Customer Account Migration

Customer account migration moves customer records, addresses, and order history from the old platform to the new one. What it doesn't move is the password.

Passwords are stored as one-way hashes. The hash on Magento or WooCommerce is generated using a different algorithm than Shopify's. Even if you exported the hash directly, Shopify couldn't verify a customer's login attempt against it. There is no way to migrate a password. The customer has to set a new one.

The standard approach is a forced password reset on first login post-launch. Customers receive an email asking them to reset their password (or they're prompted at login). Their email address, addresses, order history, marketing consent, customer tags, and any custom fields all transfer cleanly.

For high-value customers (subscribers, wholesale, VIPs), the email needs to be staged carefully. Generic "your password expired" templates get ignored or marked as phishing. The best-performing version is a one-paragraph note from the brand explaining the move and previewing what's better.

For B2B customers on Shopify Plus, the move is more involved. Company profiles, locations, payment terms, and approved buyers need to be reconstructed - not just imported as customer records.

A clean customer migration includes: data export, deduplication, address validation, email-domain bounce check, soft launch with a small batch first, then bulk send.

Frequently asked questions

Can customer passwords be migrated to Shopify?

No. Passwords are stored as one-way hashes that Shopify cannot verify, so every customer sets a new password after launch.

What customer data transfers to Shopify?

Email, addresses, order history, marketing consent, tags and custom fields all transfer. Passwords and saved payment tokens need separate handling.

How do you get customers to reset passwords?

Send a short, branded note that explains the move, rather than a generic expiry notice. Stage it for VIP, subscriber and wholesale segments first.

Related terms: Shopify Multipass, Migration Cutover, Re-platforming. For hands-on help, see how Flux runs Shopify Plus migrations.