What is the Most Frictionless Age Verification Method for E-Commerce?

If you are an online retailer, you already understand the problem of customers adding items to their cart & then abandoning before checking out. User drop out & cart abandonment is a recurring headache for online retailers, with an estimation of as high as 70% (Baymard Institute) across industries. One often overlooked but significant factor contributing to this is the age verification process. In fact, 62% of cart abandonment has been linked to inefficient or cumbersome age verification steps, highlighting the need for a more seamless and user-friendly solution. But for those selling age-restricted goods such as alcohol, vaping products, adult content or even certain video games — “bad User Experience” isn’t just a conversion hindrance, it’s a legal liability. 

In 2023, three major UK retailers were fined over £500,000 combined for failing age checks on alcohol sales (UK Alcohol Wholesaler Registration Scheme). The regulatory approach for online age verification methods is undergoing a significant shift, switching from self-declaration models to now demanding accurate and verifiable age verification systems. This shift in the approach has placed a significant “duty of care” on online service providers, with severe penalties for non-compliance. 

Online retail businesses carry rigorous compliance measures and great responsibility. Governments are tightening the rules on online sales of age-restricted items. This will require robust age verification technology to protect minors. Failure to comply can lead to excessive fines – up to £18 million or 10% of global revenue in the UK, or 6% in the EU – and a significant blow to brand’s reputation.

No retailer, rightfully so, would want to be associated with enabling underage access to an age-restricted product or refusing access to legitimate users.
Learn more about global age assurance laws here : 

Frictionless Age Verification for Ecommerce in 2025

E-commerce platforms must implement an age verification solution that delivers both accurate and effective age checks, ensuring compliance without compromising user experience. Many products, like alcohol, tobacco, or adult content, have age restrictions. As per the law, stores must verify a buyer’s age to avoid selling to minors, but if the process is too complicated or inaccurate, customers abandon their purchase.

A smooth, fast age check using an AI-powered facial age estimation tool, such as the one provided by FACIA, keeps the sale moving without frustrating shoppers.

Frictionless age verification also helps businesses stay competitive and trusted. Customers prefer websites that are secure but also don’t make them jump through a series of time consuming or inaccurate checks.

If the age check is smooth, shoppers are more likely to complete their purchase and also return in the future. At the same time, it protects the store from legal troubles by ensuring sale of age-restricted items is made to the right customers.
It’s a win-win: buyers get a smooth experience, and sellers stay compliant without compromising user experience or losing sales.

Global Age Assurance Regulatory Landscape:

Several countries across the globe have come up with their own age verification laws aimed at protecting minors. Each law serves the culture, tradition and appetite of that region. The following table represents some of the significant laws of age verification:

Challenges of Traditional Age Verification Solutions

The main challenge in complying with age verification laws is that traditional age verification methods are inefficient and insufficient in today’s digital age. Reliance on self-declared age or credit card checks are no longer sufficient. According to Australia’s eSafety Commission, 38% of minors use fake IDs and 11% have begun using AI-generated deepfakes to bypass these checks.

 Facia: Seamless Age Assurance for Your Ecommerce Store

Ecommerce stores need a reliable way to verify customers’ ages without making shopping or user experience difficult. FACIA offers a smart, privacy-friendly solution using AI to estimate age from facial features that delivers quick, secure and hassle-free results. It’s the best choice for easy, legal and accurate age verification online.

The facial biometric solution helps e-commerce stores stay safe and compliant by verifying a user’s age using just their face—no documents needed. Its AI-powered facial biometrics technology checks a customer’s age by analyzing their facial features, offering fast and accurate results.

FACIA has already proven itself in verifying remote identities online through advanced anti-spoofing capabilities and enhanced liveness detection. It is no stranger to the challenges of deploying a successful AI-powered biometric tool, particularly in an era where threats like deepfake attacks continue to evolve.

FACIA’s solution delivers age estimates with market-leading lowest error rates: 

• Ages 6–13: ±2.25 years
• Ages 13–17: ±1.30 years
• Ages 18–21: ±1.20 years
• Ages 21–75: ±2.50 years

With FACIA, you also get confidence scores for under 18 and under 21, making it easier to enforce age limits for products like alcohol, vape or age-gated content. Compliance with laws and standards such as the COPPA Act and Challenge 18 / Challenge 21 / Challenge 25 make FACIA’s solution stand out as a hassle-free and accurate tool for effective age verification.

It’s time to say goodbye to “bad UX” and hello to seamless, secure, and compliant e-commerce. Partner with FACIA today!