of around four dollars per camper up to 2,000 campers with a minimum payment of $1,200 per year. After that, organizations need to contact Ultracamp for quotes for an annual contract. Ultracamp also has a one-time set-up fee of $300.
Which camp software is right for me?
We can’t answer that question for you. Every camp has different needs and different budgets. Before you make your final decision, take a good look at all of your options. Take a demo from each option to see how the system works on the front and back ends, understand the pricing, and ask the questions that matter to you, before you decide which service fits your needs the best.
If you’re still looking for other camp suggestions, head over to our comprehensive guide to summer camp management software options and read through our thoughts.