Age verification systems are used to grant users access to age-restricted online content, services, and products. They’re the digital equivalent of presenting your physical ID card in a store.
With the rise of online shopping, it is more critical than ever to securely verify a customer’s age before letting them access certain products. Not having a secure age verification in place might let underage consumers exploit the system and gain illegal access to age-restricted products.
3 reasons why an age verification system is important
There are three main reasons why businesses need secure age verification systems:
- Ensure compliance: Age verification is necessary to stay compliant with national regulations and avoid fines.
- Prevent fraud: A strong age verification process helps businesses protect users from identity fraud, providing access only to verified individuals.
- Prohibit minors from accessing age-restricted products: Businesses have a social responsibility to prevent underage consumers from accessing age-restricted products through their platform. Failure to do so can hurt your brand and undermine customer trust.
How age verification through electronic identities work
Age verification through electronic identities (eIDs) is the safest and easiest option. eIDs let companies securely confirm a person’s identity and always include the date of birth.
They are a trusted verification system used by both public and private organizations across Europe.
In the case of most eIDs, users initiate the verification process, confirm their identity via a personal PIN or biometric authentication, and are seamlessly verified without ever having to actively input their date of birth.
For example in Sweden, the safest way to verify someone's age online is through BankID. The security and adoption of BankID is high, which allows users to easily verify their age and for businesses to stay compliant.
What are the benefits of age verification through eIDs
Here are three business benefits of using eIDs for secure age verification:
- Increased security: With eIDs, companies can be 100% sure of the individual’s identity and age. As such, eIDs help organizations increase the level of security and ensure compliance.
- Frictionless verification: Consumers are already used to relying on their eIDs to log in to governmental services, insurance providers, bank accounts, and private organizations. This makes the process familiar, simple, and frictionless.
- Ensures trust: Using this recognizable verification method helps customers trust the entire process.They feel safe and become less likely to drop off.
Which businesses need age verification?
Any business that sells, delivers, or provides age-restricted products can benefit from using an eID-based age verification system.
One such industry is delivery services. Since the Covid-19 pandemic, delivery services have grown (and continue to grow) significantly. This rise in food, beverage, other home goods deliveries make careful customer verification more critical.
Two companies that have successfully adopted age verification through eIDs are foodora and Aviant. They both leverage BankID in Norway to efficiently deliver age-restricted products to their customers.
Learn more about age verification for delivery services >
Age verification through Criipto
Criipto helps businesses integrate eIDs securely and efficiently when they need to implement age verification in their system.
