Every Shopify store owner wants more orders. But not every order is good for the business.
I have seen customers place fake orders, return used products or create chargebacks after receiving the item. Do not avoid these issues because, after a while, it starts affecting your revenue and brand.
So the real question is: how to block a customer on Shopify before they create more damage?
The direct answer is simple. You can block or restrict a fraudulent customer on Shopify in two ways:
- Use a fraud prevention or customer blocking app.
- Use the customer section inside Shopify admin to tag, note, and manually control risky buyers.
In this blog, I will walk you through both these methods so you can block certain customers from purchasing from Shopify.
Why block certain customers from your store?
Blocking a customer is about protecting your store from buyers who repeatedly create losses.
Common reasons to block a customer on Shopify
- Place repeated fake orders
- Use wrong phone numbers or fake email addresses
- Keep returning damaged or used products
- Create chargebacks after delivery
- Use multiple cards for suspicious orders
For a small Shopify store, even a few bad orders can hurt. You lose product cost, shipping cost, payment fees, and team time.
Best solutions to prevent returns fraud, Shopify merchants should consider
Return fraud is one of the biggest reasons merchants look to block a customer from ordering on Shopify.
A customer may order a product, use it, and return it. Some customers return an old or different item. Some repeatedly order high-value products and create disputes after delivery.
To reduce returns fraud, Shopify merchants can use:
- Clear return policies
- Customer tags for risky buyers
- Manual review for repeat returners
- Fraud analysis before fulfillment
- Address and phone number checks
- A Shopify fraud filter app
- Checkout blocking rules for known fraud patterns
Shopify fraud filter apps are the best solution to prevent return fraud, Shopify merchants should choose. Here’s how to do it.
How to block a customer on Shopify? (With Shopify fraud filter app)
Step 1: Go to the Shopify App Store
Open the Shopify App Store and search for ‘fraud filter app’. Pick the app based on what you need to block. Blockify and Blocky are good choices. I have tried and tested both of them.
Install the app and give the required permissions.
Step 2: Create a blocking rule
Create a rule based on the customer detail you want to block. You can easily create blocking rules with fraud filter apps. I usually create rules for:
- Email address
- Phone number
- IP address
- Name
- Shipping address
- Country
- State
- Customer tag
- Order risk level
Step 3: Choose the action
Depending on the app, you can perform different actions to block a customer from ordering. Common actions I perform include:
- Block checkout
- Cancel order
- Flag order
- Redirect visitor
- Show warning
- Send fraud alert
- Add customer tag
Step 4: Test the rule
Always test the rule before relying on it. Use a test customer or test condition. Make sure the rule does not block genuine customers by mistake. This has happened to me multiple times.
Step 5: Review blocked attempts
Do not set the conditions and forget. I always check blocked attempts weekly. Some rules may need updates, especially if customers use different emails, phone numbers, or addresses.
How to block a customer from ordering on Shopify without an app
You can use the Customer section to manage risky customers with notes, tags, and manual review.
Note: Customer notes are visible only to store staff, and tags help organize customer profiles or create customer segments.
Step 1: Go to the Shopify admin
Open your Shopify admin dashboard. Go to the Customers section from the left-side menu.
Step 2: Search for the customer
Search using name, email, phone number, or shipping address. Click the customer name to open the full profile.
Step 3: Review order history
Check past orders, refunds, returns, chargebacks, payment status, and support history. I usually do 4 things.
- Add a customer note: Add a clear internal note. For example: Do not fulfill without manual review. The customer has repeatedly refused deliveries and returned used items.
- Add a customer tag: Add a tag such as: Blocked, Fraud Risk, High Risk, Manual Review, Do Not Fulfill
- Inform your fulfillment team: Make sure your team checks customer tags before shipping orders.
- Manually cancel or hold future orders: If the tagged customer places another order, review it before fulfillment. Cancel only when your store policy and proof support the action.
Shopify’s current customer account system has a major limitation. Merchants cannot deactivate an individual customer account. A merchant can delete a customer profile, but if the customer signs in again with the same email, a new customer profile gets created.
So, deleting a customer profile is not a strong blocking method. For real blocking, use tags with an app or checkout rule.
Prevent fraud in Shopify by blocking customers
Blocking a customer on Shopify should be a business decision.
If one order looks odd, review it. If the same customer keeps creating problems, tag the profile, document the issue, and add stricter rules.
For small or new stores, Shopify admin notes and tags are a good starting point. For repeat fraud, COD misuse, chargebacks, or returns abuse, a Shopify fraud filter app gives better protection.
FAQs
1. How to block a customer on Shopify?
You can block a customer on Shopify by using customer tags, internal notes, and fraud prevention rules. A fraud filter or customer blocker app is usually the better option when you want to stop repeat risky customers from placing orders.
2. How to block a customer from purchasing on Shopify?
To block a customer from purchasing on Shopify, use a fraud prevention app that can block checkout based on email, phone number, IP address, customer tag, or shipping address. For manual control, you can tag the customer as “Blocked” or “Fraud Risk” inside the Shopify admin.
3. What are some of the best Shopify fraud filter apps?
Blockify Fraud Filter & Blocker and Blockly Fraud Filter are two good apps I would recommend for merchants for fraud prevention.
4. How to prevent fraud on Shopify?
To prevent fraud on Shopify, review high-risk orders before fulfillment, check fraud indicators, verify customer details, use payment checks like CVV and address verification, and avoid shipping suspicious orders too quickly.
About the author
Vineet Nair
Vineet is an experienced content strategist with expertise in the ecommerce domain and a keen interest in Shopify. He aims to help Shopify merchants thrive in this competitive environment with technical solutions and thoughtfully structured content.