Or go to our Shopify Theme Detector directly
How to Block/Blacklist Customers on Shopify
Last modified: April 4, 2024
Whenever you’re part of the eCommerce industry, you have a few certainties that you will face. One of these is critical to the long term success of your business and can impact how much trust you’ve got with customers. The certainty you will face will be that at some point there will be a negative review, a mistake done by you, and you will sometimes find a bad customer.
There are many bad customers that you can come across. The first one is the customer that is never happy. They can have the best service and products and will still complain. This can be frustrating, and it can seem very depressing to deal with this type of customer. However, these are not the worst type of customer that you will find.
The worst types of customers are the fraud, hackers or those who are involved in ransomware. This is something that is hard to prevent on a basic level. The nature of the internet is that your online store is open to everyone. However, there are ways that you can prevent the problem customers, like hackers, from causing damage to your website.
| # | Name | Image | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
EasyLocation ‑ GeoIP redirects
|
|
| 2 |
|
Geolocation
|
|
| 3 |
|
Geolocation Redirect
|
|
| 4 |
|
GeoIP Country Redirect/Blocker
|
|
| 5 |
|
Shipping Rates Calculator Plus
|
|
| 6 |
|
Currency Converter Ultimate
|
|
| 7 |
|
Product Inventory Information
|
|
| 8 |
|
Geolocation Redirects
|
|
| 9 |
|
Geolocation Express Redirect
|
|
| 10 |
|
Prime Visitor Redirect & Block
|
|
|
Show More
|
|||
What are the Problems with Bad Customers?
There are several problems with bad customers for your website. In some cases, you might find that your website is hit with a chargeback. This is when the customer claims that they haven’t received the product and the bank will take the money for the sale back and then a charge against you. You can use apps that can prevent this.
However, even if you use an app, too many chargebacks against your company can cause you to lose your business because you will cut significantly into your website’s profits.
Another problem is when customers engage in fraudulent activities or attempt to purchase age-restricted items without meeting the necessary age requirements.
However, there are ways that you can prevent your website from becoming a victim from fraudsters. Here are your options.
Geolocation Blocker
The first thing that you can do is to block users from certain geographic areas from accessing your website. This could be customers from countries that you don’t serve. For instance, if you sell to customers who reside in the US, why would you allow traffic from other areas of the world? So you can use a Geolocation Blocker app to prevent others from accessing your website.
This might annoy a few of your potential customers if you wanted to expand in the long term, but in the short term, it can prevent orders that can’t be fulfilled from being made on your store.
The Fraud Report
Another option is to read your Shopify fraud report. Each order that is made on Shopify stores is processed through a fraud report. Reading a fraud report is easy, and you can analyze the report to see which orders are risky. You can then process the orders which are less risky to your business.
You can combine the standard Shopify fraud report with fraud prevention apps that can help you analyze more details about your orders and be more accurate. Some apps will confirm potentially risky orders by sending an SMS to these customers, calling them or emailing them.
Block Negative Customers
Sometimes you might need to make a manual change and block/delete the customer’s account. This tactic is the last option to use. However, using the Shopify ban customer options can be a useful strategy if nothing else is working.
Enhancing Customer Management on Shopify
Identifying Problematic Customers
Recognizing problematic customers is key to maintaining a healthy business environment.
Look for signs like frequent returns, abusive behavior, or suspicious order patterns. Early identification helps in taking timely action to prevent potential issues.
Effective Communication Strategies
Before blocking a customer, attempt to resolve issues through clear communication.
Engage in honest conversations, listen to their concerns, and seek mutually beneficial solutions. Often, a simple dialogue can prevent the need for more drastic measures.
Documenting Interactions
Maintain detailed records of customer interactions. This documentation is crucial for future reference, especially in cases of disputes or legal considerations.
It ensures you have a comprehensive account of your dealings with problematic customers.
Advanced Customer Blocking Techniques on Shopify
Restricting Access to Content
Consider restricting access to certain content on your Shopify store.
This can be done by tagging customers and using liquid code to grant or deny access based on these tags. It’s a subtle way to control customer interaction with your store.
Legal and Ethical Considerations
Always be mindful of legal and ethical aspects when blocking customers. Ensure compliance with privacy and data protection laws.
Blocking should be a last resort, used only in cases of fraud, harassment, or violation of store policies.
Conclusion: How to Block/Blacklist Customers on Shopify
There are ways that you can prevent bad customers from shopping on your Shopify store. The first is to use a geolocation blocking app. The other is by using the Shopify fraud detection technology to detect orders that could cause harm to your brand or a fraud filter app.
Additionally, you can leverage Shopify’s advanced customizations to block or blacklist problematic customers directly from your store. If a customer’s account has been compromised or is being used for malicious activities, you can also reset their password as a security measure. And if all else fails, you can delete negative customer accounts.
-
Is it possible to block customers based on their order history?
You can’t automatically block customers based on order history in Shopify. However, you can manually review order patterns and decide to block customers showing suspicious activities.
-
How can I prevent blocked customers from creating new accounts?
To prevent this, use advanced fraud prevention tools that track IP addresses and email patterns. Shopify doesn’t natively block account creation based on previous blocks.
-
Can Shopify automatically detect and block fraudulent customers?
Shopify’s fraud analysis tools can identify potentially fraudulent orders, but automatic blocking is not native. Store owners must review flagged orders and decide on blocking manually.
PageFly Landing Page Builder 
Shopify 
SEMrush 
Website Maintenance 
UpPromote