What Are Shopify Customer Accounts
Shopify customer accounts are profiles that store customer information — purchase history, saved addresses, payment methods, loyalty points, and personal preferences — enabling a personalized, efficient repeat shopping experience. When customers create accounts, you gain access to their purchase history and contact information for marketing segmentation. They gain the convenience of auto-filled checkout, order tracking, and return initiation without needing to track down confirmation emails.
Shopify has two customer account systems: Classic Customer Accounts (the original, email/password login) and New Customer Accounts (launched 2023, uses one-time 6-digit verification code sent to email — no password required). This guide covers both and helps you choose the right approach.
Classic Customer Accounts vs. New Customer Accounts
Classic Customer Accounts use traditional email and password login. Customers create passwords and must manage them. Supports third-party login (Google, Facebook OAuth). Highly customizable with Liquid templates. Required for some apps that haven’t updated to the new system.
New Customer Accounts (recommended for most new stores) use passwordless login — customers enter their email and receive a 6-digit verification code. No passwords to forget or reset. Better mobile UX. Faster account creation. Shopify handles the full login flow without customization. The drawback: limited customization compared to Classic accounts, and some apps require Classic accounts for full functionality.
To switch: Settings → Customer accounts → Choose account type. Most new stores should start with New Customer Accounts; established stores with significant app dependencies may need to stay on Classic.
Step 1: Configure Customer Account Settings
Go to Settings → Customer accounts. Key settings:
- Account creation — “Accounts are optional” (recommended for most stores), “Accounts are required” (common for B2B wholesale), or “Accounts are disabled” (for stores where guest checkout is sufficient). Required accounts reduce checkout conversion; optional accounts capture account benefits without friction.
- Account login experience — Classic or New Customer Accounts (as above)
- Login methods — for Classic accounts: email/password + optional social login (Google, Facebook, Amazon)
Step 2: Customize the Account Registration Form
The default Shopify account registration form collects first name, last name, email, and password. For most stores, this is sufficient. For stores that need additional customer data at registration (e.g., birthday for loyalty programs, vehicle information for automotive stores, business details for wholesale customers), use a customer account app or custom Liquid to add fields.
Be conservative with registration form fields — every additional required field reduces completion rate. Only collect at registration what you genuinely need immediately; additional data can be gathered progressively through post-purchase surveys, loyalty profile completion prompts, or quiz flows.
Step 3: Customize the Customer Account Page
The default customer account page (Classic accounts) shows: order history, account details editing, saved addresses. For most stores, this is adequate. Customization options for enhanced account pages:
- Loyalty program integration — LoyaltyLion, Smile.io, and similar apps add loyalty points balance, tier status, and redemption options directly to the account page
- Wishlist — add a wishlist section so logged-in customers can save products for future purchase
- Subscription management — if using Appstle or Recharge, add subscription management to the account page so customers can manage their subscriptions without contacting support
- Referral portal — show referral link and referred customer count for stores with referral programs
Apps like Flits or Customer Accounts Concierge provide fully customizable customer account page builders with all these features.
Step 4: Set Up Passwordless Login (New Customer Accounts)
If using New Customer Accounts, the login experience is fully managed by Shopify:
- Customer clicks “Log in” on your store
- Shopify takes them to a clean login page that matches your branding
- Customer enters their email address
- Shopify sends a 6-digit one-time code to that email
- Customer enters the code — they’re logged in
This eliminates password resets (a significant support burden for stores with active customer accounts) and reduces login friction on mobile (no keyboard password entry). The conversion from “login page” to “logged in” is measurably higher for passwordless vs. password systems.
Step 5: Configure Social Login (Classic Accounts)
Adding Google, Facebook, or Apple social login to Classic Customer Accounts lets returning customers use their existing social credentials instead of a separate store password. Benefits:
- Faster account creation — customers click “Continue with Google” and are authenticated in seconds
- Fewer password resets — social login eliminates the store password entirely
- Higher account creation rate — reduced friction leads to more customers creating accounts vs. checking out as guests
Apps like Oxi Social Login or Social Login by HulkApps add social login to Shopify Classic Customer Accounts. For stores serving business buyers (who may not want to use personal Google accounts), keep email/password as a primary option alongside social login.
Step 6: Enable Customer Account Invites
Customers who’ve purchased as guests can be invited to create an account after their purchase. This converts existing customers into account holders, giving you access to their order history in a logged-in profile.
Send account invitation emails from Customers → [Customer] → Send account invite. For bulk invites to all guest customers: Customers → Export → Filter by “Hasn’t account” and send invitations. This batch invitation approach converts a significant percentage of past guest purchasers into account holders who are then accessible via customer segments in Klaviyo.
Step 7: Use Customer Account Data for Marketing Segmentation
Customer accounts unlock segmentation capabilities in your marketing tools:
- Klaviyo segmentation by purchase history — logged-in customers’ purchase history syncs to Klaviyo, enabling precise segmentation: “Has purchased [product category] at least 2 times,” “Has spent over $500 total,” “Last purchased more than 90 days ago”
- Loyalty tier segmentation — segment emails by loyalty tier for tier-specific promotions and communications
- Replenishment triggers — for consumable products, trigger replenishment emails based on purchase date (estimate when they’ll run out based on product type)
- Win-back campaigns — identify account holders who haven’t purchased in 6+ months and target with win-back offers
Step 8: Configure Returns Through Customer Accounts
Self-service returns through customer accounts reduce support contacts and improve customer experience. In Settings → Policies → Manage return rules, configure:
- Which orders are eligible for self-service return requests (by return window, product type, or fulfillment status)
- Whether customers can initiate returns directly from their account page or must contact support
- For Loop Returns users: the full returns portal is accessible through the customer account area, enabling self-service exchanges and return label generation without any staff involvement
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I require customer accounts for my Shopify store?
For most stores, “Accounts are optional” is the right setting — it doesn’t force friction on first-time buyers who prefer guest checkout, while allowing repeat buyers and customers who want account features to create profiles. Required accounts make sense for wholesale/B2B stores where account approval gatekeeping is needed, or for subscription services where an account is intrinsic to the service. Requiring accounts for a standard retail store measurably reduces conversion rates for first-time visitors.
What’s the difference between Shopify Classic and New Customer Accounts?
Classic uses email/password (traditional login, customizable with Liquid, supports third-party OAuth). New Customer Accounts uses passwordless email code verification (no passwords, better mobile UX, faster login, but less customizable). New Customer Accounts is Shopify’s direction for most stores going forward. The main reason to stay on Classic: apps that require it for their functionality, or significant investment in custom account page Liquid that would need to be rebuilt.
How do I add a wishlist to Shopify customer accounts?
Wishlist functionality isn’t included natively in Shopify. Add it via a wishlist app: Wishlist Plus, Swym Wishlist, or Wishlist Hero all integrate with Shopify customer accounts to add a wishlist section. For Classic Customer Accounts, some apps add wishlist functionality to the account page Liquid template. For New Customer Accounts, wishlist apps integrate via their own UI components. Wishlists have dual value: customer convenience for logged-in users and marketing signal data (wishlisted products can trigger back-in-stock and price-drop notifications).
How do I migrate customer accounts from another platform to Shopify?
Customer data (name, email, address history, purchase history) can be imported via Shopify’s customer import CSV. However, passwords cannot be migrated — Shopify stores password hashes securely in a way that prevents export from other platforms. For password migration: send all existing customers account invitation emails after import; they’ll create new passwords on their first Shopify login. Alternatively, use New Customer Accounts (passwordless) which sidesteps the password migration issue entirely.
Can customers have multiple addresses in Shopify accounts?
Yes — customers can save multiple shipping addresses in their account (home, work, gift recipients) and select from saved addresses at checkout. This is particularly valuable for repeat buyers who ship to multiple locations. Customers manage their saved addresses in Account → Addresses. Encouraging customers to create accounts specifically to save addresses is effective for business buyers who ship to multiple offices or individuals who frequently gift-ship.
Final Thoughts
Shopify customer accounts are the foundation of your repeat customer experience — enabling faster checkout for returning buyers, providing the purchase history data that powers segmented marketing, and creating the infrastructure for loyalty programs, subscription management, and self-service returns. Configure them thoughtfully: keep accounts optional for standard retail, customize the account page with the features your customers actually use, and use the account data you collect to make every future communication more relevant.
For more on building customer relationships on Shopify, explore our guides on abandoned cart recovery, email marketing segmentation, and customer analytics.
