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How to Sell Age Restricted Items on your Shopify Store
Last modified: January 27, 2025
Age-restricted items can be sold online, but you need to make sure that you add age restrictions to certain products and you’re not selling them to those who cannot legally buy them. This could include many things like films/DVDs, music, food & drink and many other items.
With children having their own bank accounts now, it can be hard to police this without using age verification or order verification technology on your website.
So here is how you can sell age-restricted items on your Shopify store.
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Age Gate
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18 Plus Age Verification Popup
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Age Check + Age Verification
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Age Verification Pro
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Smart Age Verification
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Age Checker Plus
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Age Verification Popup
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Elfsight Age Verification
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Age Check
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EVS Age Verification
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1. Use a Password Protected Area
The first thing you could do is to have a password-protected area on your website that is only accessible when you give someone a password. To get that password, you’ve got to authorize the person by checking their age with photographic ID. This can be an easy thing to pass off, but with technology, you could have a Zoom call or live chat through Facebook/Skype to confirm the individual is who they say they are.
There are also apps that can help you lock specific products from those without the password, while offering products that don’t have age restrictions on them without problems.
2. Age Verification Apps
Another option is to ensure that your website has an age verification app installed. This will ask the customer how old they are. This could be by giving them a tick box to confirm they’re over a certain age, or by getting them to complete their date of birth.
There are numerous age verification apps that are available. And some of these can be very advanced. You can always try this app to help you get started.
3. Order Verification App
Another option is order verification. This is where your website will send a text message, call or email to get the customer to confirm their order. While this is sometimes successful, it is the easiest option on this list to bypass.
4. Click and Collect
Sometimes you can’t beat the old process of getting the customer to collect age-restricted goods from your physical store. So, if you have a customer who has ordered certain items, restrict their delivery options to collection only where you can check they’re old enough to buy the product themselves.
Conclusion: How to Sell Age Restricted Items on your Shopify Store
Selling age-restricted items on your Shopify store isn’t hard. But making sure you’re not selling to someone under-age can be challenging. One way to address this is by adding a tag to the age-restricted products, which can help identify and filter them.
Additionally, you can leverage Shopify’s advanced customizations to block or blacklist customers who attempt to purchase age-restricted items but fail to meet the required age criteria.
By implementing these measures, you can ensure that you’re staying compliant with legal requirements while maximizing your sales potential for age-appropriate customers. Therefore, use one of these tactics to help you make the most of the orders and ensure you’re staying legal when selling age-restricted items on your Shopify store.
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Can I manually verify a customer’s age for online purchases?
Manual verification is possible through live chats or video calls, but it’s less efficient and scalable compared to automated age verification apps or systems.
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What should I do if a minor accidentally purchases an age-restricted item?
If a minor accidentally purchases an age-restricted item, cancel the order and refund the purchase. Review and strengthen your age verification process to prevent future occurrences.
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How do I market age-restricted items on Shopify without violating policies?
Market age-restricted items responsibly by clearly stating age requirements and ensuring your marketing doesn’t target underage individuals. Follow Shopify’s marketing guidelines.
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