Yoti is highlighting the utility of its contactless age verification solution in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. The company notes that its digital IDs allow convenience store employees to conduct age checks without ever handling someone else’s physical ID card, making it a more sanitary option that can help stop the spread of the contagion.

With that in mind, Yoti reminded users that its solutions are compatible with the Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) Assured Advice protocols in the UK. That means that Yoti is a valid form of ID for people purchasing age-restricted goods like lottery tickets and tobacco. The only exception is alcohol, which is subject to separate Mandatory Licensing Conditions (MLC) that require a physical card that displays a date-of-birth and a holographic mark or UV feature.

While Yoti cannot be used to buy alcohol in person, it can be used to purchase alcohol online thanks to the company’s partnership with Jägermeister. Given the discrepancy – and in light of the public health concerns associated with COVID-19 – Yoti argues that UK legislators should amend the country’s MLC ID requirements to allow convenience stores to accept digital IDs for alcohol sales. The company stressed that Yoti Age Scan and the Yoti ID app are compliant with all of the relevant security and consumer privacy regulations, and suggested that they can reduce the number of attacks against convenience store employees.  

Yoti issued the Assured Advice update shortly after announcing that it would be offering its identity verification services free of charge to the public health organizations and emergency responders currently battling the pandemic. That move is in keeping keeping with the company’s broader commitment to social responsibility. Yoti has previously offered free services to eligible charities and non-profits, and recently added three more companies to its new Humanitarian Tech Support Programme.