Pricing and quotation guide
Shopify customer data migration cost
Importing a clean customer list into Shopify is quick. The cost lies in getting the list clean: duplicates, inconsistent addresses, unclear consent records and custom fields that need a home.
This page explains what each of those adds, and which parts you can prepare yourself.
Illustrative diagram
Cleaning is most of the work
Shopify's customer import is strict: duplicates by email or phone are skipped, countries and provinces need ISO codes, and consent columns accept only yes or no. Most old platforms export data that needs adjusting on all three counts.
The size of that job depends on how the old store collected data. Stores that allowed free-text country fields or guest checkouts with repeated emails usually need more cleaning than stores with strict forms.
What drives the cost
- Duplicates
- Each duplicate group needs merging or a decision, otherwise Shopify imports only the last record.
- Address formats
- Converting free-text countries and regions to ISO codes takes time on messy data.
- Consent ambiguity
- Records without clear opt-in history are flagged for your decision.
- List size
- Lists above 15 MB are split into several import files, each verified.
- Custom fields
- Fields such as birthdays or account numbers need metafield definitions before import.
Costs paid to third parties (separate from our fees)
- Migration apps, if used for customers alongside orders
- Email platform costs for any re-permission campaign
Third-party tools and email platforms are paid to their providers.
How data condition affects effort
Illustrative levels; not real projects or prices.
| Condition | Typical issues | Effort |
|---|---|---|
| Clean | Few duplicates, structured addresses, clear consent | Mainly mapping and import |
| Mixed | Some duplicates and free-text countries | Cleaning before import |
| Messy | Many guest duplicates, unclear consent, custom fields | Substantial cleaning and decisions |
What you can prepare to save cost
Data
- Delete test and spam accounts on the old platform
- Decide whether non-buying contacts are needed
- Export consent fields along with customers
Decisions
- Rule for unclear consent, such as importing as no
- Which custom fields are still useful
Reactivation is a small but important cost
Because passwords cannot move, customers must set new ones. Writing the explanation, choosing the timing and preparing support replies takes a little time, but it protects the relationship with returning customers.
We include reactivation planning in customer migration quotations unless you prefer to handle it yourself.
Verification and why it is worth paying for
Verification compares imported customers with the export: total counts, duplicates resolved, records skipped and a sample checked field by field. It is a modest share of the cost, but it is the only way to be sure customers have not been silently dropped.
For large lists split across several files, each file is verified separately, which adds a little time but makes problems easy to locate.
Combining with order migration
Customers and historical orders are often migrated together. The cleaning done for customers, especially resolving duplicates, makes order linking more reliable. Quoting both together usually costs less than doing them as separate projects.
What a customer migration quotation includes
Work
- Mapping to Shopify's customer template
- Cleaning duplicates, addresses and consent fields
- Import, tagging and verification
Optional
- Metafield definitions for custom fields
- Reactivation message planning
Questions about Shopify customer data migration cost
Why can't you price customer migration by number of customers?
Because cleaning effort varies far more than list size. A sample shows how much cleaning is needed.
Can I send anonymised data for a quotation?
Yes. A few rows with names and emails replaced still show us the structure and common problems.
Does a large list cost much more?
It adds file splitting and verification for each file, but cleaning effort per record matters more.
What does handling custom fields involve?
Creating matching metafield definitions in Shopify first, then mapping the fields in the import. Only supported field types can be imported.
Is consent review charged separately?
Flagging unclear records is part of cleaning. Running a re-permission campaign afterwards is separate email marketing work.
Is reactivation planning optional?
Yes. You can handle it yourself, though we recommend planning it carefully either way.
Is a second import needed at launch?
Usually a short final import brings across customers who registered on the old platform after the main import.
Does importing consent cost extra?
Mapping consent fields is part of the import. Investigating unclear consent histories takes longer when the old platform recorded them inconsistently.
Can the cleaning be done by my team?
Yes. We can provide the rules and a template so your team cleans the data, then review a sample before import.
Does a migration app reduce the cost of moving customers?
It can speed up transfer, but cleaning duplicates, addresses and consent is still needed whichever method is used.
Sources referenced
Platform features, guidance and rules change. We check the current versions before committing to an approach. This page is general information, not legal advice.
- Shopify Help Center: Importing and exporting customer lists (opens in a new tab) — reviewed 2026-10-22
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