The customer account groups the self-service features accessible after logging in (or creating an account). The merchant displays some of the data stored in their customer database there, filtered for the buyer.

Common features:

In practice, this mainly covers Orders: list, status, invoices, parcel tracking; Addresses: shipping and billing saved for quick re-purchase; Profile: name, email, phone, preferences; Returns and exchanges: online request according to store policy; Subscriptions: pause, modification, cancellation (if recurring model); Loyalty: points, VIP tiers (loyalty program, often via app); and Marketing preferences: newsletters, SMS (with consent).

Useful distinctions:

In practice, this mainly covers Customer account vs. customer authentication: auth verifies identity; the account is the interface once authenticated; Customer account vs. guest checkout: the guest purchases without a persistent space; their orders can exist in the merchant database via email alone; Customer account vs. customer database: the database is the admin view (all customers); the account is the buyer view (their data only); Customer account vs. merchant account: the customer manages their purchases; the merchant manages the shop and payments; and Account created before purchase vs. account activated post-purchase: different strategies to limit friction at checkout.

An effective customer account must remain simple. It should not force the buyer to create a password before purchasing, but should offer them clear access to their useful information afterwards.