PASS is leading a consultation with retailers, proof of age providers, enforcement bodies and consumers to find a common solution to acceptance of digital proof of age in physical retail outlets like shops, pubs, clubs and cinemas.

PASS said “A growing number of people want to prove their age through a digital system on their phone as well as/or instead of having a physical proof of age card, and this consultation aims to help them to do that by finding the best way for that proof of age to be verified.”

PASS has published the consultation paper open to anyone who has a view on this important topic, and particularly aimed at digital proof of age providers, retailers, publicans, entertainment venues, users of digital proof of age, technology and data experts, public sector and enforcement bodies, and groups working with young people.

The key elements of the proposed solution are:

• Verification of valid digital proof of age through the retailer scanning a QR code on the customer’s phone;
• The retailer being able to programme common code into their till systems, or as a minimum to download a free app to use on their own phone;
• No exchange of data from the customer to the retailer;
• A defined focus on using digital proof of age in a physical retail environment, not online;
• Mirroring of the same PASS standards for verifying the age of an applicant before a physical card is issued, for digital proof of age companies.

The consultation will run until 30 April 2020, and PASS welcomes views from all interested parties. An event will be run during this period to give further opportunities to engage with this important piece of work.

For any queries, please contact Katharine at PASSdigitalconsultation@gmail.com