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Age Verification

Admin

Age verification adds an age gate to the POS register that requires staff to confirm a customer's age before proceeding with age-restricted products. This is essential for compliance in cannabis, alcohol, and tobacco retail.

Feature flag required

Age verification is only available when Enable Age Verification is enabled in your store settings. Navigate to Settings > Edit Settings > Tax & Currency tab and toggle on Enable Age Verification. (The Age Verification section sits below the tax settings on the same tab.)

How Age Verification Works​

When enabled, the POS displays an age verification prompt when a customer attempts to purchase age-restricted products. The cashier must confirm that the customer meets the minimum age requirement before the sale can proceed.

The prompt is a simple confirmation -- the cashier visually checks the customer's ID and taps Confirm to proceed.

Configuration​

Accessing Age Verification Settings​

  1. Log in to the Admin Panel.
  2. Navigate to Settings > Edit Settings.
  3. Click the Tax & Currency tab.
  4. Scroll down to the Age Verification section (located below the Additional Tax settings).

Settings​

SettingDefaultDescription
Enable Age VerificationOffMaster toggle to enable or disable the age gate.
Minimum Age19The minimum age required to purchase age-restricted products (valid range 1–99). Set this to match your jurisdiction's legal requirement.
Verification ModeWhen adding to cartWhen the age verification prompt appears (see below).

Verification Modes​

ModeWhen the Prompt Appears
When adding to cartThe prompt appears when an age-restricted product is first added to the cart. Once the cashier confirms age for a cart, the prompt does not re-appear for additional age-restricted items in the same cart.
At checkoutThe prompt appears at checkout before payment is processed. All items are in the cart, and age is verified once before the sale completes.
Which mode to choose?

When adding to cart is recommended for most stores. It catches age issues immediately and prevents building a cart that cannot be sold. At checkout mode is useful if you want to allow browsing and only verify at the point of sale.

Marking Products as Age-Restricted​

Age verification only triggers for products flagged as age-restricted. The flag is set at the category level: any product whose category (or parent category) has "Age Restricted" enabled will trigger the age prompt. Configure this from Categories in the admin panel.

POS Age Gate Behavior​

When the age verification prompt triggers on the POS:

  1. An Age Verification Required modal appears asking the cashier to verify the customer's age.
  2. The modal message includes the minimum age required (e.g., "Customer must be at least 19 years old to purchase this item. Has the customer's age been verified?").
  3. The cashier checks the customer's ID.
  4. The cashier taps Age Verified to confirm the customer meets the age requirement.
  5. The sale proceeds normally.

If the cashier determines the customer does not meet the age requirement:

  1. Tap Cancel to close the modal.
  2. The age-restricted product is not added to the cart (When adding to cart mode) or the payment is blocked (At checkout mode).
ID every time

Train staff to ask for ID on every age-restricted sale, regardless of how old the customer appears. Compliance regulations typically require verification on every transaction, not just when the customer looks young.

Cannabis Compliance Context​

For cannabis retail stores, age verification is a critical compliance requirement:

  • Legal requirement -- Most Canadian provinces require customers to be 19+ to purchase cannabis (18+ in Alberta and Quebec).
  • Set the correct minimum age for your province.
  • Combine with purchase limits -- Age verification works alongside the daily purchase limit tracking to ensure full compliance.
Age verification is not persisted on the sale record

The age verification confirmation is a cashier-side gate only -- there is no stored "age verified" field on completed sales. If your compliance regime requires proof-of-ID records, keep a physical log or use a dedicated ID-capture solution. Brother POS's built-in age gate is a point-of-sale prompt, not an audit record.

Best Practices​

  • Set the correct minimum age for your jurisdiction. Do not assume 19 -- check your local regulations.
  • Use "When adding to cart" mode for immediate feedback. This prevents building large orders that cannot be completed.
  • Train all staff on proper ID verification procedures. The POS prompt is a reminder, not a substitute for proper training.
  • Post signage at the entrance about age requirements to set expectations before customers reach the register.

What's Next?​