New technology that estimates a customer’s age when they buy age-restricted products is being trialled in Coop stores in a bid to prevent underage sales… but how exactly does it work?
The initiative, launched at Grand Marché in St Helier this morning, is part of a partnership between the Channel Islands Coop, British American Tobacco and UK-based digital identity company Yoti.
The technology, which is live across ten Coop stores, uses “facial age estimation” to assess whether a customer is old enough to buy products such as alcohol, vapes or tobacco.
It is already being used in more than 600 stores across Europe, with early results showing a 99% accuracy rate.
The pilot scheme aims to test whether the software can provide a faster, reliable and privacy-protecting alternative to manual checks – allowing adults to prove they are of legal age without having to present ID or wait for staff assistance, while also protecting underage shoppers.
How does it work?
Customers are asked to take a quick selfie using an in-store tablet.
Yoti’s software then estimates their age without storing or sharing any personal information.
If the system determines that the customer appears over the legal threshold – which has been set at 20 for the Jersey trial – the sale can proceed.
If not, a staff member will check the shopper’s ID.
The software gives a yes or no answer based on the threshold, and all images are instantly deleted once the customer’s age has been estimated.