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Shopify customer accounts classic vs new is a live decision for every South African store owner on the platform right now. Shopify officially deprecated classic (legacy) accounts on 26 February 2026 — stopping feature updates and technical support, and making new accounts the only option for all new stores. If your store was already using classic accounts, they still function for now, but a sunset date will be announced later in 2026. Migrating on your own timeline beats being forced to scramble.
This post maps the key differences and, critically, the SA-specific constraints that should drive your decision.
The Shopify classic vs new customer accounts short version: new accounts win on customer experience and built-in features; classic accounts win only if you have significant Liquid customisation or Multipass/SSO that you haven't yet budgeted to rebuild. For the full Shopify picture in SA, start with the Shopify South Africa guide.
Quick Answer
Shopify customer accounts classic vs new: classic accounts use email and password, offer full Liquid customisation, and support Multipass (SSO). New accounts use passwordless one-time codes, persist sessions for up to 365 days, and add native self-serve returns, store credit, B2B company profiles, and order reordering — but drop Liquid templates and Multipass. As of 26 February 2026, classic accounts are deprecated: no new features, no technical support, sunset date to be announced. Existing stores with custom Liquid account pages should plan a proper migration rather than switching overnight.
Jump to a section
The two types of Shopify customer accounts
Feature comparison: classic vs new
When classic accounts still work
SA-specific considerations before you switch
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Get a free Shopify account reviewThe Two Types of Shopify Customer Accounts
Shopify's customer account system has run in two distinct versions since 2023, and knowing which one your store is using determines what your customers experience at the login page, what you can build on the account page, and which apps will work as expected.
Classic accounts (legacy) are the original Shopify account system. Customers register with an email address and a password they choose, then sign in with those credentials. The account page lives at /account and is built directly into your theme via Liquid templates — which means developers could style it, add custom fields, and integrate third-party apps that hook directly into the account page HTML.
New accounts are Shopify's current and only-supported system. Understanding the new Shopify customer accounts features helps you gauge what your store gains before committing to a migration. Instead of a password, customers enter their email address and receive a one-time 6-digit code — no password to forget or reset. The first time they use this flow, Shopify automatically creates their account. Sign-in sessions persist for up to 365 days, so repeat buyers aren't re-prompted on return visits.
The account page is hosted by Shopify rather than living inside your theme, and customisation happens through Shopify app extensions and Customer Account UI Extensions rather than Liquid templates.
What "deprecated" means in practice: Shopify has stopped all feature development and technical support for classic accounts as of 26 February 2026. The system still runs for stores that had it enabled, but it will not be improved, and a final shutdown date will be announced. Any SA store that set up after 26 February 2026 is already on new accounts with no option to revert.
Shopify Customer Accounts Classic vs New — Feature Comparison
The Shopify customer accounts classic vs new comparison comes down to three areas: authentication, built-in commerce features, and customisation flexibility. This Shopify customer accounts comparison reflects the platform state as of September 2026. The table below maps what each system delivers.
| Feature | Classic (Legacy) | New Accounts |
|---|---|---|
| Login method | Email + password | Passwordless — one-time 6-digit code |
| Social sign-in | No | Google, Facebook, external provider |
| Session persistence | Browser session / re-auth on return | Up to 365 days per device |
| Account auto-creation | Manual registration only | Auto-created on first sign-in |
| Checkout auto-fill | Partial | Full (saved address + details) |
| Self-serve returns | No | Yes — native |
| Store credit | No | Yes — native |
| Order reordering | No | Yes |
| Saved payment methods | No | Yes — gateway-dependent (see SA note below) |
| B2B company profiles | Limited | Built-in |
| Profile name sync to admin | Per-order only | Automatic across all orders |
| Liquid customisation | Full templates at /account | Not available |
| Custom registration fields | Yes (via theme) | No (native); workarounds via extensions |
| Customisation method | Liquid / theme code | Customer Account UI Extensions (app blocks) |
| App extensions available | Full (broad app support) | Growing extension library; coverage varies by category (some still in preview) |
| Multipass / SSO | Yes | Not supported |
| Pixel tracking | Yes | Requires workaround |
| Deprecation status | Deprecated Feb 2026 — no updates, no support | Active — Shopify's stated future |
The verdict column
If your store is simple — no custom account-page code, no Multipass — switch to new accounts now. You gain native returns, store credit, and a passwordless experience with nothing meaningful to rebuild. If you have significant Liquid customisation or Multipass/SSO, plan a 2–3 month migration window before the sunset date forces the decision.
When Classic Accounts Still Work (But Not for Long)
Classic accounts remain functional for stores that had them enabled before the February 2026 deprecation — they haven't been switched off yet. For some existing SA stores, classic accounts still serve a purpose during the transition window.
Classic accounts work adequately when your customers rarely log in (they mostly receive order confirmation emails and don't need to access account pages), when your account page relies on Liquid customisation that hasn't been rebuilt for the new extension system, or when your stack includes Multipass-based SSO for a headless or custom frontend setup. In these scenarios, an immediate switch would break existing functionality without the team in place to rebuild it.
The Shopify customer accounts classic vs new decision, for many SA stores, comes down to how much customisation debt you're carrying. Classic accounts will eventually be shut down, and "still works" is not the same as "the right choice."
Every month you delay on a store that doesn't have complex customisation is a month of friction added to your checkout flow. Login abandonment is real, and a passwordless system removes the most common reason customers disengage at the sign-in step. The question is timing the switch correctly, not whether to switch.
Good timing: Audit your account page customisations and app integrations first, confirm they're compatible with new accounts (or plan replacements), then switch on a development store to validate the customer experience before going live.
Risky timing: Switching without checking whether your loyalty app, wishlist tool, or custom registration fields are supported in new accounts. Some of these integrations are still in preview — a blind switch can break customer-facing features you rely on.
SA-Specific Considerations Before You Switch
South African stores face three platform constraints that most global guides ignore: third-party gateway tokenisation limits on saved payment methods, POPIA obligations triggered by auto-account creation, and a mobile-first audience for whom passwordless login is a direct conversion gain. Here is how each plays out in practice.
Saved payment methods and your payment gateway. New accounts offer saved payment methods as a headline feature — but this works differently in SA. Shopify Payments is not available in South Africa, so every SA merchant runs a third-party gateway (PayFast, Peach Payments, Yoco, Ozow, or similar). Payment method data is held by the gateway processor, outside Shopify — which means the saved payment method experience depends entirely on whether your specific gateway supports tokenisation through Shopify's new account interface. Verify this with your gateway before treating "saved payment methods" as a confirmed conversion benefit on your store.
Mobile-first shopping behaviour. South Africa's internet users are overwhelmingly smartphone-first. The vast majority access the internet and shop exclusively via mobile — which makes password management a real friction point at login. A passwordless sign-in — no password to type on a touch keyboard, no password-reset email to chase — removes that friction directly. This is one of the clearest practical benefits of new accounts for SA stores, particularly if your current account recovery support volume is high.
POPIA and account data. New accounts auto-create a customer profile the first time someone signs in with their email and a one-time code. That email address is personal information under the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), and your privacy policy needs to cover this data collection and the purposes for which you process it.
The lawful basis is typically contractual necessity — account creation is part of the service. POPIA's lawful-processing provisions recognise multiple grounds for data collection; ensure your privacy policy reflects the auto-creation flow before you switch, not after.
B2B and wholesale SA stores. If you're running a B2B or wholesale operation on Shopify, new accounts give you built-in company profiles, pricing tiers by customer group, and self-serve order management that classic accounts required expensive custom apps or workarounds to replicate. This is one scenario where the switch has immediate commercial value, not just UX improvement.
SA decision matrix:
New store (post-Feb 2026): Already on new accounts — focus on setting up extensions correctly.
Existing simple store (no custom Liquid, no Multipass): Switch now. Minimal rebuild required, meaningful UX gains.
Existing store with custom Liquid account pages or app integrations: Plan a 2–3 month migration; audit, rebuild, test on a development store before going live.
B2B or wholesale SA store: Prioritise the switch — new accounts unlock built-in B2B company profiles that classic accounts couldn't handle natively.
How to Migrate from Classic to New Customer Accounts
A Shopify legacy customer accounts migration is technically a settings change in Shopify admin — but the preparation before that click determines whether the transition is smooth or disruptive. Here is the sequence that reduces risk.
Step 1 — Audit your customisations. List every Liquid template, custom registration field, and third-party app that touches your current account page. Custom Liquid templates do not transfer to the new system — they need to be rebuilt as Customer Account UI Extensions or replaced with compatible apps.
Step 2 — Check app compatibility. Contact your loyalty, wishlist, reviews, and account-management app vendors to confirm their apps support new customer accounts. Some extensions are still in preview; confirm before switching on a live store.
Step 3 — Rebuild and test on a development store. Recreate your account page functionality in the new extension framework on a development store. Test the full customer journey: sign-in, order history, returns, loyalty points, and checkout auto-fill.
Step 4 — Plan a customer communication. Your existing customers are used to entering an email and password. When they return and see a one-time code flow instead, an unexplained change creates confusion and support tickets. A short email explaining the new passwordless sign-in — framed as simpler and faster — reduces friction.
Step 5 — Switch in Shopify admin. Go to Settings → Customer accounts in your Shopify admin and select the new accounts option. Shopify's customer accounts help documentation covers the sign-in options and customisation framework available in the new system. Allow at least two weeks of post-switch monitoring for edge cases before closing out the migration.
Multipass users: this step needs its own planning
If your store uses Multipass to pass authenticated users from a custom frontend into Shopify checkout without re-login, that integration does not carry over to new accounts. Multipass does not carry over; the replacement requires a developer-built authentication flow — scope this separately from the account-page rebuild, as it is the one migration task that cannot be handled with no-code tools.
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Book a free migration reviewWhy South African Businesses Choose Growth Pulse Media for Shopify
Growth Pulse Media's founder built and scaled a large South African ecommerce business before founding the agency — which means Shopify decisions here are made from the operator's chair, not a slide deck. When a store migrates from classic to new accounts, the consequences land in customer support volume, checkout conversion, loyalty programme continuity, and POPIA compliance — not just a settings panel.
As a registered Shopify Partner and Omnisend Certified Partner, we work with named SA payment gateways (PayFast, Peach Payments, Yoco, Ozow), local courier integrations (The Courier Guy, Aramex, Dawn Wing), and the email platforms (Klaviyo, Omnisend) that SA merchants actually run. Every engagement is handled in-house with a limited client load — no juniors picking up Shopify admin for the first time on your store.
If your store needs a Shopify marketing agency in South Africa that understands the full commercial picture — not just the feature list — that's the conversation we're set up for. Our ecommerce build framework covers account architecture as part of the wider store setup, not as an afterthought.
Who This Is NOT For
Stores with deeply custom Liquid account pages and no migration budget right now. Switching to new accounts before you've rebuilt your account-page functionality in the extension framework means your customers lose features — reviews, custom fields, loyalty integrations — with no replacement in place. Wait until the rebuild is funded and tested.
Businesses relying on Multipass for SSO into a headless or custom frontend. Multipass is not supported in new accounts. The replacement requires a developer-built authentication flow that goes beyond account-page configuration. If you haven't scoped and resourced that work, the migration will break your authentication layer.
SA merchants who assumed saved payment methods solves their checkout conversion problem. With Shopify Payments unavailable in South Africa, your payment data lives with your gateway (PayFast, Peach Payments, Yoco, or similar) — outside Shopify. Saved payment methods in new accounts depends on your specific gateway's tokenisation support. Verify before building a conversion case on this feature.
Teams planning to switch without testing the customer flow end to end. The migration affects the sign-in experience your entire customer base sees. A development store test — covering sign-in, order history, returns, and checkout — is not optional. Skipping it trades a few hours of testing for an unknown number of support contacts and abandoned sessions.
Not sure if your store is in the right group?
Share your Shopify setup with us and we'll do a 30-minute fit assessment — what's safe to migrate now, what needs planning, and what to do about your SA payment gateway.
Request a fit assessmentFrequently Asked Questions
Will classic Shopify customer accounts be shut down in 2026?
Classic (legacy) customer accounts were deprecated on 26 February 2026 — meaning no new stores can enable them and Shopify has stopped all feature development and technical support. The final shutdown date has not yet been announced; Shopify has stated it will be confirmed later in 2026. Existing stores that had classic accounts enabled before that date can continue using them until the sunset date is set, but migration on your own timeline is strongly advisable.
What is the main difference between Shopify classic and new customer accounts?
The core difference is authentication: classic accounts require a password the customer sets and must remember; new accounts use a passwordless, one-time 6-digit code sent to the customer's email. New accounts also include native self-serve returns, store credit, B2B company profiles, and 365-day session persistence — features that classic accounts don't offer. Classic accounts retain full Liquid customisation and Multipass support, which new accounts do not.
Can South African stores use the saved payment methods feature in new Shopify customer accounts?
The saved payment methods feature in new accounts works when the payment gateway supports tokenisation through Shopify's interface. Since Shopify Payments is not available in South Africa, SA merchants run third-party gateways like PayFast, Peach Payments, Yoco, or Ozow — and payment data is held by those processors outside Shopify. Whether saved payment methods function as described depends on your specific gateway's integration. Check with your gateway provider before treating this as a confirmed benefit for your store.
Does switching to new customer accounts break existing Shopify apps?
It can. Loyalty programmes, wishlist apps, review integrations, and custom-field apps that were built for the classic account system may not be fully supported in new accounts yet — some extensions are still in preview. Before switching, contact each app vendor to confirm new accounts support. Apps that rely on Liquid templates or direct account-page customisation will need to be rebuilt using Customer Account UI Extensions or replaced with compatible alternatives.
How long does migrating from classic to new Shopify customer accounts take?
The settings change itself takes minutes — it's in Settings → Customer accounts in your Shopify admin. The migration project takes longer depending on complexity: a store with no custom account-page code and compatible apps can be live within a week, while a store with custom Liquid templates, loyalty integrations, or Multipass SSO should budget 2–3 months to audit, rebuild, test on a development store, and communicate the change to customers. Rushing trades a shorter timeline for unknown support volume and broken features.
Ready to Plan Your Shopify Account Migration?
Growth Pulse Media is a registered Shopify Partner working exclusively with South African merchants. We know the SA payment gateway landscape, POPIA obligations, and the extension ecosystem well enough to tell you — specifically — what needs to change on your store before the classic accounts sunset. No obligation. We'll get back to you within 24 hours.
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