Hi mama! From what I understand, yes, once you register it upon receiving, that's when the 1-year validity period starts, so it's best to register lang talaga pag ready na kayong gamitin or very soon after you receive it kasi sayang ang validity period kung maghihintay pa kayo ng months. A few of us mums actually called Maxicare multiple times din kasi ganyan din ang confusion namin, so I feel you on the unclear CS response, maybe try chatting through their social media pages, sometimes mas mabilis sila sumagot doon, or you could also ask specifically if pwedeng i-delay ang registration para makatipid ng validity period, just to be sure bago bumili!