# Guest Checkout and Customer Accounts

> Guest checkout lets a shopper buy without creating a password. Making that route clear helps first-time buyers complete a purchase without friction. Account creation can be offered after the order is placed.

- Type: Merchant guide
- Level: Intermediate
- Reading time: About 4 minutes
- Audience: Written for store owners, builders, and designers refining high-performance ecommerce stores.
- Last updated: 2026-11-04
- Canonical page: https://academy.getzenbasket.com/merchant-questions/guest-checkout-and-customer-accounts/
- Part of: [Merchant Questions](https://academy.getzenbasket.com/merchant-questions/) on ZenBasket Academy

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## What you need to know

### Why offer guest checkout?

A first-time buyer who encounters a mandatory account creation step may abandon. Guest checkout removes that barrier while still collecting the information needed to fulfil the order.

### When should an account be offered?

After purchase, or as an optional step, explain benefits such as faster future purchases or order history — but only when the store actually provides them. Never make a customer think an account was created without telling them.

### What if the email already has an account?

Provide a way to sign in or continue as a guest, subject to the store's actual process. Do not disclose private account details to someone merely because they typed an email address.

### A quick store check

Complete guest checkout, sign-in checkout and an existing-email path. Check whether progress and entered information are preserved throughout each path.

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## Frequently asked questions

### Should returning customers always sign in?

Offer a convenient sign-in path but do not trap a customer who cannot access a password and just wants to finish a purchase.

### Where do I configure guest checkout?

Use current [registration settings](https://help.getzenbasket.com/settings/registration-settings/) document, then test guest, sign-in and existing-email paths before publishing.

## Related articles

- **Checkout Layout and Order Summary**
- **Checkout Trust and Order Review**
- [ZenBasket Build Guide](https://help.getzenbasket.com/zenbasket-builder/)