Short answer: If you run two or more paid events a month, or more than 100 people per event, a dedicated registration system is worth it. A custom build costs about NT$180,000–450,000, goes live in 6–8 weeks, cuts on-site check-in from 40 minutes to under 10 and issues e-invoices automatically.
An education consultancy runs six admissions seminars a month with about 200 attendees each. Sign-ups come through Google Forms, parents pay by bank transfer and send the last five digits, and an assistant spends 6 hours a week reconciling. On event day two staff tick names off printed lists, the entry line takes 40 minutes, and 8% of registrants never show up without anyone knowing who.
Where It Fits and Where It Doesn't
Bottom line: frequent, paid events that need member data are the best fit; occasional events are not.
| Good fit for custom | Poor fit for custom |
|---|---|
| 2+ recurring events a month | 1–2 events a year |
| Several ticket types: early bird, group, member | All free, name and phone only |
| Registrations must feed a CRM or membership | Lists are thrown away afterward |
| Need your own branded page and domain | Fine with platform pages and fees |
Alternatives Matrix
Bottom line: ticketing platforms are fastest, custom builds keep the data, Google Forms suits only small free events.
| Option | Cost range | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Forms + bank transfer | Free | Usable today | Manual reconciliation and check-in |
| Ticketing platform (e.g. KKTIX, Accupass) | Commission on ticket price; free events often free | Payments and QR check-in built in | Data stays on the platform, limited branding |
| WordPress registration plugin | NT$30,000–100,000 | Lives on your website | Plugin sprawl, upkeep and security load |
| Custom system | NT$180,000–450,000 | You own flow, data and brand | Upfront cost and 6–8 weeks |
Full Build Process
Bottom line: six weeks delivers a system with payments and QR check-in, provided ticket types and refund rules are settled in week one.
- Week 1 | Requirements and tickets: ticket types, capacity, refund rules; deliver a requirements list and Figma wireframes.
- Week 2 | Interface design: registration page, payment page, attendee back office; deliver mobile designs.
- Weeks 3–4 | Development and payments: Laravel back office, capacity control, waitlists, and ECPay card and ATM payments.
- Week 5 | Check-in and notifications: QR tickets, phone-based scanning, email and LINE reminders.
- Week 6 | Test and launch: pilot with a 30-person event, then go live.
Real Cost Breakdown
Bottom line: beyond development, budget yearly for payment fees, invoices and notifications.
- Development: basic version from NT$180,000; with member pricing, group bookings and multiple sessions about NT$300,000–450,000.
- Payment fees: cards about 2.5%–3%, so NT$3M in fees a year means NT$75,000–90,000.
- E-invoices: about NT$0.3–1 per invoice via a value-added center, within the Ministry of Finance e-invoice upload deadlines.
- Notifications: email service a few hundred NT dollars a month; SMS about NT$0.7–1 each.
- Maintenance: from NT$5,000 a month, covering hosting, backups and small changes.
Reality vs Expectations
Bottom line: the time goes into exceptions such as refunds, waitlists and capacity, not the sign-up page.
- Expected the sign-up page is the job; actually half the hours go to refunds, transfers and waitlists.
- Expected QR scanning just works; actually venue Wi-Fi fails, so an offline list is needed.
- Expected invoicing is simple; actually group bookings need split or combined invoice rules decided upfront.
Common Traps and Fixes
Bottom line: all five traps can be prevented during requirements.
- Overselling: deduct capacity only on payment, with a 15-minute hold.
- Vague refund rules: define cut-off days and fees before launch and show them on the payment page.
- No waitlist: open a waitlist when full and notify the next person on cancellation.
- One phone for check-in: set up 2–3 check-in points and allow lookup by phone number.
- Keeping personal data too long: set a retention period after the event and state the purpose on the form.
Success Metrics and 90-Day Roadmap
Bottom line: show rate, payment completion and check-in time tell you whether it works.
- Day 30: payment completion ≥ 85%, on-site check-in ≤ 10 minutes.
- Day 60: add day-before reminders and lift show rate from 92% to 95%+.
- Day 90: analyze repeat attendees and plan member and early-bird pricing.
Decision Checklist
Bottom line: five or more "yes" answers out of ten mean a custom system is worth evaluating.
- ☐ 2+ events a month
- ☐ 100+ registrants per event
- ☐ Paid events or several ticket types
- ☐ Payments reconciled by hand today
- ☐ Check-in lines over 15 minutes
- ☐ You don't know who registered but didn't come
- ☐ Registrations must feed membership or CRM
- ☐ E-invoices are required
- ☐ You want your own domain and branded page
- ☐ Platform fees exceed NT$50,000 a year
FAQ
How much does an event registration system cost?
A custom basic version starts around NT$180,000; with multiple tickets and member pricing about NT$300,000–450,000, plus fees and maintenance.
Isn't a ticketing platform cheaper?
For few events, yes. Once fees pass NT$50,000 a year or you need member data, custom usually wins.
Do I need hardware for QR check-in?
No. Staff can scan with a phone browser, with an offline list as backup if Wi-Fi fails.
How long until it goes live?
About 6 weeks for the basic version and 8 weeks with member pricing and multiple sessions.
Next Step
ScriptWalker (a Taiwanese custom Laravel/Flutter development studio) builds event registration and ticketing systems from NT$180,000, including ticket types, ECPay payments, QR check-in and e-invoice integration. Send us your yearly event list for a free assessment of platform versus custom:
- Email: [email protected]
- Phone: 0916-224-047
- LINE: @ufv9089p