Selling alcohol or tobacco to a minor can result in substantial fines for your business. Using an omni directional bar code scanner that can also read drivers’ licenses to verify proof of age can mitigate the risk. Both Cash Register Express and Restaurant Pro Express from pcAmerica offer age verification capabilities for liquor stores, bars, nightclubs, restaurants, and tobacco outlets.

For age-sensitive items such as liquor and tobacco, the POS can now be configured to verify the age of the customer before authorizing purchase in conjunction with a specialized bar code scanner (the Honeywell Focus or Genesis scanners with easy ID). Specific items can be marked as age sensitive products that require the cashier to check the ID. As soon as the item is scanned, the cashier is prompted to scan the customer’s license. A scan of the 2-D bar code on the back of most licenses will quickly verify the birth date attached to the license, and will clearly notify the cashier if the customer is underage or of proper age to purchase alcohol or tobacco.

The POS can be configured to prompt for an ID scan once per check, or can be set to nightclub mode, where IDs can be continuously scanned on a terminal located by the entrance. ID scanners are also a great way to quickly gather a marketing list – one simple scan will capture a customer’s name, mailing address and birth date and enter it into a customer profile. Using age verification within your POS system ensures that your cashiers are only selling to customers old enough to purchase these age-sensitive items.