Branded stores are usually not for the general public, and the access setting is how you control that.
| Setting | Who gets in | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Public store | Anyone with the link. | Club shops, supporter merchandise, anything you would happily sell to a stranger. |
| Access code | Anyone who has the code. | A school or company where you cannot list everyone but want a soft gate. |
| Invited users | Only people you have added. | Staff uniform, anything priced or subsidised for a specific group. |
Choosing honestly
Each step up in control is a step up in support. A public store never generates an access problem; an invited-users store generates one every time somebody new joins the client.
Pick the loosest setting that meets the client's actual requirement. "Only our staff" often really means "we do not want it findable", which an access code solves without a user list to maintain.
AN ACCESS CODE IS A GATE, NOT A LOCK
Say how to get in, in the invitation
The single biggest source of support on a branded store is people who cannot get past the front door. Put the link, the code and a sentence about who the store is for in the same message.