To require customer login before Shopify checkout, go to Settings > Checkout in Shopify admin. In Customer contact method, activate Require customers to sign in to their account before checkout, then save. Shopify redirects signed-out shoppers to account sign-in before they can check out.

For most stores, this native setting is the right solution. Use a checkout validation app only when the policy is conditional—for example, when only certain products, customer groups, or order types need an additional eligibility rule.

Should you disable guest checkout?

Requiring login can help when every order must be attached to a verified customer account. Typical use cases include:

  • members-only or approved-customer stores;
  • wholesale workflows where buyers need an assigned company location;
  • repeat-order programs that depend on account history;
  • restricted products that require customer eligibility checks; and
  • stores that provide account-only pricing, credit, or post-purchase services.

The tradeoff is added friction. A new shopper must sign in before paying, and Shopify hides accelerated checkout buttons such as Apple Pay from the online store cart when mandatory sign-in is enabled. If your policy does not require an identified buyer, keeping guest checkout may produce a simpler path.

Do not turn on mandatory login only to collect an email address. Shopify checkout can already require email as the customer contact method without requiring an account.

How to require customer login before Shopify checkout

1. Review your customer account setup

In Shopify admin, go to Settings > Customer accounts. Confirm the account experience you want shoppers to use and turn on Show sign-in links so customers can find account access before they reach checkout.

Shopify's current customer accounts use passwordless authentication. A shopper enters an email address and receives a one-time 6-digit code. If that email does not match an existing customer profile, Shopify creates a new profile automatically after sign-in.

This distinction matters: mandatory sign-in verifies access to an email address, but it does not create an approval gate. If only preapproved customers should order, add a separate eligibility control.

2. Turn on the checkout sign-in requirement

  1. From Shopify admin, go to Settings > Checkout.
  2. Find Customer contact method.
  3. Select Email if it is not already selected.
  4. Activate Require customers to sign in to their account before checkout.
  5. Click Save.

Shopify notes that checkout-setting changes can take up to 30 seconds to appear. Wait briefly before testing in a new private browsing session.

3. Test the signed-out and signed-in paths

Test the requirement as a shopper, not only from an admin session:

  1. Open the storefront in a private or incognito window.
  2. Add a product to the cart and select checkout.
  3. Confirm that Shopify requires account sign-in.
  4. Sign in with a test email and complete the one-time-code flow.
  5. Confirm the shopper returns to checkout with the cart intact.
  6. Repeat the test while already signed in.

Also check your theme's cart drawer, cart page, Buy now button, Shop Pay, and other accelerated paths. The expected outcome is consistent enforcement, even if individual buttons change or disappear.

What changes after you require sign-in?

Accelerated checkout buttons can disappear from the cart

Shopify states that accelerated checkout options such as Apple Pay do not display in the online store cart when required sign-in is active. This prevents an accelerated path from bypassing the account requirement.

Do not treat this as a theme bug until you check the setting. Compare the cart before and after activation, and tell support staff why the button behavior changed.

Email becomes the checkout contact method

Customers can only use email as their contact method when sign-in is required. If your operation also needs a phone number, set Shipping address phone number to Required separately. That phone requirement applies only when checkout includes a shipping-address step.

New shoppers can still create a customer profile

Mandatory sign-in does not automatically make the store invitation-only. With Shopify's current customer accounts, a person who enters a new email address can sign in and have a customer profile created automatically.

If the business rule is “only approved customers can order,” the store needs an additional condition such as a company assignment, customer tag, or another verified eligibility signal.

Returning shoppers may stay signed in

Shopify says customer-account sign-in sessions can persist for up to 365 days. Returning shoppers might not see the sign-in step again, although the order is still connected to their account.

Native login requirement or a CartBlock rule?

Use the native Shopify setting when every online checkout must require an account. It is direct, storewide, and documented by Shopify.

Use CartBlock when the real policy is more specific than “everyone must sign in.” CartBlock supports configurable purchase validations based on criteria such as customer profiles, customer tags, products, collections, cart value, quantity, and location. That makes it useful for rules such as:

  • block a restricted product unless the signed-in customer has an approved tag;
  • require wholesale eligibility for a tagged collection;
  • show a clear correction message when the shopper does not meet an account-based policy; or
  • combine customer eligibility with cart, product, or market conditions.

CartBlock is not a replacement for Shopify account authentication. Let Shopify handle sign-in, then use a validation rule to enforce the business condition that depends on the customer's profile or tags. Confirm the exact inputs and plan entitlement in the installed CartBlock rule builder before launch.

For a related workflow, see how to block Shopify checkout by customer tag.

How to add an approved-customer rule with CartBlock

If sign-in alone is not enough, express the blocked state before opening the rule builder. For example:

Block checkout when the cart contains a wholesale product AND the customer does not have the approved-wholesale tag.

Then:

  1. Keep Shopify's native sign-in requirement active if every shopper must identify themselves.
  2. Create a checkout validation in CartBlock.
  3. Add the relevant product, collection, or cart condition.
  4. Add the current customer-profile or customer-tag condition.
  5. Join the conditions with the intended AND/OR logic.
  6. Write an error message that explains how the shopper can continue.
  7. Save, activate, and test the rule with approved, unapproved, and signed-out test customers.

Use a message such as:

Sign in with an approved wholesale account to purchase these products. If your account should have access, contact our team before placing the order.

Avoid vague messages such as Checkout blocked. The shopper should know whether to sign in, change the cart, or request access.

Test checklist before disabling guest checkout

  • Signed-out shopper is sent to sign-in before checkout.
  • Existing customer can complete the one-time-code flow.
  • New email behavior matches the store's approval policy.
  • Cart contents remain after sign-in.
  • Signed-in customer reaches checkout normally.
  • Account link is visible on desktop and mobile.
  • Cart drawer, cart page, Buy now, Shop Pay, and accelerated paths behave as expected.
  • Apple Pay and other cart buttons are checked after the setting changes.
  • Required phone-number behavior is tested separately.
  • Approved and unapproved customer tags are tested if a validation is active.
  • B2B company contacts are tested with their assigned company locations.
  • Support documentation explains the new sign-in step.
  • Conversion and checkout-abandonment metrics have a baseline for comparison.

Frequently asked questions

Can I require a Shopify account before checkout without an app?

Yes. Shopify includes a native Require customers to sign in to their account before checkout setting under Settings > Checkout > Customer contact method.

Does requiring login stop new customers from ordering?

No. With current Shopify customer accounts, entering an email that is not linked to an existing customer profile creates a new profile automatically. Use a separate approval rule if only existing or approved customers may order.

Does mandatory login disable Shop Pay or Apple Pay?

Shopify specifically says accelerated checkout options such as Apple Pay do not display in the online store cart when mandatory sign-in is active. Test every accelerated path enabled on your store; placement and behavior can differ by context.

Is requiring an email the same as requiring an account?

No. Requiring email collects a checkout contact method. Requiring account sign-in also verifies that the shopper can access that email and associates the checkout with a signed-in customer profile.

Do B2B customers have to sign in?

Shopify B2B customers must sign in to access company-specific products and pricing or place B2B orders. They need to be associated with a company location. A signed-in person who is not associated with a company location receives the direct-to-consumer experience.

Can I require login only for selected products?

Shopify's native sign-in requirement is storewide. For a product-specific policy, combine Shopify customer sign-in with a validation that checks the relevant product or collection and an approved customer signal. Verify the exact CartBlock conditions available on your plan.

Choose the least restrictive rule that enforces the policy

Use Shopify's native setting when every customer must sign in before checkout. If only certain carts need an approved buyer, keep authentication and eligibility separate: Shopify confirms who signed in, while a conditional rule checks whether that customer can purchase the selected items.

Explore CartBlock on the Shopify App Store to see whether its customer, product, and multi-condition validations fit your approval workflow.

Sources and freshness notes

Review this guide after material changes to Shopify checkout settings, customer accounts, accelerated checkouts, B2B sign-in, or CartBlock conditions, and at least every six months.