Customer accounts / Improvement

Customer accounts now show
"store credit balance" and "recommended products"

Store credit balance is always visible in the account header on every page. Logged-in customers who haven't placed an order yet see personalized product recommendations from the store's catalog.

On this page
  1. What's changing? (30-second overview)
  2. Explainer: Two new displays
  3. When recommendations appear
  4. Before vs. after
  5. Requirements (new customer accounts)
  6. Rollout steps
  7. 5 key points for developers
  8. 3 business use cases
  9. One-line summary for proposals

1What's changing?

The latest version of customer accounts addstwo new displays.
① Store credit balance appears in the account header on every page/ ② Logged-in customers who haven't purchased yet see personalized product recommendations.
¥

① Store credit balance

The customer's store credit balance is shown in the customer account header on every page.

② Personalized product recommendations

Logged-in customers who have never ordered from the store see recommended products from the store's catalog in their account. The ranking is based on Shopify's understanding of that shopper's preferences.

2Explainer: Two new displays

Logged-in customer Opens customer account Account header Credit balance Balance shown in the header on every page Order history None? YES Recommended products 1. Product A 2. Product B 3. Product C From your own catalog, ranked by preference
The order of recommended products is based onShopify's understanding of that shopper's preferences. Which specific signals are used and how the algorithm works is not specified.

3When recommended products appear

Condition 1

Logged in

Applies to signed-in customers.

Condition 2

Has never ordered from the store

Shown on the accounts of customers who haven't placed an order yet.

Condition 3

New customer accounts

Available only on the latest version of customer accounts.

How this appears for customers with order history, whether there's a setting to turn it on or off, and whether the number of items or placement can be customized is not specified.

4Before vs. after

ItemBeforeAfter (latest customer accounts)
Where the store credit balance is shown Not specified All pages Shown in the account header
Account page for customers with no purchases Not specified Added Personalized product recommendations
Source of recommended products — Your own catalog Chosen from the store's catalog
Sort order — Ranked by preference Ranked based on Shopify's understanding
Legacy customer accounts — Not supported Upgrade required

5Requirements (new customer accounts)

Latest customer accounts → Available

Both features are available on the latest version of customer accounts.

Legacy customer accounts → Upgrade required

Stores on legacy customer accounts are directed to get help from Sidekick to upgrade.

Restrictions by plan or country: Not stated.

6Getting started

1

Check your version

Confirm whether you're on the latest customer accounts or legacy customer accounts.

2

If on legacy, ask Sidekick

Have Sidekick help you upgrade.

3

Verify the display

Check the balance header and the recommendations shown to customers who haven't purchased yet.

Whether each feature requires an action to enable (such as a toggle in settings) is not stated. The steps above are a verification flow assembled from the article's information.

75 key points for developers

NEW

1. Exclusive to new customer accounts

Not available on legacy customer accounts. For stores on the legacy version, these features are another factor in deciding whether to upgrade.

2. The balance appears in the header on every page

It's a persistent header element, not a standalone page. The balance is visible anywhere in the account area.

0 orders?

3. Recommendations require being signed in with zero orders

Recommendations appear only when the customer is signed in and hasn't yet ordered from the store. To verify, sign in as a test customer with no purchases.

API ?

4. No mention of APIs or extension points

How to customize the display, how it relates to Customer Account UI Extensions, and whether the balance or recommendations can be accessed via API are not stated.

5. Ordering is determined by Shopify

Candidates are selected from the store's catalog and ranked based on Shopify's understandingof that shopper's preferences. Whether merchants can control ranking or exclude products is not stated.Stores with products they don't want shown should check the actual display with a test customer before going live.

83 practical use cases

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USE CASE 1

Reduce unused store credit issued for refunds and compensation

Problem
When you issue store credit for returns or as compensation, customers often don't notice their balance and it goes unused.
Approach
Migrate to new customer accounts so the balance appears in the account header on every page. In CS replies, also mention that customers can see their balance by logging in to their account.
Impact
Customers see their balance more often, which encourages return visits and repeat purchases. You may also see fewer balance inquiries to CS.
Tech notes
Not shown in legacy customer accounts. The article doesn't say whether the balance display design can be customized.
USE CASE 2

Turn customers who signed up but haven't bought yet into first-time buyers

Problem
Many customers created an account through a campaign or similar but have never made a purchase. Their account page shows an empty order history and gives them nothing to do next.
Approach
Use new customer accounts to show personalized product recommendations to logged-in customers who haven't purchased yet.
Impact
The account page becomes a starting point for product discovery, adding another path to a first purchase.
Tech notes
Only shown to customers who are logged in and have zero orders. The article doesn't mention metrics or methods for measuring impact.
Legacy New
USE CASE 3

Present these as concrete benefits when proposing a move off legacy customer accounts

Problem
When you propose migrating a store still on legacy customer accounts, it's hard to convey what actually gets better.
Approach
Include always-visible store credit balances and recommendations for customers who haven't purchased in your proposal as features available only in new customer accounts. Point out that Sidekick can help with the migration.
Impact
You can explain the migration's benefits as changes to the customer experience, making it easier to get buy-in.
Tech notes
This article doesn't say what happens to customizations made in the legacy version after migration. Inventory them before migrating and verify separately.

9One-line summary for proposals

"With new customer accounts,store credit balances appear in the header on every page, and
logged-in customers who haven't purchased yet see personalized product recommendationsfrom your own catalog.
Stores on legacy customer accounts can get these features by upgrading with help from Sidekick."