Linking a Customer to a Past Order
How Linking a Customer Works
Access requirements. You'll need edit access to both "Customers" and "Transactions" — both are checked, so having only one won't let you make the change.
This only works from the Transactions page, not Customer orders. Once an order is complete, its customer can only be changed from Transactions. The Customer orders page (used for draft and in-progress orders) locks the customer field the moment an order is completed.
Attaching a customer retroactively earns them loyalty points for that sale, if they're enrolled — but only for a sale that's completed, not a returned one. This happens automatically the moment you save the change — there's no separate step needed. If the order has since been returned, this doesn't apply.
Attaching a customer also adds that sale to their "Total spent" right away. The updated figure shows on their customer record as soon as the change saves. If that sale is later returned, the total adjusts back down. If you replace one customer with another, the sale moves off the old customer's total and onto the new one's.
It does not retroactively change the price the customer paid. Any customer-group pricing or tax exemption tied to a customer only applies going forward, on new orders — it's never applied back onto a sale that's already complete, even though the customer search box's helper text might suggest otherwise.
You can't change the customer on an order paid with a house account. That's blocked entirely, since house account charges are tied to a specific customer's credit from the start.
Replacing a customer removes the old one immediately, before you pick a new one. If you click "Change customer" and then leave the page before selecting a replacement, the order is left with no customer attached — you'll need to come back and pick one.
Important: if a customer was already earning loyalty points from this sale, swapping them out deducts those points immediately — before a new customer (if any) is selected. Don't click "Change customer" unless you're ready to immediately pick who it should be instead.
Where to Access Each Feature
To… | Go to |
Find a past order | Transactions → search by order #, product, or customer |
Attach a customer to an order with none | Order detail → "Search customers" |
Replace an already-attached customer | Order detail → "Change customer" |
Create a brand-new customer while attaching | "Search customers" → type a name with no match → "Add new customer…" |
Attaching a Customer
Step 1
Click on "Transactions" in the left-menu bar.
Step 2
Search for the order by its order number, an item on it, or whatever customer info you already have, and open it.
Step 3
In the Summary card, find "Customer" and click into "Search customers."
Step 4
Search by name, email, or phone, and select the right customer from the results. The order saves automatically once you pick one.
Replacing an Attached Customer
Step 5
Open the order the same way as above. If a customer is already attached, you'll see their name as a button instead of a search box.
Step 6
Click "Change customer" and confirm.
Important: This removes the current customer right away, even before you've picked a replacement.
Step 7
Search for and select the new customer, the same way as attaching one for the first time.
Creating a New Customer While Attaching
Step 8
In "Search customers," type the new customer's name. If nothing matches, click "Add new customer…" at the bottom of the results.
Step 9
Fill out the new customer's details and save. They're attached to this order automatically — no separate step needed to link them after creating them.
Troubleshooting
You don't see a way to change the customer on an order: check that you have edit access to both "Customers" and "Transactions" — having only one isn't enough.
You're trying to change the customer on a house account order and can't: that's expected — orders paid with a house account can't have their customer changed.
You changed the customer, but their loyalty points didn't show up: loyalty points are only earned if that customer is actually enrolled and eligible under your loyalty program's normal rules — a customer reassignment doesn't bypass any of that. Also check whether the order has since been returned — loyalty points aren't adjusted for returned orders, only completed ones.
You changed the customer, but the price on the order didn't update to reflect their pricing tier: that's expected — customer-based pricing and tax exemption only apply going forward on new orders, never retroactively on a sale that's already complete.
You clicked "Change customer" and now the order shows no customer at all: that's expected mid-flow — the old customer is removed as soon as you click it. Search for and select the replacement to finish.
You're trying to change the customer from the Customer orders page and the field is locked: that page only allows editing the customer before an order is completed. Once it's complete, go to Transactions instead.