The Star CloudPRNT for WooCommerce plugin is gone. Your printer isn't.
The official plugin was removed from WordPress.org in September 2023 and is no longer maintained. ReceiptKit for WooCommerce is an actively maintained replacement on the same Star hardware — here's the whole migration, step by step.
Closed in 2023, never reinstated
Star CloudPRNT for WooCommerce was the official way to print WooCommerce orders on Star printers — until it was closed in the WordPress.org directory in September 2023 over an unresolved security issue. It never came back. Star's help center now describes the plugin as no longer officially supported, with no direct replacement offered for WooCommerce.
If your store still runs it, orders may keep printing today — but you're depending on unmaintained code that was closed for a security reason, with no updates for new WooCommerce and WordPress releases. That's a countdown, not a steady state.
Running the closed plugin today?
You don't need to buy anything to leave it behind. The printers CloudPRNT merchants own — the mC-Print3 and TSP100/TSP143 series — are exactly the models ReceiptKit tests against, and the migration below fits in an afternoon.
The old plugin vs. ReceiptKit for WooCommerce
| ReceiptKit | Star CloudPRNT for WooCommerce | |
|---|---|---|
| Listed and maintained on WordPress.org | Closed Sep 2023 | |
| Security and compatibility updates | ||
| Customize receipts | Visual template editor | Edit the plugin's PHP |
| Print automatically on order events | ||
| Automatic refund slips | ||
| Kitchen tickets with variations & add-ons | Basic item list | |
| Route orders to different printers by rule | ||
| Live printer status inside WordPress | ||
| Printers supported | Star, Epson & ESC/POS | CloudPRNT-capable Star only |
ReceiptKit for WooCommerce is free in the WordPress.org plugin directory and updates through the normal Plugins screen, like any maintained plugin.
One new piece: a bridge instead of polling
CloudPRNT had the printer poll a cloud endpoint for jobs. ReceiptKit pushes each order to a free bridge app on the printer's own network — any Windows PC or Mac already at the shop, or a Raspberry Pi — which renders the receipt locally and hands it to the printer.
Local rendering is why prints stay sub-second even with logos, QR codes, and barcodes — and why printers without CloudPRNT firmware (Epson and other ESC/POS models included) work too.
Migrate in seven steps
- 1Create a free ReceiptKit account — this is where your templates and printers live.
- 2Install the free bridge app on a computer on the printer's network — any Windows PC or Mac already at the shop, or a Raspberry Pi. It renders and delivers each receipt locally.
- 3Add your printer in the bridge: the mC-Print3 over Ethernet or Wi-Fi, the TSP100/TSP143 over USB or LAN. Run a test print to confirm the connection.
- 4In WordPress, go to Plugins → Add New, search for "ReceiptKit for WooCommerce", and install it from the WordPress.org directory.
- 5Open WooCommerce → ReceiptKit and connect with a public API key (starts with
rk_pub_, from your dashboard). - 6Add a print rule from a recipe — new-order receipt, kitchen ticket, or both — pick a designed template, click Test print against a recent order, and enable the rule.
- 7Retire CloudPRNT: deactivate and delete the old plugin, and disable the CloudPRNT service in the printer's web configuration so it stops polling your old endpoint.
The store keeps taking orders throughout — the old plugin keeps printing until step 7, so there's no gap where orders go to paper heaven. The full walkthrough with screenshots is in the WooCommerce setup guide.
Everything you need
Common questions
Why was Star CloudPRNT for WooCommerce removed from WordPress.org?
The plugin was closed in the WordPress.org directory in September 2023 over an unresolved security issue, and it was never reinstated. Star's own help center says the plugin is no longer officially supported and offers no direct replacement.
Can I keep running the old CloudPRNT plugin?
It may still print, but you're running unmaintained code that was closed over a security issue — with no security review, no compatibility updates for new WooCommerce and WordPress releases, and no support channel. Each WooCommerce update is a chance for it to quietly stop working.
What about the version on GitHub, or community forks?
The plugin's code still exists on GitHub, but installing a closed plugin from outside the directory means no automatic updates and no directory security review — the same maintenance problem in a different wrapper. Community forks inherit it too.
Will my existing Star printer work with ReceiptKit?
Almost certainly. The models CloudPRNT merchants run — the Star mC-Print3 series and TSP100/TSP143 series — are exactly the printers ReceiptKit tests end-to-end, connected over Ethernet, Wi-Fi, or USB. Epson and most other ESC/POS printers work too, so a future printer swap doesn't mean a software swap.
Do my CloudPRNT receipt customizations carry over?
There's nothing to port — which is the point. CloudPRNT receipts were customized by editing the plugin's PHP. In ReceiptKit you start from designed WooCommerce templates — customer receipt, kitchen ticket, delivery/pickup ticket, gift receipt, refund slip — and restyle them in a visual editor. Delivery times, tips, and other fields your plugins add are mapped in from order meta keys, no code.
Is there anything new I need to run?
One piece: the free ReceiptKit bridge app runs on a computer on the printer's network — any Windows PC or Mac already at the shop, or a Raspberry Pi. It renders each receipt locally, which is why prints are sub-second even with logos and QR codes, and why non-CloudPRNT printers work at all.
What does it cost?
The WooCommerce plugin and the bridge are free, and ReceiptKit has a free tier to get printing. Paid plans cover higher print volume — see the pricing section on the homepage for current details.
What happens to the CloudPRNT service on the printer?
After migrating, disable CloudPRNT in the printer's web configuration so it stops polling your old endpoint. ReceiptKit doesn't use the printer's CloudPRNT firmware at all — the bridge talks to the printer directly over the network or USB.
Same printer, maintained plugin
Create a free account, install the bridge next to your Star printer, add the plugin from WordPress.org, and set your first print rule — about an afternoon end to end.