Shopify Checkout Contact Settings: Separate Email From Shipping Phone
Shopify checkout contact settings determine how customers identify themselves at checkout, while the shipping address phone field is a separate setting. Requiring a shipping phone can help a carrier reach a recipient, but it does not apply to every order. Test each checkout path before telling operations that every purchase will contain both an email and a phone number.
Understand the two controls
Shopify's checkout form guide offers Email or Phone number or email as customer contact methods. Under the latter, the customer chooses one. Shopify says there is no option to require both as the contact method. A shipping address phone number can separately be set to required, optional or not included.
| Setting | What it controls | Important limit |
|---|---|---|
| Email contact | Email used for checkout contact | Does not itself require a shipping phone |
| Phone number or email | Customer chooses a contact method | Does not require both as contact methods |
| Shipping address phone required | Phone field in the shipping address form | Applies only when checkout includes that step |
| Required customer sign-in | Customer must sign in to check out | Shopify says email is the checkout contact method |
| Marketing opt-in | Permission to send marketing | Separate from collecting order contact details |
The shipping phone requirement is not supported for an order without a shipping address. Digital-only and other checkout paths might not present that step. Do not claim that a required shipping field guarantees phone collection on every transaction.
Configure based on an actual need
In Settings > Checkout, review Customer contact method and Customer information. Confirm why each field is needed with the carrier, customer service and privacy owner. If a phone is required by a carrier or payment provider, Shopify documents setting Shipping address phone number to Required. Avoid collecting information without a clear operational purpose.
Shopify's SMS notifications guide says customers who enter a phone number instead of an email may receive SMS order confirmation when SMS is configured and the business is in a supported country. Confirm regional availability and international number formatting. A transactional notification is not consent to send marketing.
Test the checkout paths
Use authorized test orders and synthetic contact details. Check a shipped physical product, a digital-only product, a mixed cart, customer sign-in and available accelerated checkouts. Confirm the fields that actually appear and the contact details recorded on the order. Do not assume one wallet's behavior represents every checkout path.
| Test | What to record |
|---|---|
| Physical shipment | Whether the shipping phone field is enforced |
| No shipping address | Whether the requirement applies at all |
| Phone-or-email contact | Which contact the customer chose |
| Required sign-in | Email-based contact behavior |
| Accelerated checkout | Fields shown and order data saved |
| Marketing checkbox | Consent captured separately from contact information |
Shopify also notes that Shop Pay can omit a company name even when that field is required. If a company name or phone is operationally essential, create an exception-handling process rather than assuming all accelerated checkouts collect it.
Monitor missing information safely
Route incomplete orders to staff who can verify the customer and request the missing information through an approved channel. Do not place personal contact details in public notes or share them beyond the team that needs them. Reassess the requirement when a carrier or delivery method changes.
Related guides: checkout phone messaging and double opt-in.
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