What's the proper name for an email address used as a login or user name?

Question

I'm trying to decide what to put in a dialog box that tells the user their login doesn't work, there is probably a duplicate. The system uses email addresses as user names, then requires a password.

Right now, I'm using "Email Login" but that just sounds stupid.

For instance:

1) Application Starts, recognizes that it has never been run. 2) Prompts user to create a new account. 3) User puts in an email address and password to use as their new credentials. 4) Well, looks like they've already got an account probably. (This is the most likely case the account creation would fail but I'm using an API and I can't be 100% this is why it failed) 5) I ask them to try again with a different "email login".

Could not create account - try a different email login !

After I check with the API provider, I'll probably try to detect that it is in fact a duplicate account and ask them to try to authenticate that account with a password.

Answer 1

Tell them explicitly that their email address is already in use.

Call it an email address, thats what the user thinks of it as. The fact that you are using it as an id or a database primary key or a hash key is irrelevant to them.

Answer 2

Perhaps: An account already exists for this email address. If you already have an account but forgot your password, please click [here], otherwise please choose a different email address.

I agree with mgb that the best choice is to explain the problem and how the user should proceed.

Answer 3

I would just call it what it is: an email address. I wouldn't suggest that they try a different one, though. Just ask them if they already have an account and, if so, to try logging in with the address/password. If they continue to have problems, give them a contact that they can use to get help.

Answer 4

There is a distinction between the process of authenticating ie logging-on/login and the options a user can use ie. username, userid or email address.

As more websites are having allowing users to login with email address it doesn't pay to be ambiguous, do your users a favour and label the field 'Email Address:'. This way your users are clear on what is expected in the field. If you label it "login:" or something else vague they'll be subtly fooled into thinking they might have created a username when creating their account and try all the usernames they usually use before trying email addresses.