Merge client accounts
Combine duplicate client profiles into one when a client has two accounts.
Duplicate accounts happen when a client books with different email addresses, or when you create a profile manually and they later sign up themselves. Merging combines both profiles into one, preserving booking history and payments.
Once accounts have been merged, the action cannot be undone.
How to merge accounts
- Go to Customers → Clients
- Search for and open one of the two profiles
- Click the More actions (three dots) menu
- Select Merge client
- Search for the duplicate account
- Select Keep this information on the profile you would like to keep
- Click Merge, then confirm twice
The profile you chose to keep becomes the main profile. Booking history, packages, and payment records from both accounts are combined.
Merging accounts can't be undone. Double-check both profiles before confirming — especially if one has active memberships or package credits that you don't want to lose.
What gets merged
- Booking history from both accounts
- Packages and remaining credits
- Notes, form submissions, and family links
- Payments, invoices, orders, and communities
- Tags and custom field answers
Payment methods will not merge from one account to another.
What happens to the duplicate account
The duplicate profile is removed from your client list, but the email address the client used to create it still works on your booking page. If they sign back in with that email, they'll see an empty account — no memberships, packages, or credits — because everything now lives on the primary profile.
This is a common reason a client can't use credits you can see on their profile. Ask them which email address they're signed in with. If it's the duplicate's, have them sign out and sign back in with the primary account's email, and their memberships and credits will be there.
Moving the duplicate's email to the primary profile
Often you'll want the primary profile to use the duplicate's email address. After a merge, Arketa frees that address automatically when it can, and you can then set it on the primary profile from Customers → Clients → the client's profile → Edit.
Sometimes saving returns "Email is already in use." That means the address is still an active Arketa login. The usual reason is that the same person is also a client at another studio on Arketa — logins are shared across studios, so the address can't be taken from an account someone is still signing in with.
You also can't always merge the other way around to get there: a profile carrying an active membership can't be merged away, because the membership would be lost.
If you run into this, ask the client to use a different email address on your account, or contact support and we'll take a look at the two accounts with you.
Most email providers, including Gmail, deliver name+studio@gmail.com to the same inbox as name@gmail.com, but Arketa treats them as two different addresses. Give one profile a plus-address version of the client's email and it gets its own login while every message still reaches them — handy when the same person needs both a client profile and a team member profile.
Preventing duplicates
Ask new clients to use the same email address they signed up with when booking online. If you're importing clients from another platform, try to match email addresses exactly to avoid creating duplicates during the import.
Restrictions on Account Merging
Certain conditions prevent account merging, such as:
- The profile being merged away has an active subscription. Cancel or move it first.
- The profile being merged away is the business owner's account or belongs to a team member.
To merge advanced clients, chat with us by clicking the ? in the bottom-left of your dashboard or email support@arketa.com.
Frequently asked questions
Why can't I create a new account with an email from a merge.
Post-merge, attempting to create a new account with an email address from a merged account results in an error. It is vital to ensure the email chosen for the primary account is the customer's preferred email.
Who can merge accounts?
Any team member whose role includes the permission to merge clients.
What if the client I want to merge with doesn't exist in my client list?
Both clients must be in your client list before merging. Please add both clients before merging accounts.