Goals and Outcomes
In 2023, Shopify started rolling out new, passwordless customer accounts, offering a seamless login experience to shoppers. While legacy customer accounts remain available, we also want to support merchants using these new accounts.
To align with Shopify’s new customer accounts, we’ve developed new loyalty program opt-in flows for both All Customers and Only members who signed up eligibility options.
In this article, you’ll learn how Yotpo Loyalty & Referrals works with Shopify’s new customer accounts and what new settings are available to support them.
Is this article for me?
Yes, if you’re using or planning to migrate to Shopify’s new customer accounts for your store.
Shopify Customer Accounts Overview
Shopify offers two types of customer accounts:
Legacy Customer Accounts (classic): Traditional accounts that require customers to log in using their email and password based on the credentials they set up when they registered for the store.
Customer Accounts (new): A passwordless option where customers log in using a one-time, 6-digit verification code sent to their email. For first-time logins, a new Shopify customer record is created automatically upon the first login. Sessions last for 90 days and extend with each login, giving you more ways to customize the shopping experience, promote your loyalty program, and boost participation. Learn more about the customer experience with the new Shopify customer accounts.
Loyalty Opt-in Strategy for New Customer Accounts
Important
While the new settings are available to all merchants, if you’re not using Shopify’s new customer accounts, you don’t have to change any of your widget settings or update the Rewards page. This will also not affect the widgets' appearance in your store.
With the shift away from traditional account creation, the loyalty program opt-in process has been updated. Here’s a summary of the key behavior changes based on your customer account type and opt-in eligibility setting.
Loyalty Opt-in Behavior: Legacy vs. New Customer Accounts
Opt-in Eligibility Setting | Legacy Customer Accounts (Classic) | Customer Accounts (New) | What Changes When You Switch from Legacy to Customer Accounts |
|---|---|---|---|
All Customers | The New Member Reward is granted upon account creation. | The New Member Reward is granted after the customer completes their first purchase as a member. |
|
Only Members Who Signed Up | Customers explicitly opt in to join the loyalty program by creating an account in your store. The New Member Reward is granted when they sign up. | Customers log in using Shopify’s passwordless flow, then complete enrollment by clicking the opt-in button on the Rewards page or loyalty widgets. Once they opt in, they immediately receive their New Member Reward. |
|
Opted in via API | Customers are enrolled through an API integration; has_account and opted_in parameters control eligibility. | The same logic applies. To enable the New Member Reward, the API call must include both:
|
|
Below is a breakdown of each opt-in flow if used with the new Customer Accounts.
“Only Customers Opted-In via API“ Opt-In Flow
If you’re using the new Customer Accounts and an API-based opt-in, it’s essential to include both of the following parameters in the API call to enable the New Member Reward:
opted_in = truehas_account = true
If either of these parameters is missing, or if has_account = false, the customer won’t receive the New Member Reward. See the relevant endpoint for this flow.
“All Customers” Opt-In Flow
Available for
Program eligibility set to “All customers.”
With the new customer account system, there’s a slight change in how customers join your loyalty program. Unlike classic accounts, where customers can earn points simply by creating an account, customers will now get their New Member Reward only after completing a purchase as a member.
How Enrollment Works?
The new Customer Account system doesn’t rely on traditional account creation. Instead, customers are enrolled in your loyalty program automatically when a Shopify customer profile is created, for example, during checkout (including guest checkout) or through an email signup. This ensures a seamless shopping experience, but it also means that the New Member Reward can only be awarded once the first purchase is complete.
How the New Member Reward logic works
Because Shopify’s new accounts don’t expose login session data, Yotpo can’t detect when a customer signs in. Instead, Yotpo determines eligibility for the New Member Reward based on purchase activity that occurs after your store has migrated to the new account system.
New customers (who have never purchased before) earn the New Member Reward after completing their first purchase.
Existing customers (who purchased before but never received the New Member Reward) will also become eligible upon their next purchase.
Customers who previously received the “Account Creation” reward under legacy accounts will not receive the New Member Reward again. This reward can only be earned once.
Learn more about setting up a new Member Reward earning rule on Shopify.
Earning Points before the First Purchase as a Member
Depending on how your program is configured, enrolled customers can still start earning points even before they complete their first purchase as a member. For example, if you have active earning rules like Instagram Follow or Receipt Upload, customers can engage with your loyalty program and start earning points right away.
What You Need to Update in Your Loyalty Setup
Watch our video tutorial or follow the guide below to update your program settings to support new Customer Accounts.
Rewards Page
If you’ve switched to Customer Accounts, review your Rewards page and adjust the messaging to reflect the New Member Reward flow, specifically in the My Activity and Earning Points sections. For example, update phrases like “Sign up and get 50 points” to “Complete your first purchase and get 50 points.”
New Member Reward Setting
Similar to the Rewards Page, you’ll also need to edit the Rewards history text of your New Member Reward (e.g., from Create an account to Complete your first purchase).
ESP integration parameters
Replace swell_has_account with loyalty_opt_in and loyalty_opt_in_date in your communication flows.
Loyalty account extension
Optionally, add the Loyalty Account extension to the new Shopify Account page to display personalized loyalty data. Learn more.
Anniversary reward setup
Anniversary rewards based on account creation are not supported under new Customer Accounts. To continue offering this reward, use personalized date fields instead.
“Only Members Who Signed Up” Opt-In Flow
Available for
Program eligibility set to “Only members who signed up.”
To help you track and engage customers who haven’t signed up for your store yet, we’ve made flow improvements in all core widgets and the Rewards page.
How Enrollment Works?
A non-member customer goes to your store.
They interact with the Rewards page or a widget and click to join the program.
If it’s their first login, Shopify sends a 6-digit verification code to their email. After entering the code, Shopify automatically creates a profile for that customer.
They finalize the loyalty signup process by clicking the opt-in button (you’ve configured in the settings) on the Rewards page or widget.
If they’re already logged in, they only need to click the button on the Rewards page or one of the widgets to complete the loyalty signup. By clicking the button, they agree to the program’s terms and conditions.
Important
Only customers who give their consent via one of the widgets or the Rewards Page will be eligible and enrolled in the program.
What You Need to Update in Your Loyalty Setup
Watch our video tutorial or follow the guide below to update your setup.
Rewards Page
There’s a new Member opt-in section available in Page Settings, as well as a Logged in non-member state customization in the Banner Section where you can customize what opting customers will see as they click to join the program. It could only be a button, but you can also include a disclaimer with or without a checkbox.
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To see the new settings, you need to create a new Rewards page. Please contact support or your Success Manager to assist with the setup.
Note
If you create a disclaimer with a checkbox, the customer must select it to be able to complete the loyalty signup.
Product Points Widget
There’s a new Logged in non-member view section (available in Messaging) that offers the same opt-in settings as the Rewards Page.
You’ll also see a Logged in non-member popover setting in the widget’s Design settings.
Rewards Sticky Bar
There’s a new Logged in non-member view section (available in Drawer Customization) that offers the same opt-in settings as the Rewards Page.
Checkout Extension
In the Shopify admin, you’ll see additional fields related to the new opt-in flow that you can customize. Learn more about the Shopify checkout extension settings.
Account Extension
On the Shopify Orders page, after customers log in, they will now see personalized loyalty information along with a button that directs them to any page on your store’s website.
If the customer is already a loyalty program member, they will see details relevant to their account.
If they are not yet a member, their experience will depend on the program's eligibility settings.
To improve the shopping experience, add the Account Extension to your Orders page and configure its settings. Integrating loyalty insights directly into the Shopify Orders page helps guide customers and encourages them to join your loyalty program. Learn how to set up the customer account extension.
Tip
To maintain consistency, if your loyalty program includes terms and conditions, we recommend adding the same disclaimer (with or without a checkbox) to the Rewards page and the widgets mentioned above.
To add a link in your disclaimer, write the link text in square brackets, followed by the URL in parentheses: [privacy policy](https://example.net/)
Communications
If you're using Shopify Customer Accounts with Yotpo SMS & Email, Klaviyo, or another ESP, you need to update your communication flows accordingly. As there is no account creation, the “swell_has_account” property is no longer relevant. Instead, you can leverage these opt-in properties: “loyalty_opt_in” and “loyalty_opt_in_date.”
Customer status updates:
Existing customers will retain "swell_has_account" = true
New customers will have "swell_has_account" = false
Klaviyo Welcome Flow Setup
Shopify’s Customer Accounts still let you run a welcome flow, so you can easily introduce new customers to your loyalty program.
The event triggering the flow remains “swell_account_created” which activates the welcome email when a customer earns points through the New Member Reward earning rule.
This flow applies to all loyalty program eligibility types:
All Customers - The first purchase a customer makes as a member will award them with New Member Reward points, which will trigger the welcome flow.
Only Members Who Signed Up - Customers opt in by clicking the consent checkbox and immediately earn their New Member Reward points, which will trigger the welcome flow.
Tip
We recommend making sure your emails are being sent to subscribers only by adding a condition to the flow.
Example in Klaviyo:
Got questions? Check out our FAQ on using Customer Accounts with Yotpo Loyalty & Referrals to learn more!