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

> ## Agent Instructions
> OwnPay is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and is completely free - no licensing fees.
> Production docs URL: https://ownpay.org/docs - append .md to any page URL for clean markdown.
> OwnPay requires PHP 8.3+, MySQL/MariaDB, and Redis.
> MCP server available at https://ownpay.org/docs/mcp for programmatic documentation queries.
> Use root-relative links (e.g. /quickstart) for internal navigation - do NOT include /docs prefix.
> Plugin development: consult /developer/plugins/ pages for correct interfaces and manifests.
> Canonical locations: API auth = /api/authentication, webhook verification = /api/webhooks, rate limits = /resources/rate-limiting, transaction statuses = /fundamentals/payment-flow.
> The documentation uses the Diataxis framework: Tutorials (learning), How-to (tasks), Reference (lookup), Explanation (understanding).

# Customer profiles

> How customer profiles are auto-created, what fields they store, and how to search and view customer data in OwnPay.

Customers are the people who pay you through OwnPay. You rarely need to create customer profiles manually - the system creates them automatically from completed payments, invoices, and payment link checkouts.

## How customer profiles are created

When a customer completes a payment for the first time, OwnPay registers their email address (and phone number if provided) as a customer profile under the brand that received the payment. The same email address used across different brands creates separate customer records per brand.

## Customer fields

| Field                 | Source                        | Encrypted | Description                                 |
| --------------------- | ----------------------------- | --------- | ------------------------------------------- |
| **Name**              | Checkout input or API payload | No        | Customer’s full name                        |
| **Email**             | Checkout input or API payload | Yes       | Billing and receipt email                   |
| **Phone**             | Checkout input or API payload | Yes       | Mobile or landline contact number           |
| **IP address**        | Transaction metadata          | No        | IP used during checkout                     |
| **Total spent**       | Calculated from transactions  | No        | Lifetime spend in the brand’s base currency |
| **Transaction count** | Calculated from transactions  | No        | Number of completed payments                |
| **Created at**        | System timestamp              | No        | When the profile was first registered       |

## PII encryption

OwnPay encrypts customer email addresses and phone numbers at rest using **AES-256-GCM**. This means:

* The raw values are never stored in plaintext in the database.
* Only the application can decrypt them using the server-side encryption key.
* Database dumps or backups contain only ciphertext for these fields.

Staff members with the **View Customers** permission can see the decrypted values in the admin UI, but the data stays encrypted in storage.

## GDPR considerations

* **Right of access** - you can export a customer’s profile and transaction history from the admin UI.
* **Right to erasure** - use the **Delete** action on the customer profile. This removes the customer record but preserves transaction records for financial compliance.
* **Data minimization** - only collect the fields you need. Avoid asking for phone numbers unless required by a payment method.

## View and search customers

1. Go to **People** → **Customers**.
2. Use the **search bar** to find customers by name, email, or phone number.
3. Click a customer row to open their **detail view**, which shows:
   * Contact information.
   * Transaction history with amounts, statuses, and dates.
   * Lifetime spending summary.

## Customer data in the API

You can also manage customers programmatically through the Merchant API. Customer records support create, read, and list operations. See the [Merchant API reference](/docs/api/overview) for endpoint details.

<Warning>
  Do not delete customer profiles that have active invoices or pending transactions. The system preserves transaction records for financial compliance even after you delete the profile.
</Warning>

## Related Pages

* [Transactions](/docs/payments/transactions) - view payments made by customers
* [Invoices](/docs/payments/invoices) - create invoices for customers
* [Security and compliance](/docs/resources/security-compliance) - encryption and data protection details
* [Merchant API](/docs/api/overview) - programmatic customer management


## Related topics

- [Create Customer](/docs/api-reference/create-customer.md)
- [Retrieve Customer](/docs/api-reference/retrieve-customer.md)
- [Create and manage invoices](/docs/payments/invoices.md)
- [Initiate Payment Intent](/docs/api-reference/initiate-payment-intent.md)
- [Internationalization - Multi-Language Checkout and Locale](/docs/developer/translations.md)