Archived Age-Restricted ID check - alcohol, cold medicine

[Target_serf]

Okay but why does it ask for birthday with non-alcoholic alcohol?? I had a very pregnant woman come through with it and she was happy to give me her ID but we both laughed about it

Because most "non-alcoholic" beer still has 0.5% alcohol, and is therefore still age-restricted.

 

[Frontlanegirl]

I guess what I'm trying to say is the screen is different for cold medicine ID and alcohol age verification. They used to be the same screen with the same request to scan ID. Now it's different. Maybe its just my store or my region idk.

I’m more concerned with the alcohol sales than with an 80 year old guest buying cold/cough medication.

 

[SallyHoover]

The cold medicine ID requirement is a Federal law, part of the Patriot Act, to stop people from buying it (especially in bulk) to make meth.

That federal law only applies to pseudoephedrine which is only sold behind the counter at the pharmacy department and the system records not just the birthdate (which is the only thing the check lanes and SCO record at target) but also all of the id information and goes into a database recording the daily and monthly amount of pseudoephedrine that is sold. It also requires the purchaser to sign.

Most OTC medicine that can be purchased at regular lanes and other products like compressed air or rubber glue are only regulated by state laws or in some cases target policies. Nicotine products (patches/gum) and alcohol are federally regulated. Many of the products that target requires an ID, other local stores not only don't require an ID but don't indicated any age requirements so I assume that for some it is either Target policy only or a state law in a different state and Target just applies the same rule system wide or Target just doesn't want to be held liable in court if someone under 18 buys in bulk and overdoses or injurers themselves using potentially dangerous but legally unregulated items.

I live in a state that doesn't sell alcohol in stores like Target (non beer/wine/liquor stores). I think for that reason stores in our area are more lax about requiring actually seeing the id for those that appear over 30.

 

[Hope4Future]

Maybe it's because I've started to lose interest and faith in Spot, but I've usually been very lenient (probably too much) about checking ID for age-restricted items. If they look old enough, I'll just ask for the guest's date of birth and manually enter it in. In addition, I've never even tried to scan ID at my store to see if it would go through or not. I don't have to worry about alcohol just like Sally, and I've tried my best not to anger guests who already had to wait in line before finally checking out at self-checkout.

Definitely agree with Sally in that I get the feeling my store is pretty lax about checking ID, although I should check with a front end team lead about what my store's leadership wants us to do with regards to checking ID.

 

[The Dude Abides]

Technically we should not accept foreign ID. all IDs must be issued by US or US State Govs. From our policy valid forms of ID (same list as for OPU)include:

• Government-issued photo ID
• State-issued driver's license
• State-issued ID card
• U.S. passport
• Military ID
• Certificate of Citizenship
• Certificate of Naturalization
• Permanent Resident
• Green Card
• Native American Travel Photo ID

The only passport acceptable is US.

This point needs to be clarified since I noticed you did not respond. You are definitely wrong on this point. This post from Target Serf is the correct policy as stated on Alcohol Sales Training and Workbench. The only exception with Canada is that we are not supposed to take their Nexus card as an acceptable form of photo ID.

Actually, the acceptable IDs are, at least as of when the training documents were written:
US or Canadian driver's license
US or Canadian non-driver ID card
US or Canadian military ID
Passport, regardless of issuing country.

A passport is the only ID that a guest visiting from a country other than Canada may use. Every now and again, someone comes into the store to test our knowledge of the rules by showing us a set of pictures of various IDs, and requiring us to state whether each one is acceptable for age restricted sales or not.

Also, Alcohol and other ID-required items can be processed at self checkout as long as the team member assigned to SCO has passed alcohol sales training and is eligible to sell it in accordance with their local laws.

 

[Amanda Cantwell]

This point needs to be clarified since I noticed you did not respond. You are definitely wrong on this point. This post from Target Serf is the correct policy as stated on Alcohol Sales Training and Workbench.

Yes-- that's right. I mistakenly thought the list for OPU id was the same as alcohol. that list IS correct for OPU (where foreign ids should not be accepted) however it is not correct for alcohol-- my bad, I edited my post

 

[ConfusedCashier]

Our self checkouts updated to not letting team members under 21 approve alcohol sales- which is fine and dandy if you like calling for tms over 21 every 2 minutes

 

[GoodyNN]

Welcome to my world. I'm often the only over-21 cashier closing and find myself running all over the front to deal with alcohol purchases.

 

[Ashfromoldsite]

If you hit the back button it lets you do it.

 

[Amanda Cantwell]

Our self checkouts updated to not letting team members under 21 approve alcohol sales- which is fine and dandy if you like calling for tms over 21 every 2 minutes

I called CSC for something else and they had a recording that it’s a known issue

 

[Fluttervale]

Maybe it's because I've started to lose interest and faith in Spot, but I've usually been very lenient (probably too much) about checking ID for age-restricted items. If they look old enough, I'll just ask for the guest's date of birth and manually enter it in. In addition, I've never even tried to scan ID at my store to see if it would go through or not. I don't have to worry about alcohol just like Sally, and I've tried my best not to anger guests who already had to wait in line before finally checking out at self-checkout.

Definitely agree with Sally in that I get the feeling my store is pretty lax about checking ID, although I should check with a front end team lead about what my store's leadership wants us to do with regards to checking ID.

Be careful. The fines are insane and it's state dependant on whether you or the store gets the ticket.

 

[IWishIKnew]

Question that will become relevant in a week for me--does Target accept expired IDs (with the paperwork for the new one)?

 

[Amanda Cantwell]

Question that will become relevant in a week for me--does Target accept expired IDs (with the paperwork for the new one)?

No (POS will deny). Up to cashier to key if they choose.

 

[CashCat]

Question that will become relevant in a week for me--does Target accept expired IDs (with the paperwork for the new one)?

ASANTS, but our managers have told us we cannot accept them even with papers, it has to be a valid photo ID with no exceptions.

 

[Target_serf]

Here, when a license is renewed, they get a paper temporary ID until the new card arrives in the mail. The paper ID does have the person's photo, and we've been accepting those.

 

[IWishIKnew]

Interesting. I do have a valid ID--the card itself will expire next week, but I still have the card, and I have the paper temp version (with my photo). It's fascinating to me that the State considers it a valid ID but liquor stores do not (I ran into this problem at a baseball game last time I had to get a new license and the ballpark wouldn't let me buy beer on my birthday. I was pissed.)

 

[CashCat]

Interesting. I do have a valid ID--the card itself will expire next week, but I still have the card, and I have the paper temp version (with my photo). It's fascinating to me that the State considers it a valid ID but liquor stores do not (I ran into this problem at a baseball game last time I had to get a new license and the ballpark wouldn't let me buy beer on my birthday. I was pissed.)

It's likely a combination of quirks with the state liquor laws, and the difficulties in validating the piece of paper, versus just the card.
As an aside, I've noticed that a lot of TMs will just accept expired IDs at my location because the barcodes still scan as if they were valid, so you may be able to get away with it that way.

 

[IWishIKnew]

Yeah, but that's still stupid. I still have the card. It has my name, picture, etc. on it. The name, picture, etc. matches the paperwork. It makes zero sense to me whatsoever that the combo of the two isn't valid. I know, there's nothing anyone here can do about it, so this is more of a general rant, but it makes no sense! I don't deal well with things that make no sense.

I could totally understand not being able to accept the expired card OR the paper, but if you have both? That constitutes a valid ID, in the eyes of the State. Why not someone selling alcohol?

 

[redeye58]

This is why you should stockpile your liquor purchases prior to license renewal: to tide you over while waiting for your new ID.
Of course, ANY excuse to buy extra liquor/beer/wine is a valid one.

 

[CeeCee]

To be perfectly honest I have never checked to see if someone’s license is expired. I’m just lucky to find the date of birth on the ones from other states. 😆

 

[Times Up]

To be perfectly honest I have never checked to see if someone’s license is expired. I’m just lucky to find the date of birth on the ones from other states. 😆

I just scan it. If it goes through, I'm good with that. I only match picture and look for the dob if they look under 30 or if the DL has my states special marks noting the holder is a minor.

 

[Amanda Cantwell]

I just scan it. If it goes through, I'm good with that. I only match picture and look for the dob if they look under 30 or if the DL has my states special marks noting the holder is a minor.

Pos will check the DOB for you, no need for you to.