Set up login & registration
The login and registration page brings existing and new customers together. This guide shows which tab opens first and what appears next to the form. It also covers how to separate consumers and businesses at registration, which fields are required, which customer group businesses get and who sees net and gross prices.
At a Glance
- Tabs: In the checkout, registration comes first; in the customer account, login comes first. Every setting for this can be switched in the backend.
- Info panel: Next to the form you can show the benefits of a customer account or your own notes.
- Account type: During registration, the customer selects “Personal” or “Business.” Starting with XONIC 4.10, you can specify whether an option is preselected or whether the customer must actively make a selection, and whether the remaining fields appear only after the selection is made.
- Required Fields: Starting with XONIC 4.10, the VAT ID and contact person fields can only be made required for business customers.
- Customer Group: Starting with XONIC 4.10, businesses can automatically be assigned their own customer group when an account is created. Simply selecting “Business” does not make a customer tax-exempt.
- Price Display: Starting with XONIC 4.10, the simultaneous display of net and gross prices can be restricted to specific customer groups, such as retailers.
- Availability: The settings marked “Starting with 4.10” are part of XONIC 4.10; no additional module is required. After the update, registration and price display will behave as before until you make any changes.
In this guide
Which tab opens first
The store automatically detects whether your visitor wants to place an order or access their account—and brings the appropriate tab to the front.
Entry from the Checkout
If the shopping cart is filled, the “Register” tab is displayed first and is open. New visitors to the store or those ordering as guests are taken directly to the correct form, saving them a click. The order of the tabs also changes in this situation: “Register” is on the left, “Log In” on the right.
Access via the customer account
If the shopping cart is empty —the classic “My Account” page— the “Log In” tab remains in the foreground and open. This page is used almost exclusively by existing customers; their usual behavior remains unchanged.
Switchable
If you’d like to maintain the familiar behavior, set the switch from “ LOGIN_DEFAULT_TAB_CHECKOUT ” to “ login ”—then “Log In” will once again be the default in the checkout. The default value is “ register.”
Registration disabled?
If registration is disabled in your store (for example, in a pure B2B operation with manual customer creation), “Log In” always remains the default—regardless of the shopping cart or the toggle switch. This means a form that cannot be used will never be displayed.
The login page settings
You can find all the toggle switches in the backend under Settings → Checkout → Customer Details. Existing stores receive these settings automatically upon update—you don’t need to add anything. The section Consumers and businesses below explains how to distinguish between individual and business customers during registration (account type, required fields, customer group, and price display).
| Setting | Default | Effect |
|---|---|---|
Checkout: Default “Register/Log In” TabLOGIN_DEFAULT_TAB_CHECKOUT | register | Determines which tab is displayed first and open when entering from checkout (filled shopping cart). register = Register first, login = previous behavior. |
Login Page: Info Panel with Customer Account BenefitsLOGIN_TRUST_PANEL | true | Displays the benefits of the customer account, the store rating, and the SSL notice to the right of the form. Desktop only; if the shopping cart summary is active in checkout, it takes precedence. |
Off-Canvas Login: Benefits BlockLOGIN_OFFCANVAS_TRUST | true | The same benefits block appears in the side account menu, below the login form. Only on desktop and only for visitors who are not logged in. |
Show Password (Eye Icon)PASSWORD_SHOW_TOGGLE | true | Displays a button next to the password field that allows customers to briefly check their entry in plain text—in all login screens and during registration. |
Social Login ButtonsLOGIN_SOCIAL_LOGINS | false | Pure preview with no functionality: displays disabled buttons with the message “Coming soon.” We recommend leaving this toggle turned off until the integration is available. |
Order of Priority
The "Default" tab applies only if nothing else already determines the outcome. This order applies from top to bottom.
1. Messages from the form
If someone makes a typo, the store opens the tab where the message originated: A failed login attempt or a requested password reset link opens the “Log In” tab; an incomplete registration form opens the “Register” tab—including the data already entered.
2. Explicit link
Links can specify the tab directly: ?tab=register opens the registration page, ?tab=login opens the login page. The store’s own links already use this—"Create Customer Account" in the Account menu, in the login box, and in the login dialog leads directly to registration.
3. The Default Based on the Situation
Only when neither a message nor an explicit link is present does the shopping cart decide: filled → Register (provided the switch is set to register and registration is active), empty → Log In.
For Your Own Links and Campaigns
When linking directly to the registration page from newsletters or landing pages, append ?tab=register to the registration page’s URL. Conversely, ?tab=login takes existing customers directly to the registration page—even if their shopping cart is already filled.
The info panel next to the form
To the right of “Sign Up” and “Register” on the desktop, there’s a panel that highlights the benefits of a customer account—you can manage the content yourself.
Freely editable text
The text describing the benefits comes from a CMS page and can be freely edited in the backend under CMS in any language. A ready-made list of benefits (order overview, invoices, wish list, saved addresses) is provided.
Automatic store rating
Below that, your store’s average rating appears—automatically calculated from approved customer reviews. It is displayed only once three reviews have been submitted, to ensure it makes the right impression.
SSL Notice
When SSL encryption is active, the store displays a notice indicating that data is being transmitted securely and in compliance with data protection regulations—an additional trust signal right where data is entered.
Deliberately Hidden on Mobile Devices
On smartphones, the panel is not displayed—the focus remains on the form so that the input field isn’t obscured by additional content. During checkout, the panel also takes a back seat to the shopping cart summary, provided it is enabled.
XONIC 4.9 and the update to 4.10
In XONIC 4.9, your store behaves as it would with the default settings of 4.10: “Private” is preselected, all fields are immediately visible, there is no custom company group, and dual pricing is enabled for everyone. The update to 4.10 applies the new settings using exactly these values. Registration and price display remain unchanged until you make any changes; the only new feature is more detailed error messages in the form.
Available in XONIC 4.9
- “Private” and “Business” tabs in the registration form
- “Business,” “Gender,” “Business fields also for private customers”
- “VAT ID required field” with the values
trueandfalse - VAT ID validation and automatic merchant assignment
- Group selection in the form, access code, email domain
- Dual price view for all visitors
- “Guest” or “Customer Account” as tabs at the top of the form (since 4.9.27)
- “Withdrawal Button: Target Group” (since 4.9.85)
- Additional verification of customer group during registration (since 4.9.103)
New in XONIC 4.10
- Account type preselection, also “Please select”
- Fields appear only after account type selection
- VAT ID required only for businesses (new value:
company) - Contact person required for companies
- Customer group for companies when creating an account
- Dual price view only for certain customer groups
- Notes in the HealthCheck regarding these settings
- More specific error messages during registration, such as “already assigned to a customer account”
In XONIC 4.9, a business without a VAT ID number is assigned to Group 0 or to the group selected during registration. It is assigned to a different group via the group selection in the form, the VAT ID check, an access code, or manually in the backend.
Here’s what the registration looks like
New customers choose between the “Private” and “Business” tabs on the registration form. The fields change based on their selection: Private customers see “Title,” while business customers see “Company Name” and “VAT ID.”
Personal
The customer enters their first and last name; the title (Mr., Ms., or “none specified”) is optional. The company name and VAT ID are hidden. If you want private customers to be able to enter a company name anyway—for example, for delivery to their workplace—enable the setting under Settings → Checkout → Customer Details → Company Fields for Private Customers as well (ACCOUNT_COMPANY_FOR_PRIVATE) (value: true).
Company
The company name is required; the VAT ID number is optional for now. First and last names are treated as contact information for companies and are optional without any further configuration. The store verifies an entered VAT ID number online as usual (see Customer Group).
Default: “Private” is preselected, with the title below it. Click to enlarge.
After clicking “Company”: Company name and VAT ID number appear instead of the title. Click to enlarge.
The fields appear if Settings → Checkout → Customer Details → Company (ACCOUNT_COMPANY) is optional (value optional, default). With the value mandatory, every new customer is considered a company; there is no option to choose otherwise. With the value false, the store does not request either the company name or the VAT ID. You can specify whether new customers are allowed to place orders as guests under Settings → Checkout → Customer Details → Registration Required During Checkout (ACCOUNT_MODE). The chapters above, starting with Which tab opens first, explain which tab on the login page opens first, the info panel next to the form, and the password eye icon.
Allow active account type selection starting with version 4.10
If “Private” is preselected, business customers may easily overlook the option and register as private customers. The customer group and pricing displayed will then be incorrect. With two settings, you can ensure that every new customer makes a conscious decision.
Preselection “Please select”
Set Settings → Checkout → Customer Details → Registration: Account Type Preselection (ACCOUNT_TYPE_PRESELECT) to “Please select” (value none): No option is checked. Anyone who submits the form without making a selection will see the message “Please select whether you are ordering as a private individual or as a business” below the radio buttons. This also applies to guest orders. Additional values: “Business” preselected (value company), “Private” preselected (value private, default).
Step Mode
Enable Settings → Checkout → Customer Details → Registration: Show fields only after account type selection (ACCOUNT_TYPE_REVEAL_FIELDS) (value true): On the first page, only the question “Are you ordering as a private individual or as a business?” appears. After clicking, the relevant fields appear, followed by the option to choose “Guest” or “Customer Account.” Step mode only works in conjunction with “Please select.”
“Please select” without step mode: No checkbox is selected; all fields remain visible. Click to enlarge.
Step-by-step mode: First, only the question about the account type appears. Click to enlarge.
After clicking “Company”: Company fields, then Guest or Customer Account. Click to enlarge.
On a smartphone, the cards appear one below the other.
After tapping “Company,” the company fields appear.
No selection: a clear message appears directly below the cards. Click to enlarge.
Settings → Checkout → Customer Details → Registration: Pre-select account type. Click to enlarge.
Settings → Checkout → Customer Details → Registration: Show fields only after account type is selected. Click to enlarge.
Consider the consequences
The store treats orders with the “Business” account type as commercial: If Settings → Checkout → General → Cancel Button: Target Group (WITHDRAWAL_AUDIENCE, since XONIC 4.9.85) is set to “Automatic” (value: auto, default), the store will not display a cancel button for these orders. With the “Please select” option, you can expect significantly more customers to select “Business,” including consumers who accidentally click the wrong option. Before making the change, check whether this setting is appropriate for your store; with the value “ b2c,” the cancellation option is always displayed. For more information, see the Cancellation Button Guide.
Preselection and step mode apply only to registration. “My Data,” the address book, and checkout addresses remain unchanged; express payment methods such as PayPal or Apple Pay do not prompt for an account type. Without JavaScript and after submitting a form with errors, the form always displays all fields.
Required Fields for Businesses
For business customers, you often need more information than for individual customers. Two settings control this for each account type.
VAT ID Required
Settings → Checkout → Customer Details → VAT ID Required Field On/Off (ACCOUNT_TVA_MANDATORY): With the value " true," the store requires the number from every customer; with " false " (default), it never does. New as of 4.10: With the value “ company,” the shop requires it only from customers with the account type “Company.” “Required” does not mean “Merchant Group”: A customer is assigned to this group only after the number passes the online validation (for exceptions, see “Merchant Assignment Without Validation” under “Customer Group”).
Contact Person Required as of 4.10
With Settings → Checkout → Customer Details → Company: Contact Person (First and Last Name) Required (ACCOUNT_COMPANY_CONTACT_NAME, value mandatory), even corporate customers must provide a first and last name; the form displays the subheading “Contact Person” for this purpose. With the value optional (default), the company name alone is sufficient for corporate customers.
Preset “Company” with VAT ID and contact person as required fields. Click to enlarge.
Enable/disable the VAT ID required field using the new value “company.” Click to enlarge.
Company: Contact Person (First and Last Name) – Required. Click to enlarge.
false and “VAT ID Required Field” with the value true are mutually exclusive. The field for the VAT ID will then not be displayed, but it is still required, and no one will be able to register.
Which customer group a new customer is assigned to
The customer group determines prices, tax, payment methods, and shipping options. During registration, the store checks rules 1 through 4 from top to bottom; if a later rule applies, it overrides the result of the earlier one. Points 5 and 6 describe what applies to guests and thereafter.
1. Group selection in the form
The “Customer Selection Upon Registration” field for each customer group (Customers → Customer Groups) is decisive. If no group is enabled, every new customer is assigned to Group 0; if exactly one group is enabled, the customer is assigned to that group; if two or more groups are enabled, the customer selects from a list.
2. Company group starting with 4.10
Settings → Checkout → VAT ID Validation → Customer Group for Companies when Creating an Account (ACCOUNT_COMPANY_CUSTOMER_GROUP): Anyone who selects “Company” is placed in this group, even without a VAT ID number. If the form displays a list of groups, the customer’s selection takes precedence. Anyone who clicks “Company” is assigned to this group without verification. Therefore, do not select a group with wholesale prices; instead, create your own group, such as “Corporate Customers,” with your retail prices. The store never assigns a group with the “yes” tax exemption here.
3. VAT ID Check
If an entered number passes the EU validation, the shop assigns the customer to the “Automatic Domestic” or “Automatic International” merchant assignment (Settings → Checkout → VAT ID Validation). A number recognized as invalid blocks registration. For the group designated for international orders, verify the tax exemption setting: the correct setting is generally “Yes, if VAT ID matches the shipping country (EU countries only).” With “Yes,” the group is also tax-exempt for domestic shipments.
4. Access Code or Email Domain
Via Settings → Checkout → Customer Details → Special Registration Mode (CUSTOMER_SPECIAL_REGISTRATION_MODE), an activation code or the domain of the email address overrides all previous rules. You manage codes and domains on a per-customer-group basis.
5. Guest Order
If the customer places an order without an account, the assigned group applies only to that purchase; on the next visit, Group 0 applies again. The saved guest record receives the customer group assignment when a purchase is made without a customer account. A company retains its group permanently only if it has a customer account.
6. No Automatic Reassignment Afterward
If a customer later changes their account type or VAT ID number (“My Data,” Address Book, Billing Address at checkout), their group remains the same. Reassigning groups is only possible in the backend under “Customers”; the customer list can be filtered by account type and group for this purpose.
Settings → Checkout → VAT ID Validation → Customer Group for Companies When Creating an Account. Click to enlarge.
Existing customers are not re-assigned to a different group
The company group applies only to new accounts. Businesses that registered previously remain in their current group, usually Group 0. The “Business” account type filter in the customer list also finds older accounts. If you’d like to migrate your existing accounts, please contact us: We’ll discuss with you which accounts need to be migrated and handle the migration on a time-and-materials basis.
ENTRY_TVA_AUTO_GROUP_WITHOUT_CHECK, value true), any entry meeting the minimum length is sufficient if online verification is not possible or is disabled. Use this only if you manually verify new merchants.
Net and Gross Prices by Customer Group
With the dual price view, the store displays both the net and gross prices simultaneously. Starting with XONIC 4.10, you can specify which customer groups see both prices.
Dual Price View On/Off
If Settings → Design → Product Listing → Dual Price View On/Off (DESIGN_DUAL_PRICE_VIEW) is enabled (value: true), product pages, category lists, and variant lists display both prices. Up to XONIC 4.9, this applies to all visitors, including guests and private customers.
For these customer groups only, starting with version 4.10
Settings → Design → Product Listing → Dual Price View Only for These Customer Groups (DESIGN_DUAL_PRICE_VIEW_GROUPS): For example, enable your corporate and reseller groups. These groups will see both net and gross prices, while all others will see only the price for their group. “Nothing selected” (default) means: all groups, as before.
Group in the list: Net and gross price.
Guests whose group is not on the list: gross price only.
One button per customer group. Click to enlarge.
- Guests belong to Group 0. If they have selected a different group in the “Who are you shopping for?” pop-up ( Customer Group Preselection Pop-up setting) or via a link, that group applies, provided that “Selection by parameter allowed” is set to “Yes” for that group.
- Tax-exempt groups, such as EU merchants with a verified VAT ID, always see a single price because the net and gross amounts are the same.
- The shopping cart and checkout continue to display a price per item. The “Net Total” module (Settings → Checkout → Summary) displays a net total in the summary block.
- Whether a group generally sees net or gross prices is determined by the “Price Display” field for the customer group. Which of the two prices appears larger is controlled by Settings → Design → Product Listing → Dual Price View: Highlighted Price (
DESIGN_DUAL_PRICE_VIEW_PRIMARY_MODE). - Existing companies are usually in Group 0. As long as Group 0 is not on the list, they will only see gross prices after the changeover. Leave the list blank until your existing companies have been regrouped.
The settings for consumers and businesses
Most toggles can be found under Settings → Checkout → Customer Details. The update automatically creates new toggles from XONIC 4.10 with the previous behavior.
Settings → Checkout → Customer Details, shown here with “Please select” and step mode. After the update, the new lines are located at private, false, and optional. Click to enlarge.
Customer Details
- Company
ACCOUNT_COMPANY - Personal and Company cards (value:
optional, default), all customers are companies (value:mandatory), no company fields (value:false). Preselection and step mode only work withoptional. - Gender
ACCOUNT_GENDER - Displays the title for private customers (Mr., Ms., not specified). The title is never required and has no effect on the customer group. Default: on.
- Company Fields Also for Private Customers
ACCOUNT_COMPANY_FOR_PRIVATE - When enabled, private customers can also enter a company name and VAT ID. A valid VAT ID will then place private customers in the merchant group as well. Default: off.
- VAT ID Required Field On/Off
ACCOUNT_TVA_MANDATORY - Always required (value
true), optional (valuefalse, default), required only for the “Business” account type (valuecompany) as of version 4.10. - Registration: Account Type Preselection as of October 4
ACCOUNT_TYPE_PRESELECT - "Private" preselected (value
private, default), "Company" preselected (valuecompany), “Please select” (valuenone). - Registration: Show fields only after account type selection starting October 4
ACCOUNT_TYPE_REVEAL_FIELDS - When enabled, the fields appear only after selecting “Private” or “Business.” Works only with “Please select.” Default: off.
- Business: Contact Person (First and Last Name) Required as of 4.10
ACCOUNT_COMPANY_CONTACT_NAME - Businesses must also provide first and last names (value
mandatory); the company name alone is sufficient (valueoptional, default). - Registration Required During the Order Process
ACCOUNT_MODE - Determines whether new customers may order as guests, must create a customer account, or can choose between the two options.
- Customer group assignment for purchases without a customer account
PURCHASED_WITHOUT_ACCOUNT_GROUP - Group of the saved guest data record. Prices and tax for the guest order are based on the group determined during registration.
- Special registration mode
CUSTOMER_SPECIAL_REGISTRATION_MODE - Customer group via activation code (value:
accesscode) or via email domain (value:domainname). Overrides all other rules. Default: off. - Customer Registration: File Upload Yes/No
CUSTOMER_REGISTRATION_FILE_UPLOAD_STATUS - Upload of supporting documents during registration, such as for a business registration. If a customer enters a VAT ID number, the upload becomes mandatory for them and a customer account is required. With customer registration: File upload required field yes/no (
CUSTOMER_REGISTRATION_FILE_UPLOAD_MANDATORY) applies to every new customer, including private customers; this is only suitable for pure retail stores. Default: off.
VAT ID Validation
- Customer group for businesses when creating an account as of 4.10
ACCOUNT_COMPANY_CUSTOMER_GROUP - Group for new business customers, even without a VAT ID. “— no automatic assignment —” = off (default). A group with “yes” for tax exemption is never applied.
- VAT ID Verification
ENTRY_TVA_INTRACOM_CHECK - Checks the entered VAT ID number online via the EU system. Default: on.
- Automatic Merchant Assignment: Domestic / International
ENTRY_TVA_AUTO_GROUP_INENTRY_TVA_AUTO_GROUP_OUT - Group for customers with a valid VAT ID from the shop’s country or from another EU country.
- Number of characters in the tax ID
ENTRY_TVA_INTRACOM_MIN_LENGTH - Minimum length of a VAT ID number. Default: 8.
- Automatic merchant assignment even without a valid VAT number check
ENTRY_TVA_AUTO_GROUP_WITHOUT_CHECK - Also assigns even if online verification is not possible or is disabled. Default: off.
Product Listing, Cancellation, and Customer Groups
- Dual price display on/off
DESIGN_DUAL_PRICE_VIEW - Net and gross prices displayed simultaneously on the product page and in lists. Default: off.
- Dual price view only for these customer groups starting with version 4.10
DESIGN_DUAL_PRICE_VIEW_GROUPS - Restricts the dual price view to the selected groups. Nothing selected = all groups (default).
- Cancel button: Target group
WITHDRAWAL_AUDIENCE - Settings → Checkout → General, since XONIC 4.9.85. With the value “
auto” (default), an order with the account type “Company” is considered a business order, and a cancellation button will not be displayed. - Fields per Customer Group
Customers → Customer Groups - Selection by customer during registration (group list in the form), price display (net or gross), tax-exempt customer group, selection via parameters allowed (default selection for guests).
Typical Settings
Three common shop types and their corresponding values. Omit these settings in XONIC 4.9 for versions 4.10 and later.
Retail Shop
Primarily private customers, occasionally businesses.
- Company:
optional - Account type preselection:
private - Dual price display: off
Individual and business customers
Businesses should identify themselves as such and view both net and gross amounts.
- Company:
optional - Account Type Preselection:
nonestarting October 4 - Fields appear only after selection: on , starting October 4
- Company Group: A separate “Corporate Customers” group with your end-customer prices starting October 4
- Dual price view enabled, only for corporate and dealer groups , starting October 4
In XONIC 4.9: Reseller prices for companies are determined by verifying the VAT ID; all visitors see the dual price view there.
Purely Retailer Store
Commercial customers only.
- Company:
mandatory - VAT ID (required field):
true - Contact person required:
mandatorystarting October 4 - Document upload: as needed; if a VAT ID is required, every new customer must upload the document and create a customer account
Checklist: login page
Check it in just a few minutes—then the login page will be tailored to your store.
- Set the default tab —
LOGIN_DEFAULT_TAB_CHECKOUT, go to Settings → Checkout → Customer Details. Recommendation: Leave it set to “register” if you have new customers; set it to “login” if almost exclusively existing customers place orders. - Walk through both paths once —once with an empty shopping cart via “My Account,” and once with a filled shopping cart via “Checkout.” This way, you’ll see both versions exactly as your customers do.
- Customize the benefit text —rewrite the pre-populated list of benefits in the CMS to match your product range and target audience, in all supported languages.
- Check the info panel —
LOGIN_TRUST_PANELandLOGIN_OFFCANVAS_TRUST. Both are enabled by default; disable them if your layout uses that space differently. - Add campaign links – Include
?tab=registerin newsletters and on landing pages if the goal is to get new sign-ups.
Checklist: consumers and businesses
If set up in this order, your customers will not see a half-finished form.
- Check version – under Tools → xoUpdate. For the XONIC 4.9 series, we recommend at least 4.9.103.
- Check customer groups – under Customers → Customer Groups: Which group should companies be assigned to? Do they view net or gross amounts? What tax exemption does the group have for international transactions? Is it selectable during registration?
- Clarify existing companies —should existing company accounts be moved to the new group? The customer list can be filtered by account type and group.
- Check the cancellation button – under Settings → Checkout → General → Cancellation Button: Target group (since 4.9.85).
- Account type and required fields – under Settings → Checkout → Customer Details: VAT ID; preselection, step mode, and contact person starting with version 4.10.
- Set company group starting with version 4.10 – under Settings → Checkout → VAT ID Validation.
- Configure Price Display – under Settings → Design → Product Listing.
- Run HealthCheck ( as of version 4.10 ) – under Tools → Server Info & Health Check. It reports preselection or step mode that is not working, as well as a missing or tax-exempt company group; a button takes you directly to the setting. No notification appears when using the default values.
- Test registration —once as a private customer and once as a business, as a guest and with an account. Afterward, check the customer group: for accounts under “Customers,” for guests in the test order (guest customers are assigned to the “Guest” group). Also check the price display in the store.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a customer receive tax-exempt prices simply because they select “Business”?
What happens to businesses that already have a customer account?
Does the customer group change if a customer later switches from “Individual” to “Business”?
Do the rules also apply to guest orders?
Why doesn’t the step-by-step mode appear?
optional and the preselection is set to none. HealthCheck reports incorrect settings; it does not recognize a custom version of the registration form within the template.Do business customers also see net and gross prices in the shopping cart?
Setup Support
We’ll help you set up account types, customer groups, and price display.
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