TruAge Basics
What is TruAge?
TruAge is a revolutionary new digital age-verification tool that helps you to securely show proof of age when purchasing age-restricted products. It’s our mission to unlock a better experience at checkout by protecting your privacy, securing your personal information, and making the carding process faster and easier.
How does TruAge work?
At checkout, TruAge confirms you’re old enough to make a purchase without revealing your personal information. Unlike other ID scanning systems, TruAge extracts only four out of 33+ available data points from your driver’s license to verify your age: your driver’s license number, issuing state, expiration date, and date of birth. Then, TruAge encrypts those four data points and creates anonymous digital tokens that verify you are old enough to purchase an age-restricted product.
TruAge operates in two ways:
- You can hand your physical ID to the cashier at checkout and they’ll scan the barcode on the back using the TruAge system. Because the cashier doesn’t need to manually enter your information and because TruAge privatizes and protects your data, this process is more secure than a traditional ID check.
- Alternatively, you can use the TruAge app (Coming Soon), once it’s available in late 2023, to scan a unique QR code directly from your phone. When a cashier scans your QR code from your phone in the TruAge app, they’ll only see your photo and a confirmation that you’re of legal age to complete your purchase—not your name, address, date of birth, or any other personally identifiable information.
How is TruAge’s driver’s license scan different from other places that scan my license?
Other ID scanning systems can expose up to 33+ pieces of personally identifiable information including your full name, address, date of birth, height, weight, eye color, and so on. These systems may save or share your information with third parties, giving you little control over how or where your information is used. TruAge only extracts four pieces of information—your driver’s license number, issuing state, expiration date, and date of birth—to verify you are of legal age for purchases and then encrypts those data points as anonymous digital tokens. That means they’re never visible to the cashier or retailer, even after checkout. TruAge does not extract any other information from your driver’s license.
Where can I use TruAge?
Initially, TruAge will be available in convenience stores, small grocery stores, and neighborhood markets. We have plans to expand into medium and large grocery stores, liquor stores, and mass retailers, as well as bars, restaurants, and concert venues. Find a participating location near you.
Why haven’t I seen TruAge anywhere else?
We’ve selected a handful of stores to launch this revolutionary new technology, so access to TruAge may be limited for a while. Once we’re ready to expand, you can expect to see TruAge across more regions in the United States, as well as in more stores and restaurants.
Why would I want to use the TruAge app?
TruAge makes checking out with age-restricted purchases faster, safer, and smarter. With the app, you can verify your age using a unique digital QR code that keeps your personal information private—no more fumbling with your wallet to find your ID and no more handing over your physical ID to have a cashier manually review or enter your information. Unlike other ID scanning systems, TruAge extracts minimal data to confirm your age and then encrypts that information, creating an anonymous digital token that ensures you stay anonymous and secure with every purchase.
If I always have my physical ID on me, why do I need the TruAge app?
TruAge protects your personal information better than other forms of age verification, whether a cashier scans your physical driver’s license or you use the TruAge app. Because the TruAge system is built into your checkout experience, you don’t have to use the app to ensure that your personal information remains private. But with the app, they’ll only see your photo and a confirmation that you’re of legal age to complete your purchase, which offers an additional layer of privacy protection.
Using the TruAge App (Coming Soon)
Where can I download the TruAge app?
Once the TruAge app launches in late 2023, you will be able to download the app from both the App Store and Google Play store.
How much does the TruAge app cost?
The TruAge app is always free for consumers, retailers, and POS vendors.
What if I don’t have internet access?
You can still use the app without internet access, but you will need to load the app when you have internet access prior to checking out. Once you’ve loaded your unique QR code in the app and have it ready to scan, you’ll be able to check out without any issue.
In the event you’re unable to access the internet or app, you can have the cashier scan your physical driver’s license, which still gives you the convenience, safety, and security benefits of TruAge over traditional ID-scanning systems or manual entry methods.
Does the app work with all cell phones?
The TruAge app works with any cellphone that has access to the internet and can download applications.
Privacy & Security
How do I know I can trust TruAge with my personal data?
Because we don’t capture any data elements other than your driver’s license number, issuing state, expiration date, and date of birth—and even that information is secured with the creation of your anonymous TruAge digital token.
What information is captured when you scan my license?
TruAge verifies only the information it needs—your driver’s license number, issuing state, expiration date, and date of birth—to ensure you’re old enough to make an age-restricted purchase. TruAge never extracts any additional data from your driver’s license or ID and never shares any personally identifiable information with any other parties.
Are you tracking my purchases?
TruAge confirms you’re of legal age to complete an age-restricted purchase and confirms you are eligible to purchase a specific product but does not track your personal information in relation to your purchases.
Some states and/or products set maximum volume limits on what can be sold to any individual over a specific period of time. When required, the TruAge system tracks the number of items purchased and will not allow purchase if you’ve reached your maximum for that time period or product, as set by state and/or federal regulations. TruAge never shares any personal information like your name, address, height, weight, and so on because they are not extracted.
What happens to the data you do capture?
TruAge encrypts your data points and then protects them even further by creating anonymous tokens. These anonymous tokens cannot be traced back to you without legal authorization from a court-issued subpoena. Neither retailers nor cashiers retain any of the extracted information.
TruAge confirms your eligibility to purchase age-restricted products with the retailer and, where required by law, the product manufacturer, so that you can buy the product. Other than that, your information remains private and secure.
Never. Because we don’t store any personal information, there’s nothing to sell.
Should I be worried about identity theft?
TruAge makes identity theft extremely difficult in comparison to existing proof-of-age methods. No personal information is transmitted during a purchase, so there’s nothing to steal.
What happens if my phone gets hacked or stolen?
Your personal information can’t be viewed if your phone is hacked or stolen. None of your driver’s license information is stored within the TruAge app—only an encrypted, anonymized token and an image of your face are accessible.
