We’re excited to announce the release of RTEC 3.0, a major update focused on making event registrations easier to manage and more powerful for event organizers.
This release introduces a cleaner interface, improved registration forms, enhanced reporting, and better payment management.
Version 3.0 will be available in April of 2026 for both the free and Pro versions of Registrations for The Events Calendar.
A Cleaner and More Modern Experience
RTEC 3.0 includes a refreshed interface designed to make managing event registrations easier inside the WordPress dashboard.
- Cleaner admin screens
- Improved attendee management views
- Updated icons and interface elements
- Simplified settings and controls
Many areas of the plugin have been reorganized so you can find important information more quickly.
Improved Registration Forms
Registration forms have been improved to provide a cleaner and more user-friendly experience for your attendees.
- Better spacing between fields
- Improved layout and readability
- Cleaner form styling
- Improved handling of advanced field configurations
These changes make it easier for visitors to complete registrations quickly and confidently.
Please note: There have been significant changes to CSS styles and th HTML structure of the registration form. If you have made visual changes, you may need to update your customizations.
New and Improved Reports (Pro)
Reporting has been significantly improved in RTEC 3.0.
Reports now provide better visibility into registrations and event performance.
- Flexible date ranges (monthly, quarterly, custom)
- Customizable report columns
- Improved CSV exports
- Saved report configurations
- Filtering by venue and organizer
Event reports can also include revenue totals when payments are enabled.
Enhanced Check-In and Attendance Tracking (Pro)
The event check-in experience has been redesigned to make managing attendees during events easier.
- Improved event search during check-in
- More consistent attendance tracking
- Real-time attendance counts
- Cleaner check-in interface
This helps organizers quickly track who has arrived at an event.
Waiting List Improvements (Pro)
The waiting list system now includes a first-in-first-out promotion option.
This allows registrations to be promoted from the waiting list in the order they joined, helping ensure fairness when spots become available. Registration will become unavailable to new registrants when someone is on the waiting list.
Improved Handling for Recurring Events (Pro)
RTEC 3.0 includes better handling for events that are part of a recurring series.
This helps prevent registrations from becoming disconnected when events change or are removed from a series.
Registration Cleanup Tools
A new cleanup feature helps administrators automatically remove old registration data.
- Delete registrations older than a selected date
- Remove registrations from events that ended long ago
- Automatically clean up data with scheduled tasks
This can help keep larger event sites running efficiently and provide easier compliance with GDPR and other privacy initiatives.
New Registration Management Modal
Managing registrations is easier with a new tabbed management modal.
This interface allows you to quickly view and manage:
- Contact information
- Payment details
- Form submissions
- User information
- Related registrations
Improved Payment Experience (Pro)
The following improvements are available in RTEC Pro.
New Checkout Experience
The checkout process has been redesigned to create a smoother experience for attendees.
- Improved checkout interface
- Better payment method handling
- Support for multiple Stripe payment methods
- Improved discount calculations
Expanded Payment Gateway Support
Payment handling improvements include support for:
- Stripe
- PayPal
- Offline payments
- Free registrations
- WooCommerce
- iDEAL
Improved Payment Controls
You can now prevent registrations from being edited after payment has been completed.
This helps reduce accidental changes to paid registrations.
Email Improvements
Email template management has been improved to make communication with attendees easier.
- Improved email template management
- Better placeholder documentation
- Improved payment information in confirmation emails
Virtual Event Support (Pro)
RTEC 3.0 introduces improved support for virtual events.
Organizers can now include:
- Virtual event URLs
- Meeting IDs
- Event passwords
These details can also be included in confirmation emails and calendar downloads. When The Events Calendar Pro is installed, these placeholders will automaatically use the virtual event details.
Performance and Reliability Improvements
RTEC 3.0 includes many under-the-hood improvements designed to improve reliability and maintainability.
- Database query optimizations
- Better registration identifiers
- Refactored JavaScript and admin scripts
Terminology Updates in RTEC 3.0
As part of the 3.0 release, we’ve updated some feature names and terminology to make the plugin easier to understand.
These changes affect the labels you see in the interface, but existing settings and data remain fully compatible.
Multiple Venues and Tiers → Registration Types
The feature previously called Multiple Venues and Tiers has been renamed to Registration Types.
This feature allows events to offer different options with separate limits or costs. For example:
- General Admission
- VIP
- Workshop Track
- Morning Session / Afternoon Session
You will now see this feature labeled as Registration Types throughout the plugin interface.
For example:
- Add Venue/Tier → Add registration type
- Venue/Tier → Registration type
- Limit registrations for this venue/tier → Limit registrations for this type
This change makes the feature easier to understand and more flexible for different types of events.
Unregistered → Canceled
We’ve also updated attendee status terminology.
The status previously labeled Unregistered is now displayed as Canceled.
This change better reflects how event organizers typically describe attendee cancellations.
Examples of updated wording include:
- Unregistered → Canceled
- Show Unregistered → Show Canceled
- You have been unregistered → Your registration has been canceled
These changes apply only to the user interface. Internally, the existing data values remain the same to ensure backwards compatibility.
Developer Highlights
RTEC 3.0 also includes several improvements for developers and advanced users.
- Improved front-end template override system for theme customization
- Registration form block improvements with live preview
- Inline SVG icons replacing Font Awesome
- Expanded hooks and filters for customizing behavior
- Improved JavaScript architecture and shared utilities
These changes make it easier to customize and extend RTEC for advanced use cases.
Upgrading to RTEC 3.0
Most users can update normally through the WordPress plugin updater.
Recommended Steps Before Updating
- Create a backup of your site.
- If possible, test the update on a staging site.
- Update the plugin through the WordPress dashboard.
Plugins → Installed Plugins → Registrations for The Events Calendar → Update Now
No. Existing registrations, attendee data, and event settings will continue working after updating to RTEC 3.0. There is no data migration.
Looking Ahead
RTEC 3.0 is an important step forward for event registrations in WordPress.
We’re excited to continue improving the plugin and helping event organizers create better event experiences.