As we move toward purchasing nearly everything online, vendors must strengthen their measures for curtailing sales to minors. Whether the product is tobacco, alcohol, firearms or even a mature-rated video game, age verification online has never been more critical. Failing to comply with age restrictions can result in hefty fines that often mean closing a business's doors for good. At the same time, a complicated and outdated age verification system often tries the patience of loyal customers, which is why the best age verification systems exist not only for the sake of regulatory compliance but also for the customer's convenience. Click here for more information on age verification online.

Online age verification methods of the past include burdensome processes such as manually scanning and uploading a photo ID. While this practice has stood the test of time, it fails to facilitate your customers' optimal buying experience. And relying on the delivery person to verify your customer's age also falls into this outdated category. With no real way to confirm they're sufficiently trained in ascertaining a shopper’s age and identity, online vendors put themselves and their businesses at risk.

These risks, however, do nothing to diminish consumers’ growing need to access their favorite products with the click of a button. But navigating the various regulation changes across local, state and federal policies is no easy task. While many states now require consumers to be 21 years of age to purchase tobacco, at the federal level, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention only requires users to be 18. Experts speculate that these policy loopholes are probable causes of the upward trend in e-cigarette use among high schoolers, which could be why 78% more high school students admitted to using e-cigarettes in 2018 than a year prior.

Even still, the ultimate burden falls on the vendor, who must pony up profits to cover large fines or close their doors for good if found liable for underage selling. For the safety of the business, the shoppers and the children alike, online vendors have a moral, social and regulatory responsibility to enact robust online age verification methods. If you're an online vendor looking to implement an age verification process, save yourself the headache and opt for an automated system that strikes the right balance between convenience and compliance.

Read a similar blog about identity verification system here at this page.