Become a Customer
Not every TimberCloud account is a shop. If a business sells through TimberCloud, you can create a customer account with them to place orders, track them, and reorder — all from your own login. This page is for buyers; if you're setting up a shop to sell, start with Create a Company.
Customer account vs. company account
A customer account and a company account are two different things, and one login can be both:
| Account type | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Company account | For a business selling products through TimberCloud (your own shop, catalog, orders). |
| Customer account | For a person or business buying from a shop that sells on TimberCloud. |
You can have both. Many shop owners run their own TimberCloud store while also buying from other shops on the platform — the same login covers both roles.
Note: Being a customer of a shop does not use up one of that shop's paid team seats. Customer logins are external buyer accounts; they're separate from the shop's staff (the Users/team page). A shop can have unlimited customers regardless of its plan's user limit.
How to become a customer
Customer accounts live on the shop's storefront, not on the admin app. There are three common ways in.
Through a shop's storefront
The usual path:
- Visit the shop's website — a business selling on TimberCloud has an embeddable storefront on their site (or a hosted website).
- Browse and configure products — explore the catalog and set the options you want.
- Create an account — from the storefront's Sign in / Create account screen, register with your email. (Some shops also let you start an order first and create the account at checkout.)
- Complete your customer profile — before you can order, the storefront asks you to fill in your contact and address details once. See Customer Sign-in Options.
Direct registration
If a shop shares its TimberCloud storefront link directly (usually embed.timbercloud.com/shop-name, or the shop's custom domain), open it and use Sign in / Create account to register — no purchase required first.
Accept an invitation
A shop can invite you as a customer by email. Click the invitation link and create your account (or sign in if you already have one), and you'll be connected to that shop.
Note: On a shop's Free plan, the storefront is a Request-a-Quote inquiry form with no customer accounts or sign-in. Customer accounts are part of the full commerce storefront (the shop must be on Commerce or higher).
Ways to sign in
Storefront sign-in mirrors the shop side — you have three options, and each also creates your account if you're new:
| Method | How it works |
|---|---|
| Email & password | Register and sign in with an email and password; self-service password reset is built in. |
| Magic link | Enter your email and tap the one-time sign-in link we send — no password to remember. |
| Continue with Google | One-click sign-in with your Google account, in a secure popup window. |
For the details of each method (and why the Google button opens a popup), see Customer Sign-in Options.
What you can do as a customer
Once you're signed in to a shop's storefront, your customer portal lets you:
- View your order history — every order you've placed with that shop, with full details.
- Track current orders — follow each order through its stages (below).
- Reorder — quickly re-place a previous order.
- Download documents — access your quotes, invoices, and receipts as PDFs.
- Manage your profile — update your contact details and saved addresses.
- Message the shop — ask questions or send notes on an order.
Tracking your order
Your order moves through the shop's production lifecycle. The stages you'll see are:
| Status | What it means |
|---|---|
| Quote | Your request has been captured and is awaiting the shop's confirmation and pricing. |
| Ordered | The order is confirmed and queued for production. |
| In Production | Your items are being manufactured. |
| Completed | Production is finished; the order is being prepared to ship. |
| Shipped | Your order is on its way. |
| Delivered | Your order has arrived. |
An order can also be Canceled if it's stopped before completion. You'll receive email notifications as your order progresses (the exact emails depend on how the shop has set up notifications).
Note: Not every shop uses every stage, and some shops rename or streamline their pipeline. The stages above are the standard TimberCloud lifecycle; your shop may show a subset.
Guest checkout vs. a customer account
Some shops allow guest checkout, letting you place an order without creating an account. It's faster the first time, but a guest order has no online history, tracking, or reordering. If you plan to order from a shop more than once, create a customer account — it's the only way to see your full order history and reorder later.
Working with more than one shop
Your TimberCloud login is tied to your email, so you can use the same email and password to sign in at any TimberCloud storefront. If you buy from several shops that sell on TimberCloud, you can be a customer of each of them under that one login — you don't need a separate password per shop.
Each shop keeps its own separate view of you: your orders, quotes, saved addresses, and any special pricing that shop has set are specific to that shop. When you're signed in to a given storefront, you see only that shop's orders and history.
Tip: If a shop you've ordered from before doesn't recognize you, make sure you're signing in with the same email you used there. Different emails create separate customer records.
Customer pricing & discounts
Some shops set special terms for individual customers — for example a standing discount, custom prices on certain products, or extended payment terms (like Net 30). These are configured by each shop for its own customers, so they apply only on that shop's storefront. If you think you should have special pricing with a shop, contact that shop directly.
Password & security
To reset your password:
- Go to the shop's storefront Sign in screen.
- Click Forgot password.
- Enter your email and check your inbox for the reset link.
- Choose a new password.
Prefer not to manage a password at all? Use magic link or Continue with Google to sign in — see Customer Sign-in Options.
General good practice: use a unique password, don't share your login, and sign out on shared devices.
Getting help
- Order questions — message the shop from your order page, or contact the shop directly (they fulfill and support your order).
- Account or platform issues — email support@timbercloud.com; we usually respond within one business day.
Next Steps
- Customer Sign-in Options — the three storefront sign-in methods and the profile step
- The Embeddable Storefront — how the shop-facing storefront works
- Create a Company — if you want to sell, not just buy
- How shops manage customers — the seller's side of your account