TABLE OF CONTENTS
- 1. Why You Need a Silhouette Account
- 2. How to Create an Account
- 3. Account Verification
- 4. Can You Use Your Machine or Software Without an Account?
- 5. Managing Your Account
- 6. Why Silhouette Asks for Your Birthday
- 7. Deleting Your Account
- 8. Common Issues / Troubleshooting Tips
- 9. Related Articles
1. Why You Need a Silhouette Account
A Silhouette account is free.
Registering gives you access to the Design Store, Library, free content with machine purchase, and software upgrades (where applicable).
Your one account works across SilhouetteAmerica.com, Silhouette Studio, and the Design Store.
2. How to Create an Account
Go to the Create Account link (on the website or via Silhouette Studio or the Design Store).
Fill in your name, email, and password.
Accept the Terms of Use.
Click Verify Email (see next section).
⚠️ Tip: Double-check your email entry before submitting to avoid mis-typed addresses.
3. Account Verification
After registration, you’ll receive a confirmation email.
Click the link inside to activate your account.
If not received within ~5 minutes, check your Spam / Junk folder.
If nothing appears, verify your email address for typos.
Still no email? Contact Support at support@silhouetteamerica.com with your name and email address.
4. Can You Use Your Machine or Software Without an Account?
Yes — you can run your Silhouette machine and use the Basic Edition of Silhouette Studio without an account.
However, without an account, you will miss out on:
Using the Library
Accessing free content with machine / trial content
Registering your machine for warranty
Downloading software upgrades (for paid upgrades)
5. Managing Your Account
5.1 Change Your Email / Password
Sign in, go to Account Information under My Account.
Tick the checkboxes for Email or Password to edit.
To change email: erase the old and enter new one.
To change password: input current password, then enter and confirm the new password.
You may be asked to verify again via email depending on security settings.
5.2 Reset a Forgotten Password
On the Sign In page, click “Forgot Password?”.
Enter your account email.
Complete the CAPTCHA / security prompt.
Click the reset link in the email you receive and choose a new password.
5.3 Language Preferences
Currently, the platform does not support manual language switching.
If you’re browsing in another language, use your browser’s translation tools (e.g., Chrome Translate).
5.4 Order History
Go to My Orders under My Account to see all purchases made at SilhouetteAmerica.com.
5.5 Returns
If you’ve already sent an email to support about a return, you can track your return request via My Returns (after signing in).
Some returns may require referencing your support ticket or return ID.
5.6 Address Management
In Address Book, enter your first address (will become default billing & default shipping).
You can then edit or add additional addresses as needed.
Must always have both a default billing and shipping address.
5.7 Card / Payment Methods
Accepted Payment Methods
Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, Diners Club
After Pay, Klarna
Adding a Card
Click Add New Card.
Fill in card number, expiration date, security code, and cardholder name.
Updating / Deleting Cards
To update: delete the existing card and add a new one (no editing in place).
To delete: click the remove button next to the card in Stored Cards.
Pre-Authorization / Transaction Checks
A $1.00 pre-authorization may appear when adding a new card. This is temporary and not an actual charge.
If a card addition fails, check:
All fields are filled, including full name (first + last).
The expiration date and security code are correct.
Avoid using accented characters in names (some banks reject them).
If you’ve made multiple failed attempts in a short span, your account might block card additions for 24 hours—try again later.
Your bank may block the transaction for security reasons—please contact them for details.
Missed Payments
If a subscription payment fails:
Pending charges will automatically retry once a valid card is saved.
If payment is not completed within 30 days, the subscription will be paused.
When a valid card is added after a pause, the subscription will retry payment only for the current month.
5.8 Machine Registration & Management
In Machines, you can view machines tied to your account and add a new one (e.g. via serial number).
Registering your machine is important for warranty support and tracking.
5.9 License Keys & Upgrades
Go to License Keys to:
Enter a new license key
View Purchased License Keys
View Active Software Licenses bound to your account
5.10 Club Silhouette
For details about Club Silhouette, see the linked Club page from your account dashboard.
5.11 Account Management for Educators
Currently, there’s no support for shared/”classroom” accounts (i.e. one login for multiple teachers/students).
Each user or teacher must have their own account to use upgrades and licensed content.
6. Why Silhouette Asks for Your Birthday
To Ensure we are COPPA Compliant we request your date of birth when you create or manage a Silhouette account (including Silhouette Design Store) so we can:
- Determine whether you are an adult or a child under 13, which is important for complying with children’s privacy laws like COPPA in the United States.
- Decide what type of account, permissions, and communications are appropriate for you based on your age.
- Help ensure that we are collecting only the minimum personal information needed to provide our services.
- We do not ask for your birthday so we can sell it to third parties; it is used primarily for age and safety checks.
What Is COPPA?
COPPA stands for the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, a U.S. federal law that governs how online services handle personal information from children under 13.
- COPPA is enforced by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
- Its main goal is to give parents control over what personal information is collected from their young children online.
- COPPA applies to websites and online services that collect personal information from children under 13 or that have actual knowledge they are dealing with children under 13.
- “Personal information” under COPPA includes things like name, contact details, and other data that can identify or locate a child.
How Your Birthday Helps With COPPA
By asking for your date of birth in a neutral way (the same question for everyone), Silhouette can:
- Identify when an account may belong to a child under 13 so we can apply extra protections or restrictions as required by COPPA.
- Avoid knowingly collecting more personal information than is reasonably necessary from children under 13.
- Determine when we may need a parent or guardian involved before collecting, using, or sharing certain information from a child.
- U.S. guidance allows general‑audience services that ask age in a neutral way to rely on the age information users provide for compliance decisions.
How We Use and Protect Age Information
We treat your birthday as sensitive account information and use it mainly to support privacy, safety, and legal compliance.
- We aim to collect only the information needed for these purposes and to handle it consistently with applicable privacy laws and our privacy policy.
- It may be used to configure your account experience, such as which features, communications, or purchases are available based on your age.
- It may be used in automated checks designed to help prevent the misuse of our services by or for very young children without appropriate safeguards.
If you have questions about how your information is handled, including your date of birth, please contact Silhouette Support or review our privacy policy for more detail.
7. Deleting Your Account
To permanently delete your account:
Email support@silhouetteamerica.com using your registered account email.
Include your full name, email address, and a statement confirming you want your account deleted (understanding all data will be erased).
The support team will confirm once deletion is processed.
⚠️ Once deleted: you will lose access to your Library, licensed content, machine registrations, and account history.
8. Common Issues / Troubleshooting Tips
Here are some suggestions to help avoid or address account / payment issues:
| Issue | Cause / scenario | Suggested Fix / Note |
|---|---|---|
| Didn’t receive verification email | Typo in email, or spam filter | Double-check spelling, resend the email, check spam/junk folders |
| Cannot add card / card declined | Bank blocks, special characters, multiple failures | Try another card, contact bank, avoid accented letters, wait 24 hours if locked out |
| Unexpected charge or failed payment | Failed subscription, card update issue | Use a new valid card, system will retry pending charges |
| License / upgrade not appearing | Key not applied correctly | Confirm you entered the correct key under License Keys; re-login if needed |
If the steps above don’t solve your issue, our team is happy to help at support@silhouetteamerica.com