> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.smile.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Understand customer types

> Learn how members, guests and excluded customers are defined.

Smile identifies different types of customers within your program. Customers are identified as either a **Member**, **Guest** or **Excluded.** You can see any customer's type in the **[Customers](https://app.smile.io/customers)** table and on the individual customer's profile in Smile Admin.

## Members

**Members are customers who have joined your loyalty program.**

Typically, a customer becomes a Member by creating an online account on your store.

For **Shopify** merchants, customers can also become Members without creating a traditional online account by using Shopify's new customer accounts. In this case, customers become Members when they access the logged-in version of the Smile panel using their email and the 6-digit PIN sent to them.

Customers also become Members when they place an in-store order using **Shopify POS**. When the order is linked to a customer using an identifier such as an email address, name, or phone number, they're automatically recognized as a Member.

## Guests

On Shopify, **Guests** are customers who have not yet registered for a store account.

On BigCommerce only customers who have created store accounts are sent to Smile - no "Guest" customers are sent. BigCommerce stores will only have **Member** and **Excluded** customers identified in Smile. If you would like a customer to be synced over to Smile, be sure to get them to create an account on your store.

<Tip>
  **Tip:** To learn how different types of customers can participate in your program on Shopify or edit these settings, please see our guide on [configuring program participation](/en/articles/4536631-configure-program-participation).
</Tip>

## Excluded

**Excluded** customers have been removed from your loyalty program.

Customers can be [individually excluded](/en/articles/4036235-exclude-a-customer), or [excluded based on their tag or customer group.](/en/articles/4036223-exclude-customers-by-tag) When a customer is **Excluded,** they will not be able to see the Smile panel when logged in, or participate in your points, referral or VIP programs.