What are the practical costs and methods for age verification on direct-to-consumer alcohol delivery?

Age verification for online alcohol delivery involves licensing requirements and verification costs that members find significant.

**Licensing and regulatory requirements:** - An off-premises licence from your local council is required. The process includes paying for the licence itself plus an advertisement in the local paper. - Trading Standards and police may mandate age-verification measures as a condition of your licence.

**Age-verification methods and costs:** - **Challenge 25 service via Parcelforce** — costs £8 per parcel (all-in, not on top of shipping). Members found this prohibitively expensive and questioned whether it's necessary. - **Website age tick box** — some members suggest a simple age declaration checkbox on your website may be sufficient, though this advice comes with the caveat that it's not legal guidance. - Members note that major alcohol sellers do not appear to use the £8 Challenge 25 service, suggesting alternatives exist.

**Key considerations:** - If your licence conditions mandate age verification, you may have limited flexibility—one member noted their licence depends on compliance with their local authority's requirements. - Using a distribution company rather than direct delivery may be a cost alternative worth exploring. - Amazon has strict alcohol policies; if you plan to sell via Amazon, expect additional scrutiny and requirements.

**Member sentiment:** The £8-per-parcel cost is widely viewed as uneconomical and potentially unnecessary, though compliance depends on your specific local licence conditions.