Brief
Payments Apps API now documents family_name as optional for B2B orders
Shopify's B2B checkout treats the buyer's surname as optional, so payment session requests for B2B orders can omit family_name in shipping_address and billing_address. The Payments Apps API request reference now documents this as optional to match existing behavior.
Payments apps that process B2B checkouts through the Payments Apps API and currently require family_name in shipping_address or billing_address must update their validation to accept requests where that field is absent. Apps that already accept requests without family_name for B2B orders need no change. The change aligns the API documentation with B2B checkout behavior, where a buyer surname is not required.
Our reading
Our reading: this is a documentation update that may require payments apps to relax validation rules, but only for B2B orders; apps that already handle missing family_name are unaffected.
What to do or watch
If your payments app requires family_name in shipping_address or billing_address when processing B2B checkouts via the Payments Apps API, update that validation to accept payment session requests where the field is absent. Then confirm the app still behaves as expected when family_name is either present or missing in those addresses.
Source details and supporting facts
Each line is stated by the page named above it.
Stated by shopify.dev
- B2B checkout treats the buyer’s surname as optional, so payment session requests for B2B orders can omit family_name in shipping_address and billing_address.
- The Payments app request reference now documents family_name as optional for B2B orders to match this behavior.
- Payments apps that use the Payments Apps API to process B2B checkouts and validate that shipping_address.family_name or billing_address.family_name is always present are affected.
- Payments apps that already accept requests without family_name for B2B orders don’t need to change anything.
Sources
- Shopify developer changelogText stored 16 September 2026
How this story was checked. Written from the 1 page listed above, stored 16 September 2026; claims checked against that stored text on 16 September 2026.
What that means
- 4 of 4 reported statements were confirmed against the page that carries them; the rest were removed rather than published.
- Figures in the text were required to appear in the stored source text: yes. Identifiers: yes.
- The check reads stored text only: no claim rests on a fresh look that did not happen.
- Where the reporting was silent, the text says so instead of filling the gap.