Vaping has swept the world as a replacement for traditional cigarette and tobacco products. As usage continues to grow, more vape shops continue to open across the United States and world.
Similar to other age restricted items, vapes can only be purchased by individuals ranging from 18-21, based on state regulations. While purchase of e-cigarettes and vapes by anyone under 18 or 21 is illegal, the products are very popular with high school students.
Given the age restricted nature of this product, and its popularity among individuals under 18, it is imperative that businesses implement a stringent age verification process, but how do you know which ID scanner is right for your vape shop?
What features to look for in an ID scanner for vape shops
While the use case for ID scanners in vape shops may vary slightly from shop to shop, the top features that businesses should look for in an ID scanner remain the same.
- Detect fake IDs by verifying the barcode
- Check for expired IDs
- Verify the age of your customers
- Allow for anonymization or tokenization of customer data
- Configurable PII settings to ensure state compliance
- Exportable records for compliance checks
All of these needs and more can be met using our VeriScan age verification software.
Most affordable ID scanner for vape shops
Unitech TS 200
The most affordable scanner in our arsenal, the Unitech TS200 is a lightweight and compact ID and passport scanner that is perfect for vape shops with limited counter space and a limited budget. While the device itself is small, the scanning window is large, allowing your vape shop to scan a variety of ID types, including passports, accurately.
This plug and play ID scanner for vape shops allows stores to simply plug the USB into the computer and start scanning. No driver download required. It is also lightning fast, processing IDs in under 1 second.
All-in-one ID scanner for vape shops
IDWare Falcon
- IDWare Falcon – Touchscreen Countertop Tablet ID ScannerOriginal price was: $747.00.$687.00Current price is: $687.00.
The IDWare Falcon is the perfect ID scanner for those vape shops who don’t have a Windows computer. The 9-inch touchscreen tablet does the ID processing directly on the device, with no need to hook up to a computer.
The IDWare Falcon can also be set to kiosk mode which allows customers to scan their ID for age verification without a store attendee needing to assist.
The IDWare Falcon is also able to act as a standalone solution, creating and storing customer information right on the device instead of having to log into a cloud based storage site. That being said, vape shops are able to access visitor information and other demographics from the VeriScan cloud portal.
Digital ID/mDL scanning at vape shops
Tap2iD Mobile ID Reader
With only a handful of states still not offering a mobile ID, businesses will continue to see an increase of mobile IDs being presented as a form of age verification. Able to act as a companion device to any of our ID scanners, the Tap2iD mobile ID reader is able to scan any form of mobile ID from participating states. Regardless of whether the mobile ID is verified via QR code or NFC, the Tap2iD can read it and verify the age of the presenting party.
Online age verification for vape shops
For those vape shops that offer online sales for vape products, many states have legislation that requires age verification of some sort. Our digital identity verification solution allows for businesses to easily integrate an age verification component into their existing checkout workflows.
Customers can open your app or click a link sent via SMS on the website to begin the process. From there, customers take a quick photo of the front and back of their ID, then are guided through a selfie portion that compares them to the photo on the ID. Able to be completed in under 10 seconds, this online age verification option is a quick and easy practice vape shops can employ to ensure age verification compliance for online vape sales.
Conclusion
With legislation being continually passed surrounding age verification for vape products both online and in store, it is imperative that businesses employ the use of ID scanning for vape shops. They can improve existing workflows while helping to mitigate risk of compliance failures. To learn more, contact a member of our team.