Two features restrict which customers can purchase: product-specific customer limits and Customer Rule. Use product-specific customer limits when the customers who can purchase should differ by product. Use a Customer Rule when you want to group products and apply the same conditions.
Choose by goal as follows.
Specify member-only products one by one: product-specific customer limits
Limit a wholesale collection to customers with a wholesale tag: Customer Rule
Block purchases by the domain of the email address entered at checkout: Customer Rule
Set different conditions on many products: product-specific customer limits (one checkout rule overall)
The main differences are the unit of setup and how many checkout rules each feature uses.
Aspect | Product-specific customer limits | Customer Rule |
|---|---|---|
Unit of setup | Each product or variant | Each rule |
How you choose products | Set each product on the product list | All items, collections, products, or product tags |
Conditions you can use | Login, customer tags, and customer metafield values | The conditions to the left, plus the domain of the order email address |
How you specify customer tags and values | Choose from the list registered on the settings page | Enter them on the rule |
Number of conditions | Up to 10 each for allow and block | Up to 100 each for allow and block |
Checkout rules | One overall | One for each enabled rule |
Variables in the product message | Available | Not available |
Both require the Light plan or the Full plan to enable. For product-specific customer limits, you can enter and save the settings before you subscribe.
Product-specific customer limits: You can choose "Display timing". For products without login required, customer tag and value conditions apply only at checkout.
Customer Rule: If "Require account" is not checked, or if you use an email domain restriction, the display timing is fixed to "Checkout only".
Product-specific customer limits and a Customer Rule are evaluated separately. If the same product has both, a customer who fails either one cannot purchase.
Product-specific customer limits and Customer Rule restrict purchases only. They do not restrict viewing the product page. To hide the product page, use an Access Rule.