Howdy: a sign-up form for Shopify's new customer accounts

Solving the "new customer accounts" migration problem: introducing Howdy, a Japanese-made app

For Shopify merchants, two changes need attention right now: in February 2026 Shopify stopped offering "classic customer accounts" to newly created stores, and a full move to "new customer accounts" is expected to be announced during 2026. With this big change, many merchants are struggling with one problem: they can no longer collect detailed customer information at sign-up.

Today we'd like to introduce Howdy (New Customer Account Registration Form), a Japanese-made app that solves this problem neatly and fits Japanese business practices perfectly.

The big hurdle when moving to Shopify's "new customer accounts"

Shopify's recommended "new customer accounts" use a secure login that sends a 6-digit verification code to the customer's email address.

However, the standard features make it hard to add your own sign-up form, and this has been the biggest bottleneck for merchants considering the move.

Howdy, developed by macro micro Inc., was built to solve exactly this problem.

1. Automatic detection that never leaves customers confused

One of Howdy's best features is that it automatically detects whether an email address belongs to a new or an existing customer.

• New customers: They're sent to the app's own sign-up form, and the account is created after the required information is collected.
• Existing customers: They skip the tedious re-entry and go straight to the 6-digit verification code screen.

This smooth flow lets you collect the data your marketing depends on without frustrating customers.

2. Collect the customer information you need (customer metafield support)

Besides the standard name and address fields, you can freely add customer metafields to the form, which is a big plus for marketing.

For example, you can add fields like these as required or optional:

• Birthday, gender, or age group
• Checkboxes to agree to the terms of service or confirm age
• An invitation code field for campaigns
• Business type or company name for B2B stores

Collecting this information at first sign-up lets you follow up with newsletters and offer a personalized experience to each customer.

3. The peace of mind of a Japanese-made app for Japanese stores

Howdy is a Japanese-made app built with the careful attention to detail that Japanese store owners expect.

• Address autofill: Enter a postal code and the address fills in automatically, saving effort and helping reduce drop-off.
• Full Japanese support: Both the admin screens and customer support are in Japanese, so setup is stress-free.
• Easy setup: No coding needed. Major themes like Dawn and Horizon are supported with a single checkbox. (For other themes, the support team can help with installation.)

4. Flexible customization for developers and store builders

For merchants who care about their brand image, Howdy is highly customizable.

• CSS customization: Adjust the layout of pop-ups and forms to match your store's design.
• URL parameters: Supports advanced setups, such as saving an invitation code from a QR code to the customer record as a hidden field (input hidden) that customers don't see.
• Custom forms: If needed, you can also ask about building forms with your own data formats or URLs.

5. Pricing and easy onboarding

The app offers flexible plans based on store size (number of customers), starting at $9.99/month. And all features are free on development stores, so you can test everything while building the store.

Summary: an essential partner for running Shopify going forward

The sign-up form is the first important touchpoint between a brand and its customers. Howdy turns Shopify's platform change into a chance to collect better customer data.

If you're a merchant or agency planning the move to new customer accounts but don't want to give up collecting customer information, Howdy is a strong and reliable choice.