[JWait]

Anonymous is a total PITA.

It always seems the customers that did not want to create an account were the same ones that would call our 800 number asking about the status of their orders. The time and money spent on this "customer service" was determined to be too great to allow it to continue.

Since it is basically the difference of adding a username and password that is the difference, changing that to adding a password only, and using the email as the username seems like the reasonable solution. You can then add a "order history link" that you can use by entering your email address and (maybe) password. To recover the password, enter your email address..... simple!

We already have a "order tracking link" where all the customer has to do is enter their order number but you would be surprised how many people don't even know that.

There are lots of shopping carts that use this method, and I am surprised that X-cart does not have that ability.

Not allowing a email address instead of a username just seems kind of lame to me. There has to be some kind of work around that doesn't affect "security".