Amazon’s approach to age verification on age-restricted products

Amazon takes its responsibility in relation to the sale of all age-restricted items, including alcohol and bladed objects, extremely seriously. All products are required to comply with applicable laws and the sale of all illegal products is prohibited.

Amazon has developed and continues to invest in industry-leading tools to continually monitor and prevent non-compliant products from being listed in our stores.

Customers who buy age-restricted products must go through an age verification process to confirm they are 18 years of age or over. This happens during online checkout and at the point of delivery.

This process also includes multiple notifications that the product they are purchasing requires age verification.

In addition, Amazon clearly labels these packages when they’re out for delivery, indicating that they can only be delivered to individuals 18 and over. Amazon restricts delivery options for these items to ensure a physical age verification is conducted upon delivery. Delivery to a nominated safe place location or locker is not available for age-restricted items.

The Conditions of Use and Sale make clear that anyone under the age of 18 is not allowed to set up an Amazon account or make purchases. In rare cases where Amazon is made aware that an account has been opened by a minor, the account is closed.

All product listings on the online marketplace requiring age verification carry a message outlining the specific requirements to purchase that item, similar to the example message displayed below (messages may vary by product offering).

At the time of checkout, customers buying age-restricted items must provide their name, date of birth, and legal address, with these details being checked by a globally leading and trusted ID verification service. Once the customer’s age has been verified, their order can be completed.

To ensure compliance with this policy, sellers are required to use Amazon’s fulfilment network for the delivery of all age restricted items, and at the point of delivery, recipient is required to verify their age.

To confirm the recipient is over 18 years of age, the driver is required to request and record a year of birth and record that the customer is visibly over 25 years old. If they are not visibly over 25 years old, the driver is required to request valid photographic ID.

Items delivered to a Royal Mail Local Collect Post Office, Enquiry Office or Delivery Office, are subject to age verification at collection. Royal Mail will ask for the recipient’s year of birth at the point of delivery and will ask to see valid photo identification if the recipient is, or appears to be, under 25 years of age, in line with the "Challenge 25" industry best practice.

Delivery to a locker or pick-up point is also not available for age-restricted items.