Shopify’s latest Customer Accounts update adds two powerful features that instantly surface value to shoppers: a visible store‑credit balance and personalized product recommendations for first‑time purchasers. Both merchants and developers can leverage these tools to boost loyalty, increase average order value, and showcase a more intelligent storefront—all without installing a third‑party app.
Store Credit Now Visible in the Account Header
When a shopper signs in, the account header on every page now displays their current store‑credit balance. The balance appears in the same bar that shows the customer’s name and email, making it impossible for customers to miss the amount they can apply at checkout. For merchants, this transparency encourages repeat purchases because shoppers see a tangible incentive right away.
Personalized Recommendations Appear for New Shoppers
If a signed‑in customer has never placed an order, the account dashboard now shows a curated set of product recommendations. Shopify’s recommendation engine analyses the shopper’s browsing behavior, demographic data, and catalog trends to rank items most likely to convert. The result is a personalized storefront experience that feels handcrafted, even for first‑time buyers.
Who Needs to Act: Merchants vs. Developers
Merchants – If you’re using the default (latest) version of Customer Accounts, the features are enabled automatically. If you’re still on the legacy accounts version, you’ll need to upgrade. Reach out to the Sidekick team or follow the migration guide in the admin to switch to the new schema.
Developers – Theme developers should verify that their custom account templates reference the new Liquid objects (e.g., customer.store_credit_balance). API integrators may need to adjust any webhooks or scripts that read the customer object, because the store‑credit field is now part of the public schema.
Enabling the New Features
Liquid and Theme Adjustments – Sample Code
If your theme overrides the default account header, add the following Liquid snippet to surface the credit balance. The code gracefully falls back when the balance is zero.
liquid
{% if customer %}
<div class="account-header">
{% assign credit = customer.store_credit_balance | default: 0 %}
{% if credit > 0 %}
<p>Store credit: {{ credit | money }}</p>
{% else %}
<p>You have no store credit.</p>
{% endif %}
</div>
{% endif %}
For the recommendation block, Shopify now injects a recommendations object into the customer.account namespace. A minimal implementation looks like this:
liquid
{% if customer and customer.recommendations.size > 0 %}
<section class="account-recs">
<h3>Recommended for you</h3>
<ul>
{% for product in customer.recommendations %}
<li>
<a href="{{ product.url }}">
<img src="{{ product.featured_image | img_url: 'thumb' }}" alt="{{ product.title }}" />
{{ product.title }}
</a>
</li>
{% endfor %}
</ul>
</section>
{% endif %}
If you’re using a headless storefront, query the GraphQL customer object for storeCreditBalance and recommendations fields:
graphql
query GetCustomerInfo($customerAccessToken: String!) {
customer(customerAccessToken: $customerAccessToken) {
firstName
storeCreditBalance {
amount
currencyCode
}
recommendations(first: 6) {
edges {
node {
id
title
onlineStoreUrl
featuredImage {
url(transform: {maxWidth: 200})
}
}
}
}
}
}
Testing and Monitoring
After deploying the changes, monitor two key metrics in your analytics dashboard:
Both metrics give you immediate feedback on whether the UI tweaks are driving the desired behavior. If CTR is low, consider adjusting the recommendation algorithm in *Settings > Recommendations* or adding custom sorting logic via a private app.
Conclusion & Next Steps
The store‑credit banner and personalized recommendations are small visual upgrades with outsized impact. By confirming you’re on the latest Customer Accounts version, updating any custom theme code, and tracking the right metrics, you’ll turn every sign‑in into an opportunity to boost loyalty and average order value. Need help migrating from legacy accounts or customizing the recommendation layout? Reach out to a Shopify Expert or drop a comment below—let’s get your store delivering a smarter, more rewarding experience today!
