If your Shopify store uses legacy customer accounts, start by checking what customers can currently do in their account pages. Customer details and order history remain available, but pages built with theme code and app features embedded in those pages need separate attention.
This guide is for ecommerce teams switching account types within the same Shopify store. It does not cover moving customer data from another ecommerce platform to Shopify. The specifications were checked against official sources on October 16, 2026.
What carries over and what changes
Customer accounts let buyers view their order history and account details. Legacy accounts use an email address and password to sign in. The new accounts use a six-digit verification code sent by email as the default sign-in method.
Customers with an existing Shopify customer profile can use that profile's email address to sign in and view their orders and account details. They do not need to transfer a password or register again. However, signing in with a different email address creates a separate customer profile, so tell customers to use the email address they used when ordering. Shopify's overview of customer accounts
| Item | After the switch | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Customer profiles, order history, and saved addresses | Uses existing customer data | Whether a test customer's past orders and addresses appear |
| Sign-in | Email verification codes are the default | Email delivery and any additional sign-in methods, such as Shop |
| Account page design | Pages are independent of the theme | The logo, colors, menus, and required features |
| Liquid customizations | Do not carry over as they are | Whether to replace them with built-in features, compatible apps, or custom development |
| Apps for loyalty points, subscriptions, and other features | Support varies by app | Whether customers can perform actions such as redeeming points or making changes, as well as viewing balances |
| Sign-in integration with external sites | Depends on the integration method and eligibility requirements | Whether the store uses an existing Multipass integration or its own authentication system |
Liquid is the template language used to render Shopify theme pages. You could edit Liquid in legacy accounts, but Shopify manages the pages for the new accounts. Compatible app blocks are the main way to add features. Compare legacy and new customer accounts
Your store's pre-migration checklist
Open your account pages and list each feature and the person responsible for it. For a subscription store, for example, include changing the next delivery and canceling a subscription, as well as viewing subscription details.
| What your store currently uses | What to decide or check before switching |
|---|---|
| Member details or buttons added with Liquid | List the required information and actions, then decide what to recreate, change, or retire |
| Loyalty points, membership tiers, subscriptions, or wishlists | Ask the app provider about support for new customer accounts and how to configure it |
| Custom sign-in pages or registration forms | Check pop-ups and forms on other pages, as well as standard sign-in links |
| Integration with membership sign-in on an external site | Read “External sign-in integrations” below and agree on the authentication method with your developer |
| Shopify Flow automations or customer segments | Check workflows that depend on legacy account creation or similar events. Also review segments that use customer_account_status as a condition |
| Tracking or additional content on the order status page | Check for dependencies on old scripts. Look into pixels for tracking and compatible app blocks for additional content |
| Different domains for different countries or regions | Choose a shared URL, because a custom customer account domain cannot be set separately for each market |
| A theme update or replacement | Finish preparations first: switching to a theme without legacy account files automatically switches the store to new accounts |
| A custom storefront | Have your developer check the APIs used for customer data and authentication |
Flow is Shopify's workflow automation app. Workflows and customer segments that rely on legacy accounts will not behave in the same way, even if the account pages display correctly. Migration limitations
Review upgrades to the thank you and order status pages separately from the account switch. The upgrade deadline for the old pages on non-Plus plans was August 26, 2026. Switching accounts alone does not complete the work needed for tracking or additional content. Thank you and order status page upgrade guide
External sign-in integrations
Multipass lets customers who have signed in to an external site continue to Shopify. Under the current official documentation, Plus stores already using Multipass can keep their existing integration after switching to new customer accounts.
However, this support is limited to stores that were using Multipass when support for new accounts became available. For new integrations, Shopify directs merchants to connect an external identity provider that supports OpenID Connect. An identity provider is an authentication system that manages sign-in for services such as your own. This connection also requires Plus. Current Multipass requirements; Requirements for connecting an external identity provider
Connecting an external identity provider replaces Shopify's standard sign-in method. Check the sign-in flow in your own store after connecting it, instead of sending customers the standard email verification instructions unchanged.
Built-in features and additional features
New customer accounts let customers view their order history, reorder, and edit their name, email address, and addresses. Features such as return or cancellation requests and store credit also require their own configuration.
| What you want customers to do | Features and requirements to check |
|---|---|
| Buy again from a past order | Use the built-in reorder button. Consider additional features if you need options such as reordering individual products |
| Request a return or cancellation | Enable self-serve returns and cancellations, and define the rules for accepting requests |
| Edit their name or shipping address | Use built-in profile and address editing. When an external identity provider is connected, customers cannot change their email address from the account page |
| View loyalty points, membership tiers, or custom member fields | Use a compatible app or custom development |
| Use saved card details for a future purchase | Distinguish between Shop Pay, B2B vaulted cards, and saved payment methods in customer accounts, then check the requirements for the feature you need |
Submitting a return or cancellation request does not complete the process. A staff member reviews and handles the request. Canceling a subscription order also does not cancel the subscription contract. Self-serve returns and cancellations
New accounts do not necessarily let every customer save a card. Under the current help documentation, saved payment methods in customer accounts are available to stores using Shopify's enterprise offering. These requirements differ from those for Shop Pay and B2B vaulted cards. Saved payment methods in customer accounts; B2B vaulted cards
If apps cannot meet your requirements, Customer account UI extensions let you add features to the account pages. They do not let you transfer existing HTML and CSS unchanged, so describe the information, inputs, and actions you need when briefing a developer. See our overview of customer account extensions for choosing an approach, and getting started with extension development for development steps.
Steps to switch accounts
The customer account settings used by Popaz, shown in the Japanese Shopify admin and captured on October 16, 2026. Your settings before the switch may show different options. Store-specific URLs have been hidden.
The following process follows Shopify's official migration steps. Keep your legacy theme and settings until you have finished checking the new accounts.
- Review your current account pages and apps, and decide which features to keep after the switch.
- Go to Settings → Checkout and duplicate the current configuration.
- Customize the duplicate configuration by adding app blocks that support customer accounts and any required links.
- Set the logo, colors, and menus, then preview both checkout and customer accounts.
- If you want to use a custom URL, connect a subdomain for customer accounts.
- Check the sender email address used for verification code emails.
- Once the apps and branding are ready, publish the duplicate configuration.
- Open the URL under Settings → Customer accounts, then use a test customer to check sign-in and the required actions.
- When your customer communications and operations are ready, select Upgrade under Customer accounts to switch.
Publishing the configuration in step 7 also applies changes to checkout. Even if your store's links still point to legacy accounts until step 9, publishing the configuration changes the live store. Check what will change in checkout before proceeding.
Actions to test before switching
| Area | What to test |
|---|---|
| Sign-in | Can customers receive a verification code and sign in with each method your store offers, such as Shop? |
| Past orders | Can a customer see test orders created before the switch when signing in with the same email address? |
| Customer details | Do names and addresses appear, and can they be edited as expected? |
| Apps | Can customers redeem points as well as view balances, and change subscriptions as well as view them? |
| Reordering | Can customers add the intended products and quantities to the cart under your store's product and purchasing conditions? |
| Pages and navigation | Can customers open menus on a smartphone? Are any old sign-in links or custom forms still present? |
Check the display order of Japanese names and addresses, and the reorder behavior, using your own products and apps. If you need a reorder button for each product, see our implementation guide for the requirements and steps.
Customer communications and checks after the switch
Tell customers the change date, that they should sign in with the email address used for their purchase, and that a verification code replaces their password. If you offer other methods such as Shop, make the instructions match your store's sign-in page. Stores with Shop Pay enabled also let customers sign in using their Shop account or a saved passkey. Sign-in methods explained
After switching, watch for inquiries about being unable to sign in, missing past orders, or app actions that no longer work. Decide whether to remove old templates and apps only after confirming that the required features work and that you do not need to switch back.
Frequently asked questions
Has a retirement date been set for legacy accounts?
The official announcement checked on October 16, 2026 said that the final retirement date would be announced during 2026, without giving a specific date. Legacy accounts were deprecated on February 26, 2026 and are no longer available to new stores and certain other stores. Some theme changes also trigger an automatic switch, so start reviewing your features without waiting for a retirement date. Official deprecation announcement
Can we switch back afterward?
Shopify's help documentation says you can return to legacy accounts within 30 days. This does not mean that deleted theme code or removed app settings will also be restored. Keep your previous theme and settings, and share the rollback steps with the people involved. Official migration guide
Can we add custom fields to the sign-in page?
You cannot add app blocks to the standard sign-in page. Treat changes to the logo and colors separately from collecting custom information, and decide when to collect member details. If you use an external authentication system, you also need to check the Plus connection requirements. Migration limitations
Discuss your migration scope
If your store uses loyalty points, subscriptions, or external sign-in integrations, the switch in the admin alone does not define the full scope of work. When you contact Popaz, sharing your current account pages, apps, and the actions you want to keep helps us identify what built-in features can cover and what needs additional work.
