First impressions matter, and no hotelier wants a guest’s initial experience to be a long, frustrating wait in the lobby. After a day of travel, travelers want to settle in—not stand in line. If your check-in process still relies on paper forms, it’s time for an upgrade.
Enter digital registration cards—a faster, more secure and completely paperless way to collect essential guest information. Say goodbye to bottlenecks at the front desk and hello to a streamlined experience that benefits travelers, staff and security practices alike.
In this article, we’ll cover:
Traditionally, hotel registration cards (often shortened to “reg cards”) capture guest details on paper, requiring manual entry and on-site storage. Not only does this slow down check-in, but it also opens your hotel up to unnecessary risks like data breaches and misplaced records. Digital registration solves this problem by eliminating paperwork, enhancing security and speeding up check-in for guests and staff.
Having guests register for their stay online or via an on-site tablet is a simple way for hotels to provide the modern, tech-forward guest experience travelers have come to expect. Here’s how it works:
This smooth process makes check-in feel effortless for both the guest and the front desk staff. Without the need for extensive paperwork, staff gets more face time with guests to facilitate an excellent stay experience.
Wondering what exactly to include in your hotel’s reg card? Here’s an example card and a list of the information that should be included:
Information to Ask for in a Guest Registration Form
Whether you’re using paper or digital registration cards, ask guests for the following basic details:
If the problems laid out in this guide ring true for your hotel, now might be the perfect time to make the switch to a digital check-in solution. Still not sure? Here are 7 key benefits:
Juggling paperwork while trying to maintain a conversation with a guest is a thing of the past. While your front desk staff welcomes travelers to the property, digital registration solutions work quietly in the background to expedite the check-in process.
Guests turn up, grab their key and head straight to their rooms with minimal fuss or disruption. Here’s how Cindy Ladd, the General Manager of Surfside Hotel & Suites feels about mobile check-in:
“It used to take us at least five minutes to check in every guest at our hotel. With Canary’s Mobile Check-In, it’s literally just one minute. You can simply greet guests, give them their keys, say ‘thank you’ and they’re off. And they love it!”
Data security is about more than staying compliant (and avoiding fines). It’s also about giving guests peace of mind. In a report by Skift and Oracle, “Hospitality in 2025”, 56% of travelers said they are somewhat concerned about the privacy and security of the data provided to hotels.
Paper registration cards aren’t PCI compliant, can be accessed by unauthorized individuals and be lost if there’s a flood or fire—all scenarios that open hotels up to unnecessary risk. Digital registration ensures guest data is stored in compliance with regulations and can only be accessed by authorized individuals.
Even the most meticulous front desk worker is prone to making an error at some point. With handwritten registration cards, illegible writing, typos or missing information cause confusion and delays. But when registration is completed digitally, guest data is more likely to be free from error.
We all know that time is money, and digital registration definitely saves time…but it also makes you more money. How? Digital check-in gives you a smarter way to upsell room upgrades, add-on packages and more to guests.
Upselling digitally increases ancillary revenue and eases the selling burden on staff. Guests can get visual cues alongside the offer to see exactly what they’re getting, and front desk employees don’t have to remember to ask every guest if they need a late checkout (or feel pressured into giving it away!)
So how significant is the revenue difference? Sean Rowland, the owner of Nomads Hotel says “Upselling was a huge bonus. We hit thousands of dollars in upsells last month.”
Accurate and structured guest data is gold for hotels. Digital registration ensures that key details—like guest preferences, stay history and loyalty information—are captured and stored properly.
This means more personalized marketing, an improved guest experience and data-backed decisions without any extra lift. You’ll be able to segment guests based on past stays or personal information and use that to offer tailored marketing and offers. An example? Instead of a generic promotion, send prior guests something tailored to them, like a discount on their usual room type or an extra night during their birthday month.
Paperwork and admin get in the way, especially when you’re short-staffed. Printing, filing and manually entering guest information eats up valuable time that staff could be using to deliver the type of personalized service that takes a stay from okay to fantastic.
Digital registration automates the process, reducing admin tasks and freeing up front desk teams to focus on guest interactions rather than paperwork. Kaitlyn Wood, the Front Office Manager at Best Western Plus West Edmonton says that digital registration has made a huge difference for her team:
“Guests often tell us they’ve never seen this kind of check-in before. It’s definitely faster—guests just show their ID, grab their key and they’re on their way.”
Printing and storing paper registration cards isn’t just costly—it’s wasteful. According to Booking.com’s Sustainable Travel Report, 83% of travelers confirm that sustainable travel is important. Going digital is an ideal way to appeal to eco-conscious guests.
Digital registration does more than eliminate paper use; it reduces environmental impact and saves you money on printing, ink and storage. It’s a win for sustainability and hotel budgets alike. According to Jonathan Paul, the Director of Front Office at Mr. C. Coconut Grove:
“Canary's Tablet Registration has been crucial in our sustainability journey, significantly cutting down paper usage. With Tablet Registration, we've eliminated 700-1,000 sheets of paper per month.”
Paper registration cards may have been a staple of the hotel industry for a long time, but a tech-forward solution is here. Going digital means more time for great customer service, smoother check-in for guests and more secure operations.
Canary’s solutions make it easy with Mobile Check-in and on-site Tablet Registration. Why not request a demo to see how digital registration could transform your check-in process?
Every element of your hotel influences your brand identity. This blog covers where to begin, how to stand out and what you can do daily to increase your brand’s value.
Read More
A detailed hotel opening checklist doesn’t just align your team — it equips each department with the tools they need to operate efficiently and exceed guest expectations.
Read More
This detailed tutorial explores how AI communication improves guest satisfaction, increases direct bookings and slashes third-party booking fees.
Read More
As guests research, your star rating plays an important role. This guide goes over how ratings are assigned and how to boost your hotel’s ranking.
Read More
Here are some helpful ideas to start your own hotel checklists. Each one can be customized to suit the specific needs of your property, but this is an ideal starting point.
Read More
