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 companys merchant account if you do not already have one. The companys 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...