Linking POS "Shop Pay" Receipts and orders to customer accounts

Retail & Point of Sale

Topic summary

A retailer rolling out POS Pro has identified an inconsistency in how customer orders are linked to accounts based on payment method.

The Issue:

  • Cash or non-Shop Pay card transactions: entering an email automatically links the order to existing customer accounts
  • Shop Pay card transactions: orders do NOT auto-link to customer accounts, even when the same email address is used

Why This Happens:
Shop Pay operates as a Shopify-managed accelerated checkout. Information entered during this flow—especially autofilled data—doesn’t automatically associate with store customer profiles unless manually added or matched exactly during checkout.

Suggested Workarounds:

  1. Manually link customers post-sale via Shopify Admin during quieter periods
  2. Customize the POS smart grid for faster customer selection with repeat visitors
  3. Submit a feature request to Shopify Support to address this UX gap

Status: The discussion remains open with no automatic solution available. The issue is particularly challenging for high-volume environments like cafés where adding customers pre-payment isn’t practical.

Summarized with AI on October 29. AI used: claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929.
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We are testing and planning on rolling out POS Pro across our physical store.

We have noticed that when a customer checks out with cash, or a card that is not recognised by Shop Pay, they can add their email address for a digital receipt and if they do already have an account with us (with that email address) the in-store order will be automatically linked to their customer account within Shopify.

This is not the same when a card recognised by Shop Pay is used though. When a customer checks out in store and uses Shop Pay to receive a digital receipt (to the same email address), this doesn’t automatically link the order within Shopify to their customer account that has the same email address.

Can anybody shed any light on why this is, and whether there is any work around to get the order then linked to their customer account automatically?

I know that I could technically “add a customer” to the order pre-payment, however part of our store is a fast-paced cafe, and for these small transactions this realistically just isn’t feasible.

Thanks!

1 Like
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Great question, and it’s awesome to hear you’re rolling out POS Pro across your store — especially in a fast-paced environment like a café, where every second counts.

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‎You’re correct in what you’ve observed: when a customer pays with cash or a standard card, entering an email at checkout can link the order to an existing customer profile. However, when a customer uses a Shop Pay–recognized card, things work a bit differently.

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‎Here’s what’s happening behind the scenes:

‎Shop Pay is a Shopify-managed accelerated checkout, and in some cases, the information entered during that flow (especially if autofilled from Shop Pay data) does not automatically associate with a customer profile in your store unless the customer is manually added at the POS or their details are matched exactly and passed correctly during the checkout session. This can sometimes cause a disconnect between the Shop Pay customer session and your store’s customer account.

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‎Currently, there’s no automatic workaround that fully resolves this at POS if you don’t manually add the customer before payment. That being said, here are a couple of things you could consider:

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‎1. Post-sale Customer Linking (Manual but quick)

‎ After the sale, you can go into the order in the Shopify Admin or POS app and click “Add customer” to attach an existing customer. While not ideal during rushes, it can be done during quieter moments.

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‎2. POS Smart Grid Customization

‎ Customize the POS smart grid to make it easier to add returning customers with a quick tap, possibly helping during slightly slower times or with repeat customers who visit frequently.

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‎3. Feature Request to Shopify Support

‎ Since your use case highlights a clear UX inconsistency, I’d recommend submitting this directly to Shopify Support as a feature request. The more voices on this, the better the chance it gets reviewed for future updates.

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‎You’re definitely not alone in this — many fast-paced retail and food service businesses have raised similar concerns. Hopefully, Shopify will streamline this process over time.

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