In the UK, the way people are able to prove their age is changing. The Government is actively working to update legislation that’ll allow digital IDs to be used as proof of age when buying alcohol. It’s a significant step towards modernising everyday, in-store interactions for retailers and hospitality venues across the country.
To help businesses prepare for these changes with confidence, we’re launching the Digital ID Connect ID Checker app. It’s a free, simple and secure way for staff to verify customers’ digital IDs when they choose to use them to prove their age or identity in person.
Why digital age checks are gaining momentum
Selling age-restricted products like alcohol, energy drinks, vapes or tobacco, is a part of daily life for many retailers and hospitality teams. Staff are expected to make quick, accurate decisions (often during busy periods), all without disrupting the customer experience.
Physical IDs such as passports and driving licences don’t always make that easy. Customers need to remember to carry them, they reveal more personal information than necessary, they’re open to fraud and can be easily damaged or lost. And they often require staff to do quick mental maths to work out whether someone meets the age threshold, which can vary by product.
Digital IDs help to remove many of these pain points. Already, more than 7 million people in the UK have downloaded a digital ID issued by UK providers such as Yoti, Post Office and Luciditi. These digital IDs are built with privacy at their core, allowing customers to prove something specific (like being over 18) without sharing their full date of birth or other personal details that aren’t needed.
With the ID Checker app, businesses can start accepting and verifying these digital IDs in person for all age-restricted products apart from alcohol. This means you can get familiar with digital age checks ahead of the expected legal changes for alcohol early next year.
What the ID Checker app does
Simply put, the ID Checker app allows retail and hospitality staff to use any smartphone to scan and verify a customer’s digital ID in seconds. It confirms the digital ID is legitimate, belongs to the customer and that they’re old enough.
It helps businesses stay compliant with current age-checking regulations, while also putting the right foundations in place for when digital proof of age becomes legally accepted for alcohol sales.
The app has been built for businesses of all shapes and sizes. This includes independent pubs, restaurants and corner shops through to regional and national chains looking for a consistent approach across multiple locations.
Built for compliance and trust
Only digital IDs certified under the UK Government’s Digital Identity and Attributes Trust Framework (DIATF) can be legally accepted for age checks. Likewise, the same applies to the tools used to verify those digital IDs, which need to be certified Orchestration Service Providers (OSPs).
The ID Checker app is a certified solution for verifying DIATF-certified digital IDs. This framework sets the standards for trusted digital identity services, both for the digital IDs themselves and the tools used to verify them. By meeting these standards, the app gives businesses confidence that they’re using a trusted solution aligned with the direction of travel for emerging UK regulation.
Designed for real-world retail and hospitality
We know that age checks often happen in busy, high-pressure environments, with queues, noise and sometimes patchy internet connectivity. The ID Checker app is designed to work reliably in those conditions, with features that support rapid, reliable checks:
- No internet connection needed – Individuals can prove their age with their phone even without an internet connection, ensuring fast performance in busy venues or areas with limited signal.
- Additional security checks within the consumer’s digital ID app – Bluetooth, on-device liveness detection and face matching are all used to help prevent attempts to trick the system using screenshots, videos or other people’s phones.
- Data minimising – Customers only share an age result (such as “over 18”), meaning businesses are not collecting unnecessary information about their customers.
Free for single-site businesses
We understand that many small and independent businesses operate on tight margins. To make digital proof of age accessible from day one, the ID Checker app will be free for single-location businesses. This includes pubs, bars, convenience stores, restaurants and independent retailers.
There’s no added cost, just a straightforward and compliant way to verify digital IDs and start preparing for what’s next. By removing financial barriers, we hope to support early adoption and help the UK retail and hospitality sectors move forward together.
Privacy-preserving and free for customers
Unlike physical documents such as passports or driving licences (which reveal details like names, addresses and dates of birth when shown to staff), digital IDs allow people to prove their age without sharing any unnecessary personal information.
This reflects how consumer expectations have evolved. People are already comfortable using their phones for payments and tickets. So, using them to prove age and identity is a natural next step. When implemented properly, digital IDs can reduce those awkward moments at the till whilst maintaining trust and compliance.
Ready for a future beyond age checks
While age checks are the immediate focus, the ID Checker app has been built to grow alongside the UK’s digital ID ecosystem. Over time, it will support additional use cases such as Right to Work and Right to Rent checks, helping businesses manage multiple verification needs through a single trusted platform.
For larger retailers, we also offer a suite of APIs that can be integrated into self-checkouts and point-of-sale systems, making it easier to accept digital IDs at scale. We also offer a range of other features including more comprehensive reporting to give retailers better insights into usage and performance.
As other DIATF-certified digital IDs, mobile driving licences and government-issued digital IDs become available, the ID Checker app will be ready to support them too.
Supporting positive change in legislation
We welcome the Government’s commitment to updating the law to allow digital IDs to be used as proof of age for alcohol purchases. It’s an important step towards modern, privacy-preserving age and identity checks that work for both businesses and consumers.
With millions of people already using digital IDs, this shift represents a meaningful improvement in convenience and trust. The ID Checker app ensures that when these regulatory changes take effect, businesses are ready – not scrambling to catch up.
Get started with the Digital ID Connect ID Checker app
The Digital ID Connect ID Checker app will be available to download for free in January, giving businesses a head start in preparing their teams and processes.
If you’d like to learn more about how the app works, or want to explore how to integrate our API solutions into your existing in-store systems, get in touch.
