Shopify offers two distinct types of customer accounts—classic and new—to enhance the shopping experience on your online store. Each type provides unique features and benefits, catering to different customer preferences for account management and checkout processes.
Classic vs. New Customer Accounts: A Comparative Overview
Login Experience: The classic account option allows customers to log in using an email and password or via Shop sign-in. On the other hand, the new customer accounts streamline the login process by using a one-time six-digit verification code sent to the customer’s email or through Shop sign-in, which is automatically enabled for stores offering Shop Pay.
Account Creation: With classic accounts, customers can either accept account invites or create a new account from the login page. The new account system simplifies this process, creating accounts automatically upon login with an email address, reducing barriers to account creation.
Customer Name Editing: Classic accounts allow editing of the name associated with the shipping address without altering the customer profile name in the admin. New customer accounts provide the ability to edit the customer profile name directly, ensuring consistency across your records.
Branding Consistency: Classic accounts adopt the branding from your online store theme settings, while new accounts use checkout settings branding, offering a unified brand experience across customer interactions.
App Support and Liquid Customizations: Classic customer accounts are fully compatible with apps and support Liquid customizations, offering flexibility in tailoring the customer experience. New accounts are currently in developer preview for app support, indicating an expansion of capabilities on the horizon.
Enhanced Features with New Accounts: New customer accounts introduce several advanced features not available in classic accounts, including saved payment methods, B2B support, self-serve returns, and reordering functionality, streamlining the shopping experience for both retail and wholesale customers.
Choosing Between Classic and New Customer Accounts
Deciding which version of customer accounts to utilize in your store depends on your specific needs and the preferences of your customer base. If you prioritize a traditional login experience with extensive customization capabilities, classic accounts may be the right choice. Conversely, if you're looking to provide a more streamlined, modern account experience with enhanced features, new customer accounts could be the ideal solution.
Review the following table to learn more about classic and new customers accounts:
| Feature | Classic customer accounts | New customer accounts |
|---|---|---|
| Login experience | Customers can log in using an email and a password or sign in with Shop. Learn how to activate sign-in with Shop for classic customer accounts. | Customers can log in using a one-time six-digit verification code that's sent to their email address, or sign in with Shop. Sign-in with Shop is automatically activated for new customer accounts on stores that offer Shop Pay as a payment method. |
| Account creation | Customers accept account invites or create a new account from the login page. | Accounts are created when a customer logs in using an email address. |
| Customer name | Customers can edit the name associated with the shipping address, which doesn't change the customer profile name in your admin. | Customers can edit the customer profile name, and the change is reflected in their customer profile in your admin. |
| Branding | Uses branding from your online store theme settings. | Uses branding from your checkout settings, except on the login page. |
| Supports apps | ✔ | App support is in developer preview, and will soon be available for merchant use. |
| Liquid customizations | ✔ | ✘ |
| Order history and status | ✔ | ✔ |
| Saved addresses | ✔ | ✔ |
| Saved payment methods | ✘ | ✔ |
| Supports B2B | ✘ | ✔ |
| Supports self-serve returns | ✘ | ✔ |
| Supports Multipass | ✔ | ✘ |
| Supports reordering | ✘ | ✔ |
Shopify makes switching between account types seamless, with most links to classic customer accounts automatically redirecting to new customer accounts when the latter is selected. This flexibility ensures that you can adapt your store’s customer account offering as your business evolves and as Shopify continues to introduce new functionalities.
Ultimately, whether you choose classic or new customer accounts, Shopify’s robust platform is designed to provide a secure, efficient, and enjoyable shopping experience for your customers, encouraging loyalty and repeat business.