Did you know that failing to verify a customer's age can cost liquor stores up to $10,000 in fines? That's a serious blow to any small business, especially when it's completely avoidable.
The good news is, you can use tools to help prevent age verification mistakes from hurting your bottom line — and your reputation. One of the best ways to master age verification in your liquor store is by integrating your age verification tech with your point of sale (POS) system.
Clover is one of the leading POS systems for small retailers. But does Clover have the right features for age verification?
And, most importantly, is it the best solution for your liquor store?
In this article, we’ll explore Clover’s age verification technology and how it works. We’ll also compare a few alternatives so that you can make an informed choice.
Let’s cut to the chase. Does Clover have age verification technology? The simple answer is yes.
Clover includes age verification technology in its suite of features. It’s designed to help liquor store owners securely and quickly comply with regulations around age-restricted sales. Here are some key features of Clover's technology:
Clover’s age verification features offer some useful tools for compliance, but it may not be the best fit for every liquor store. User feedback highlights inconsistencies in age checks, lack of transparency about verification processes, and system outages that can disrupt compliance and potentially lead to illegal sales.
Clover's reported performance and support limitations might make it a riskier option for liquor stores, where strong compliance and quick issue resolution are essential. Exploring other POS systems designed specifically for liquor stores may provide more reliable security, better transparency, and stronger support to effectively meet legal requirements.
Before we explore some Clover alternatives, let’s take a moment to understand why age verification is so important for liquor stores. Ensuring a reliable and efficient way to verify customers’ ages goes beyond simply following the law — it can have a big impact on your store’s success and day-to-day operations.
Legal compliance keeps your business protected:
One of the main advantages of age verification is staying compliant with local, state, and federal regulations. Properly verifying a customer’s age reduces the risk of heavy fines, legal action, or potentially losing your liquor license. By integrating age verification into your store’s POS, you safeguard your business from potential legal issues, ensuring all alcohol sales are compliant and above board.
Increased efficiency speeds up checkout processes:
A real-time age verification system can streamline transactions, confirming a customer’s age in seconds. This practice keeps your checkout process fast, prevents long lines, and improves the overall shopping experience, especially during busy periods. Quick verification helps your staff handle transactions smoothly, allowing your store to serve more customers without compromising compliance.
Verification tools reduce the risk of expensive mistakes:
Relying on manual age checks can lead to errors, with staff potentially misreading or misinterpreting ID details. An automated system lowers the chance of mistakes, reducing the risk of selling alcohol to underage customers. By improving accuracy, your store stays compliant and also builds a trustworthy reputation for responsibly managing alcohol sales.
The right tools simplify training and staff processes:
Training staff to verify ages manually can be time-consuming. A POS with built-in age verification simplifies this process, requiring employees to simply scan IDs to confirm age. This tool reduces training time, helps new staff get up to speed quickly, and provides a more consistent approach to ID checks, making your age verification processes easier and more reliable.
Audit trails and reliable records:
With an age verification tool, every ID scan is recorded, creating a clear, digital trail of all age verifications. This trail makes internal reviews and compliance audits straightforward, as you can easily access records if needed. Keeping detailed logs of all age-checked sales can help identify potential issues quickly and make it easier to provide the requested information in the event of an audit.
Provide an improved customer experience:
POS systems with built-in age verification confirm customer eligibility instantly. This quick processing keeps the checkout experience smooth and prevents delays, even during peak shopping times. Real-time verification means that age-restricted sales are processed quickly without slowing down other customers, keeping your operations efficient without sacrificing compliance.
Stay up to date with regulation updates:
Laws around age-restricted sales change over time, and a POS with age verification technology can be updated to reflect the latest regulations. This feature ensures your store stays up to date with any legal changes without needing manual tracking or adjustments. With the system automatically adapting to legal requirements, you can keep your focus on daily operations, knowing compliance is covered.
While Clover is a popular choice, it’s not the only POS system offering age verification technology. Depending on your store’s specific needs, you might find that another option suits your business better. Here are three alternatives to consider.
Bottle POS is an all-in-one point of sale and inventory management solution designed specifically for independent wine, liquor, and beer retailers. Having partnered with hundreds of stores, we understand the unique needs of small and medium-sized shops, providing the hardware, software, and support needed to help your business thrive.
Our advanced age verification features let you and your team quickly approve customer purchases, helping to reduce the risk of selling to minors. Our platform also has the following features:
Pricing:
Use our transparent build-and-price tool to get a customized quote that fits your store’s specific needs.
POS Nation provides a tailored point of sale solution for liquor, wine, and other alcohol retailers. With tools designed to simplify your operations, optimize inventory management, and drive sales, their system is a reliable choice for small to mid-sized businesses looking to improve efficiency and compliance.
Key Features
Pricing
Get a custom quote that fits your business needs with POS Nation’s online pricing tool.
IDScan.net is a leading identity verification platform that supports over 7,500 global brands with ID scanning, fraud prevention, and compliance management. With AI-powered tools, IDScan.net ensures that businesses can verify identities quickly, securely, and accurately — whether for age-restricted products or access management.
Key Features
Pricing
IDScan.net’s pricing starts with a basic plan at $249 per device, with options ranging up to the comprehensive plan at $1,290 per device, offering various solutions to match your business requirements.
Age verification is crucial to running a compliant, efficient, and secure liquor store. While Clover offers some age verification features, its limitations may make it less suitable for businesses that require robust and reliable compliance processes and swift issue resolution.
Alternatives like Bottle POS, POS Nation, and IDScan.net are designed specifically to meet the unique needs of liquor stores, providing advanced security, streamlined inventory management, and customizable pricing options.
Choosing the right POS system for your liquor store means finding a solution that doesn’t just check the boxes for age verification but also aligns with your store’s operational needs and customer experience. From speeding up transactions and reducing errors to staying up to date with the latest regulations, a tailored POS system helps your business thrive while maintaining compliance.
If you’re looking for a system built specifically for liquor stores, why not see how Bottle POS could work for you? Schedule a demo with our experts to see our system in action.