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Manage Event Registrations

Goal: Adjust registrations after they're made — fix details, transfer seats, cancel, refund, or add walk-ins — without losing the audit trail or breaking budget tracking.

Common adjustments​

A few things that come up routinely:

  • An attendee's name was misspelled on the public form
  • Someone bought 8 seats but only 6 will show; we want to release 2
  • A couple registered, now it's just one
  • A sponsor wants to swap one guest for another
  • A registration was paid by check that has now been received

Edit a registration​

From the event's registrations list, open any registration to edit:

  • Attendee names (one per seat)
  • Meal / dietary preferences
  • Table or seating assignment
  • Notes for catering, AV, or check-in

These edits don't move money. They update the registration record.

Transfer or substitute attendees​

When sponsor X bought a table for 8 and now wants to swap two of the names:

  • Open the registration
  • Edit the attendee names
  • Save

The seat count is unchanged; the names are updated. No financial action needed.

Adding to a registration​

When a registered attendee asks to bring a plus-one (and your event allows for it):

  • Increase the seat count on the registration
  • Charge the additional amount through the registration's payment method, or take a separate gift
  • Update the attendee names

If your event is at capacity, you'll need to release a different seat first or accept that the plus-one doesn't fit.

Cancelling a registration​

To remove a registration entirely:

  • From the registration page, click Cancel
  • Decide whether to refund (depends on your event policy and how close to the date you are)
  • The seat returns to inventory; the attendee no longer appears on lists

If refunding, follow Refund a Donation — the registration's underlying payment record is treated like any other donation for refund purposes.

Admin-creating a registration​

Sometimes a registration needs to be entered manually rather than through the public form:

  • A donor mailed a check with their RSVP card — record it as an admin-created registration
  • A staff member processed a phone call — same flow
  • A walk-in at the event — same flow but with day-of context

Capture name(s), level, payment method, payment status. The registration counts the same as a self-served one.

Mark payment received​

When a registration was created with payment status pending (e.g., they registered with intent to pay by check), and the check arrives:

  • Open the registration
  • Mark the payment as received with the date and reference (check number)
  • Status moves to confirmed

This creates the corresponding journal entry on the books and frees the seat from "pending" purgatory.

Discrepancies between registration and donation​

Each registration creates a corresponding donation record at the right amount, fund, and campaign. If you see a registration without a matching donation:

  • Likely cause: payment failed silently, or the registration was created admin-side without a payment captured yet
  • Fix: record the payment manually and link it to the registration

Reports and exports​

The registrations list supports filters and CSV export. Useful exports:

  • All registrations for tonight's check-in
  • Sponsor-level registrations for recognition lists
  • Cancelled registrations (for understanding patterns and refund totals)

Day-of changes​

The list keeps working through the event itself. Walk-ins added on event-day, last-minute cancellations, payment captures — all flow through the same screens. After the event, a final reconciliation against catering attendance and Finix settlement closes the loop.