What are new Shopify customer accounts?
Shopify’s customer accounts aren’t new as such, they’ve been around since 2023, but they are a change from the legacy version your store still might be using. In a nutshell, they’re a simplified way for returning customers to securely log in and shop again – without having to remember a password.
Instead, customers type in their email and receive a one-time 6-digit code. It’s quick, secure, and it’s fast to use on mobile and desktop.
Why this matters for repeat buyers
Making it easier for returning customers to log in means more repeat purchases.
- No password needed – less friction at checkout
- Customers can see past orders and reorder easily
- Stored addresses make checkout much faster
- You can enable self-serve returns to reduce back and forth
- Store credit is visible and ready to use when they log in (more on this here)
It’s a simple improvement to make to positively impact user experience and conversion rates.
How are they different from the old customer accounts?
The older system relied on email and password logins. It worked, but wasn’t especially user-friendly – particularly on mobile.
The new version is passwordless, faster to access, and integrates nicely with store credit apps. It does require Shopify Checkout and Shopify Payments to be enabled, so if you’re not using those, you’ll need to switch over first.
Let customers request returns
One of the best perks of the new customer accounts? They unlock self-serve returns. You can allow customers to request and manage returns within your set return rules.
How to turn on the new customer accounts
- From your Shopify admin, go to Settings > Customer accounts
- Select New customer accounts
- Click Save
That’s it – your returning customers now have a smoother path to purchase.
Bonus: store credit works better too
It’s a great alternative to refunds – you keep cash in the business and customers get a good reason to come back and spend it.
When a customer logs into their new account, they can see any store credit you’ve issued without having to copy/paste codes or email back and forth.
You can set an expiry date and increase or decrease their store credit.
To turn on Store Credit in Shopify:
- From your Shopify admin, go to Settings > Customer accounts
-
In the Customer accounts section, turn on the Store credit toggle button.
To issue a Store Credit in Shopify:
-
From your Shopify admin, go to Customers
-
Click the customer profile that you want to issue store credit for.
-
In the Store credit section, click Edit.
-
In the Adjustment section, select Credit.
-
Optional: If your store accepts multiple currencies, then in the Currency drop-down menu, select the currency that you want to issue store credit in.
-
In the Amount field, enter the value of credit that you want to issue.
-
In the Expiration date section, do either of the following:
- To issue store credit that doesn’t expire, select No expiry date.
- To add an expiry date to the store credit, select Set expiry date, and then select an expiry date from the calendar.
-
Click Review changes.
-
Click Credit {Amount} to issue the store credit.
