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Every order is an opportunity to learn about your customers. But there’s a tradeoff: every field you add to checkout creates friction that can reduce conversions. This guide helps you decide what data to collect and when.

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The Friction-Value Tradeoff

The golden rule: Only ask for information you’ll actually use. Every additional field increases the chance a customer abandons their order.
Research shows that reducing form fields from 4 to 3 can increase conversions by up to 50%. But the right data can be worth far more than a few lost orders - if you use it effectively. The key is finding the right balance for your business.

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Available Data Fields

Checkout fields are set per store and per fulfilment type, under Stores → your store → Settings → Operations → Checkout fields. Turn on Custom checkout fields to override the defaults; until you do, every store collects Phone (Enabled), Email (Required), First name and Last name, with Company Name and VAT Number disabled.
  • Delivery and pickup stores get two tabs, Delivery and Pickup, each with its own table of fields. A customer sees the settings for the fulfilment type they chose.
  • Order & pay (in-store) stores get a single table for in-store orders, plus the Disable ordering for customers with allergens toggle.
The option lists below are fixed - the dashboard shows exactly these buttons.

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Phone Number Settings

There is no Required option for phone. Enabled is the mandatory setting; Validated is also mandatory and additionally checks the number’s format. Use Validated when you rely on the number - for delivery coordination or customer SMS notifications, a mistyped number is as bad as none.

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Email Settings

Even when optional, most customers provide their email. The “optional” label reduces pressure while still capturing data from willing customers.

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Company Name and VAT Number

Company Name uses the same three options as email: Required blocks the order until filled in, Optional shows the field without forcing it, Disabled hides it. VAT Number adds a validated/free-text choice: the (validated) options check the number with a VAT lookup service before the order can be placed, the (free text) options accept anything typed.

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Where the Data Appears

Name, email, phone and company details entered at checkout are shown on the order in Orders → the order, and on the customer’s profile under Customers. The phone number is also what customer SMS notifications are sent to when they are enabled for the store.

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Opt-in Checkbox

Add a marketing consent checkbox at checkout under Stores → your store → Settings → General → Marketing opt-in:
  • Enable opt-in at checkout - Show the checkbox
  • Checkbox label - Write your own opt-in text (the default is “Save my details to keep up to date on news and special offers”)
  • Pre-select by default - Choose whether the checkbox starts ticked or unticked
GDPR Compliance: In the UK and EU, marketing consent checkboxes should not be pre-selected. Customers must actively opt-in. Check local regulations for your market.
When customers opt-in, you can:
  • Send promotional emails and SMS campaigns
  • Share offers and new menu items
  • Request reviews after orders
  • Build loyalty program engagement
  • Retarget with personalised offers

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Attribution Data

storekit automatically captures marketing attribution when customers arrive at your store:

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UTM Parameters

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Ad Platform Click IDs

Automatically captured for conversion tracking:
  • gclid - Google Ads
  • fbclid - Meta (Facebook/Instagram) Ads
  • ttclid - TikTok Ads
  • msclkid - Microsoft/Bing Ads
  • li_fat_id - LinkedIn Ads

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First-Touch vs Last-Touch

storekit tracks both:
  • First-touch - How the customer first discovered you
  • Last-touch - What brought them back to order
This data helps you understand which marketing channels drive discovery vs. conversion.

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Delivery & Collection Stores

For most takeaway and delivery operations:

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Dine-In / Pay at Table

For in-venue ordering where speed is critical:

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B2B / Catering

For business customers and large orders:

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Using Your Data

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In storekit

  • View customer details on every order
  • Export customer data for analysis
  • See marketing attribution on orders
  • Filter orders by customer

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Integrations

Connect your customer data to:
  • Email platforms (Mailchimp, Klaviyo) for campaigns
  • SMS providers for text marketing
  • CRM systems for customer management
  • Analytics tools for attribution reporting

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Data Retention

Customer data is stored securely and retained according to your data retention settings. Customers can request deletion of their data under GDPR/privacy regulations.

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Best Practices

Start Minimal

Launch with fewer fields, then add more once you understand what you’ll use.

Make Email Optional

Most customers still provide it, but the “optional” label removes pressure.

Validate Phone Numbers

Invalid numbers are useless. Validation ensures you can actually reach customers.

Customise Opt-in Text

Generic “subscribe to newsletter” converts worse than specific value propositions.

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Measuring Impact

Monitor these metrics when adjusting your data collection:
  • Checkout conversion rate - Does adding fields reduce completions?
  • Opt-in rate - What percentage consent to marketing?
  • Email capture rate - How many orders include email addresses?
  • Order value by data completeness - Do customers with full profiles spend more?
Test changes gradually. Adjust one field at a time and measure the impact over at least 100 orders before deciding.