Mark Sure Your Liquor Store POS System Has Age Verification
As the owner of a liquor store or convenience store, underage drinking and smoking are serious concerns. Authorities throughout the US continue to crack down on liquor stores for this very reason in undercover stings to ensure compliance with state and federal regulations. Penalties may include citations, fines, or losing a liquor license altogether.
The truth is that your liquor store can’t afford such an error that could result in lost sales or closing your doors completely. Choosing the right POS system with age verification can make a world of difference in restricting sales to minors for both cigarettes and alcohol.
How a liquor store POS system with age verification works
A liquor store point of sale system with age verification may start as low as $2999. A system equipped with this feature will protect a liquor store from vulnerability by requiring employees to swipe or scan each driver’s license with purchase. Employees also have the option to enter ID information manually in order to approve a sale for customers over 21.
A liquor store POS equipped with age verification also provides the convenience to set age restrictions on certain in-store products. Meaning, a liquor store owner can code age restrictions on all alcohol and tobacco products in a store and remove restrictions from standard items, like soft drinks, juice, and snacks.
If you already have a POS system established in your liquor store, your software manufacturer may offer add-on modules and upgrades that provide age verification with your existing system. Add-ons may include hand-held scanner equipment that can be used to manually scan and approve each customer ID with restricted purchases.
Liquor store POS legal compliance
Before you invest in any type of POS age verification software, take the time to ensure state legal compliance as a top priority.
If you purchase POS software that isn’t compatible with your home state, you’ll only be wasting money on a software system that can’t provide age verification support for your local customer base. Fortunately, most liquor store POS systems with such features remain compliant with 48 out of 50 states, as well as two Canadian provinces.
While a typical liquor store POS system will include a computer, cash drawer, barcode scanner, and receipt printer, an additional tool like an age verification scanner can provide an advantage. As your liquor store implements protocol to remain legally compliant in each transaction, you’ll never have to worry about undercover purchases that could affect your business.