Migrating Customer Accounts and Passwords to Shopify (2026)

"Will our customers have to reset their passwords?" is one of the first questions in every migration. The honest answer used to be "yes, and some of them won't bother." In 2026 the answer is better: on Shopify's current customer accounts, nobody needs a password at all. This guide explains what moves, what doesn't, and how to make sure customers can still see their order history on day one.

The short answer: passwords can't be moved to Shopify from any platform, because they're stored encrypted. That matters less than it used to. Shopify's current customer accounts are passwordless: customers enter their email and get a one-time 6-digit code. Import your customers and their order history, and returning customers simply sign in with the email they always used.

Why passwords can't be migrated

Ecommerce platforms don't store passwords in a readable form. They store an encrypted version that can only be checked, not read back. Shopify's import guide says it plainly: customer passwords can't be migrated by CSV because they're encrypted outside Shopify (Shopify Help Center). This is the same whether you're leaving Magento, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Salesforce Commerce Cloud or Neto.

What's changed: passwordless customer accounts

Shopify's current customer accounts work without passwords. Customers enter their email address and receive a one-time 6-digit verification code, and stay signed in for up to a year (Shopify Help Center). They can also sign in with Shop, Google or Facebook; Shopify Plus stores can connect their own identity provider for single sign-on (sign-in options).

When a customer signs in with an email that matches an imported customer, they use that existing profile to see their orders and account details (Shopify Help Center). So the old "set a new password" email campaign isn't needed.

Shopify deprecated its older, password-based legacy customer accounts in February 2026. They're no longer available to new stores, and Shopify has said it will announce a sunset date (Shopify developer announcement). A store migrating to Shopify today will use the passwordless version.

What moves across

Data	Moves to Shopify?	Notes
Names, emails, phone numbers	Yes	Duplicate emails or phone numbers are skipped, so clean these first
Addresses	Yes	The CSV import brings the default address; we bring additional addresses by API
Marketing consent (email, SMS)	Yes	Only import consent customers actually gave
Tags and segments	Yes	Useful for VIPs, wholesale customers and loyalty tiers
Order history	Yes	Imported without emailing customers, and linked to each customer
B2B companies and locations	Yes	Mapped to Shopify B2B companies, catalogs and payment terms
Passwords	No	Not needed on passwordless accounts
Gift card balances	Yes, on Shopify Plus	Gift card import requires Plus
Loyalty points and store credit	Usually	Depends on the loyalty or credit app you move to

Step by step

1. Clean the customer list. Merge duplicates and fix invalid emails. Shopify skips duplicate emails and phone numbers on import.
2. Check marketing consent. Bring across only the consent you have records for. Shopify warns against importing purchased or unsolicited lists.
3. Import customers before orders. Orders reference customers, so customers need to exist first.
4. Import order history. Link each order to its customer by email so it appears in their account.
5. Test sign-in. Sign in as a few imported customers and check that orders, addresses and B2B details look right.
6. Tell customers what's changed. A short launch email or banner: "Our new store signs you in with a code sent to your email. No password needed."
7. Update account links. Make sure "Account" and "Track my order" links in your theme and emails point to the new account pages.

If you can't use passwordless accounts

A few stores have reasons to keep a custom login, such as a members-only site or a single sign-on used across several systems. On Shopify Plus, a custom identity provider handles this. Where a password is still required, the fallback is the traditional one: customers receive an account invite and set a new password. Plan a short email sequence, with a reminder a week later.

What this means for B2B and wholesale

Wholesale buyers often have several people ordering for one company. Import them as Shopify B2B companies and locations, with their catalogs, price lists and payment terms, so every buyer sees the right prices the first time they sign in. Shopify's B2B features work with the current customer accounts (Shopify Help Center).

Frequently asked questions

Can customer passwords be migrated to Shopify? No. Passwords are stored encrypted on every platform, so they can't be moved. On Shopify's current customer accounts, customers don't need one: they sign in with a one-time code sent to their email.

Will customers lose their order history? No, if you import it. Order history is imported and linked to each customer by email, so it appears when they sign in.

Do customers need to create a new account? No. When they sign in with the same email, they use their imported profile. If the email isn't on file, a new profile is created automatically.

Do we need to send a password reset email? Not on passwordless customer accounts. A short "how sign-in works now" message at launch is enough.

Can we keep using passwords on Shopify? Shopify deprecated its password-based legacy customer accounts in 2026, so they're not available to new stores. Shopify Plus stores can use their own identity provider if they need a custom login.

Can gift card balances and store credit move? Gift card balances can be imported on Shopify Plus. Loyalty points and store credit depend on the app you're moving to.

Planning a migration?

Customer accounts are one part of every migration we run, alongside products, orders and SEO. See our Shopify migration checklist, how we handle Magento, WooCommerce and BigCommerce migrations, or book a free consultation.