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The questions to ask any visitor management vendor before you buy, grouped so you can compare two side by side. Print it, or edit it in Word or Excel.
The questions to ask any visitor management vendor before you buy, from hardware to where visitor data is kept in Canada.
Not legal advice. Last checked 15 October 2026 against OPC Guidelines for processing personal data across borders.
Most visitor management pages describe features. The differences that matter to a small office or clinic are elsewhere: whether it runs on a tablet you already have, how the host is told, where visitor records are stored and processed, how long they are kept, and what happens to them when you leave. This checklist puts those questions on one page.
Under Canadian privacy guidance, a business stays responsible for personal information a vendor processes for it, wherever that happens. That is why the checklist asks where records are stored and processed and whether the vendor will put it in writing. Clinics in Quebec, Ontario and Alberta have rules of their own; the privacy section of our guide lists them. None of this is legal advice.
Visitor management buyer's checklist Vendor 1: ____________ Vendor 2: ____________
Fit
| Question | Vendor 1 | Vendor 2 |
|---|---|---|
| How many locations and visitors does the price cover, and what happens if we go over? | ||
| Can we change the questions visitors are asked, and keep them to a few? | ||
| Can staff sign in and out too, so the headcount includes everyone? |
Hardware
| Question | Vendor 1 | Vendor 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Does it run on a tablet we already own, or does it need a kiosk, a printer or a contract? | ||
| Is it an app to install, or a web page in the tablet's browser? | ||
| What does the visitor see if the internet drops at the door? |
Notifications
| Question | Vendor 1 | Vendor 2 |
|---|---|---|
| How is the host told a visitor has arrived: text, email or an app? Does each host need an account? | ||
| Who is told when a visitor does not name anyone? |
Data and privacy (Canada)
| Question | Vendor 1 | Vendor 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Where are visitor records stored, and where are they processed (texts, AI features, support)? | ||
| Will you list your subprocessors, and sign a written agreement for the data you hold for us? | ||
| Can the next visitor see who signed in before them? | ||
| Are photographs and ID scans optional, and off unless we switch them on? | ||
| Clinics: can we keep health details, such as the reason for a visit, out of the sign-in? |
Retention and deletion
| Question | Vendor 1 | Vendor 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Can we choose how long visitor details are kept, and are they cleared on that schedule? | ||
| Can we erase one visitor's record when they ask? |
Trial and exit
| Question | Vendor 1 | Vendor 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Can we try the whole loop, from sign-in to host alert to sign-out, before paying? | ||
| Can we download every record, for example as a CSV file, at any time? | ||
| When we cancel, what happens to our data, and how soon is it deleted? | ||
| What is the price per location per month, in which currency, and for how long a contract? |
Still deciding whether you need software at all? What a visitor management system is compares paper, tablet apps and enterprise systems, and the free visitor sign-in sheet is there if paper is enough.
Digital Front Desk