Age Verification Compliance Checks Across Canada and the US
Protect your business, your licence and your reputation.
One sale to a minor can cost a retailer its licence, a fine and its reputation. Our age verification programs show you whether your team checks ID and follows the rules every day, in every interaction, before an inspector or a regulator finds out first. Shoppers Confidential has run compliance and age-verification programs for retailers, licensees and franchise brands since 2005. We build each program around the rules in the province or state where your stores operate.
Every audit is verified through our quality control process.
What We Do
Every age verification program includes:
Decoy visits by certified shoppers of legal age who look young and carry their real ID
Audits of regulated sales (alcohol, cannabis, tobacco, vaping, lottery), in store and online
Clear pass/fail reports with the compliance risks and the actions to take
Age verification and ID checks, including online age-gating on your website, app and checkout
Programs built around provincial and state rules and your own policies
Choose Your Program Style
No two businesses are alike, so we offer flexible mystery shopping models to fit your goals, budget, and pace.
Decoy Shopper Audits
Shoppers of legal age who look young attempt a regulated purchase, to test whether staff ask for ID and follow the law.
Online Age-Gate Checks
Shoppers test whether your website, app and online checkout confirm age before a regulated sale.
Ongoing Age Verification Programs
Monthly or quarterly programs that build a reliable record of performance, show trends and support staff coaching.
Don’t let one misstep put your business at risk.
Who We Work With
We work with any business that sells age-restricted products. Common examples:
- Liquor, beer and wine retailers, and their franchised or agency outlets
- Licensed cannabis retailers
- Convenience stores and gas stations selling tobacco, vaping products and lottery tickets
- Lottery and gaming retailers
- Bars, restaurants and licensed venues
- Online retailers and apps selling age-restricted products
- Franchise brands that need consistent age checks across every location
Need to check other rules, such as licensing, signage, cash handling or your own procedures? See our compliance audits.
How Decoy Shops Work
Our decoys are adults of legal age in that jurisdiction who look younger than they are, so every attempted purchase is lawful. They carry their real ID and never use fake ID. The goal isn’t to trick your staff; it’s to confirm your standards are upheld.
Decoys try to buy a regulated product, note whether staff asked for ID and what happened next, and report it right away. Every report is checked by our quality team, and photos and receipts are verified against the location, date and time.
Legal ages and rules differ by province and state, so we build each program around the legal age and regulations in the jurisdiction where your stores operate.
What We Evaluate
How an Age Verification Program Works
Frequently Asked Questions
Don’t let one misstep put your business at risk.
Tell us about your locations and the products you sell. We’ll connect with you within one business day to talk through your program and build your free quote.
See our mystery shopping programs, our quality control process or our work with franchise brands, or email us at hello@shoppersconfidential.com.